Simple Tips For Healthy Living

When we talk about healthy living we don't mean just a healthy physical body, but a healthy mind as well since the mind is an integral part of our whole living system. In fact, everything comes from the mind. If we have a healthy mind, which means we have a general positive outlook on life and are joyful most of the time, we will have a healthy body. On the other hand, if we are stressed, sad, and have a negative attitude, we are basically opening the door to all kinds of physical ailments.

Studies have shown that the majority of physical illnesses stem from stresses of the mind. Conversely, a healthy mind leads to a happy body. I recently read an article (from the Associated Press) that happiness, even if it's faked, can reduce the risk of a heart attack. They say if you're grumpy by nature, you should try to be cheerful anyway. Just put on a fake smile if you have to.

Yes, that is indeed true. It is really hard, if not impossible, to feel sad or get angry when you're smiling. Even if you're pretending to put on a happy face, you will eventually feel more positive. Just try it.

In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle you basically need to do the following: eat healthy, get enough exercise, get enough sleep, and enjoy your life. So those are the things we will focus on on this page.

Healthy eating tips

Eating right is very important for healthy living but sadly, in our modern society people tend to pay less attention to what they eat. Many of us are constantly on the go and don't have time to prepare or look for healthy meals. Having a full stomach is all that matters, even if it means putting in all kinds of junk into our bodies.

Following are simple tips for eating healthy:

Eat more fruits and vegetables, and less meat.

Being a vegetarian is a healthy lifestyle choice. However, if you like to eat meat, just reduce your consumption and choose white meat over red. Your meals should consist of at least 50% vegetables.

Something that I recently learned is that you should eat fruits on an empty stomach or before meals. Most people eat fruits as dessert but recent studies have shown that in order for the fruits to effectively detoxify your system and provide you with energy they have to be eaten on an empty stomach. Another benefit that I learned from doing this is that I'm about 1/4 full before I eat my meal, preventing me from eating too much, and this brings us to the next tip:

Do not overeat.

Yeah, this can be tough sometimes, especially if the food is delicious :) but you can train yourself to eat just enough. Your body knows when you have reached that point. Heed the clues and don't even take another bite. Another thing that can help is to drink plenty of liquid before you start eating.

Avoid fatty, greasy, and processed foods.

Most fast food contains a lot of fat and should be avoided as much as possible. If you eat out choose a healthy restaurant or request your food to be prepared in a healthy way. Most canned food contains a lot of sodium and preservatives which are unhealthy, and you should not eat it on a regular basis.

Drink plenty of water.

The recommendation is to drink 8 glasses of water daily. You should start your day with drinking at least 2 glasses of water. You can also add other types of healthy drinks like fruit juices and tea, especially green tea.

The human body is created to move. So in order to maintain a healthy body you need to move on a regular basis. In ancient times people went hunting, chopped down trees, and did other rigorous physical work that we are very reluctant to do today. So to make up for it we need to make extra time to exercise.

The most important thing in exercising is that you need to do something you enjoy so that you don't regard it as a chore, and will stick to it. Even simple exercises like walking in your neighborhood for about half an hour each day will help. You will notice the difference that after you exercise your body feels good and you become more energetic. You are also more relaxed. more confident, and have a positive attitude towards life.

It prolongs your life

When we sleep our body repairs the damages that were done throughout the day. An adult needs 7 to 8 hours of continuous sleep every night to maintain a healthy body. Studies have shown that lack of sleep can actually lead to weight gain as well as other health problems.

Some people try to make up for their lack of sleep during the week by sleeping in on weekends. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. It would be similar to starving yourself on week days and having an eating binge over the weekend.

to the fullest

As mentioned in the introduction, your mind plays a very important role in your overall health. Folks that enjoy life, have fun, and are happy most of the time are healthier and live longer than those that are often stressed, sad, angry, or have a negative outlook on life.

Following are a few simple tips on how to enjoy your life.

• Decide that you will have a wonderful day every time you wake up in the morning no matter what. The fact that you're able to wake up is a good reason to be thankful.
• Throughout the day continue to find reasons to be thankful and grateful. Miracle happens every day. You just need to be observant and perceptive. Focus on the good things, and you will find plenty more. Appreciate the beautiful flowers, the cute kitten that runs across your lawn, the helpful employee at the store, and the kind stranger that holds the door for you. You get the picture.
• Perform random acts of kindness. You can be that kind stranger who opens the doors for others; complement your friends and give them encouragement; pick up an empty can from the ground and place it in the trash can. When you do these things you will automatically feel good.
• Release your inhibitions. Simply be a kid again. They certainly know how to have fun and enjoy life. Do anything you like and don't worry about what others think as long as you don't cause harm to others or yourself. Laugh out loud, walk around barefoot, sing in the rain, or take a swim at midnight.
• Get in touch with your spiritual side. If you're religious and find peace in a house of worship, great. However, you don't have to belong to any religion by any means. Meditation is a wonderful way to accomplish this and should be part of your daily routine. Just find a place where you can sit quietly and focus on your breathing for about 10 minutes. You will be more relaxed and calm.
• At the end of the day before you go to bed, reflect on all the wonderful things you experienced during the day, big and small, and thank the Creator or Universe for allowing you to experience them.

Life is fantastic and worth celebrating every single day. My favorite quote is short and sweet: Celebrate life!

Disclaimer

The content of this page is for informational purposes only, and is not intended as a substitute for sound advice, diagnosis, and treatment by a qualified healthcare professional. The author of this page is not liable for any consequences that may result from the use of this page.