Healthy Eating & Living Habits
There is no magic solution to having a healthy life, just a collection of habits that accumulate into well-being. The University of Minnesota says goal-setting, good nutrition, regular exercise and stress mastery are some hallmarks of a balanced life. A few shifts in behavior and attitude, and the persistence to make them permanent, could make you happier and will make you healthier.
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Healthy Eating
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Americans are big people served big portions, and neither is good. With more than 60 percent of adult Americans overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most people could use some habits to trim down. "Clean your plate" does not apply when the plate is oversize and piled high. Divide your portion in half in a restaurant, and take the extra food home.
Make a list of healthful foods you like, starting with fresh fruits and vegetables, and use that as the basis for your grocery list. Try the "7" trick recommended by the University of Nebraska to avoid running short in the kitchen and grabbing fast-food meals. Shorten the weekly grocery list by buying 7 main meals, 7 servings of low-fat dairy and 7 times the number of fruit and vegetable servings you eat each day. When the fridge is stocked with healthful choices, it's easy to make a habit of eating well.
Regular Exercise
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Exercise does not belong on your New Year's resolutions list. It belongs on your schedule. Walk up a few flights of stairs before you slide into the elevator. Take a walk at lunch while you munch an apple. Join a team or start playing a sport. Sign up for a weekly yoga class. Get some decent shoes, then lace them up and head out the door. Lift a few tomato cans over your head while you're preparing dinner, or lift some weights in the gym. Human bodies were made to move, and if yours isn't, you won't have it as long. So turn off the computer, get up and take a walk.
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Positive Thinking
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Minds are powerful predictors. Gloom in your head can shadow your life. But the reverse is true, so consume less news and more poetry. Really talk to your kids, and listen attentively because they are funny, goofy and often very wise. Attend musical events you will enjoy and go to some comedies. Meditate every day for 20 minutes in the morning, and use a guided meditation track if you haven't mastered emptying your mind. Stick a few Post-it notes with encouraging quotes or reminders where you will come across them throughout the day. Hang out with successful, positive people, and borrow their tricks for seeing every problem as an interesting challenge.
De-Stress
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Swimming in a sea of cortisol is going to make you sick. Stay well by banishing stress from your life, or at least turning it down a few notches. Sleep eight hours a night on a good mattress. Eat four to five light, healthy meals a day at regular hours. Exercise every day; just do it. Start a yoga habit; yoga works on the mind and the body to restore balance. Set goals you can achieve, and then tick them off your list. De-clutter your surroundings and your schedule. Work, and then stop working and play. You'll have more energy for everything when you consciously create calm in your life.
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References
- Harvard Medical School: Simple Changes, Big Rewards
- University of Nebraska: Make Healthy Eating a Habit
- Huffington Post: The Healing Power of Mindfulness
- Harvard Medical School: Six Reasons Not to Skimp on Sleep
- "The Philadelphia Inquirer": Majority of Americans are Overweight
- University of Minnesota: Create a Healthy Lifestyle
- Photo Credit jogging image by Emmanuelle Combaud from Fotolia.com
