Is living a healthy lifestyle what you want? This is a dream for all of us if we are honest with ourselves. We desire to be around for a long time.
Although over the years many countries have been trying to improve their public health systems, there has been little improvement.
If we all do our part by keeping healthy this could drastically improve the health of many persons worldwide. It would also decrease the amount of money that governments have to spend yearly trying to keep people well.
Many things in life are important. These would include family, work, education, and list goes on. However, without a healthy body, none of these can be fully enjoyed.
These 9 healthy lifestyle steps I have found for maintaining a healthier you, will show you how you can live the life you want and deserve. Why not start today and be at your best?
1. A Healthy Lifestyle Starts With A Healthy Diet
The food you eat is the place to start keeping you healthy. Having balanced meals from the different food groups is where you can begin.
Start focusing on these healthy foods you can eat that will even help with weight loss.
- Foods with calcium -Try some plain yogurts and then add the fruits you like. Keep in mind that many of the yogurts on the market usually contain lots of sugar and ingredients that you have never even heard of. Other calcium-rich foods would be low-fat cheeses and milk.
- Vegetables – If you prefer fresh that is good. However, canned and frozen are great too. Avoid the ones with added salt and sugar in the canned versions.
- Fruits – Your fruits can also come fresh, canned, or frozen. Check them out the same as you would your vegetables.
- Have your plate full of colors – Nothing looks more beautiful than a plate with a variety of colors on it. If you start doing this you can be sure that you are eating healthily. Examples are green leafy vegetables, red tomatoes, yellow squash or carrots, and oranges.
- Replace your butter, lard, or margarine with olive oil when cooking.
2. Have a Positive Attitude Toward A Good Mental Health Lifestyle
Do you know that having a positive attitude can improve your health?
A positive attitude can even help you with anxiety or depression.
Every one of us at some time in life face problems. How you deal with them is what can determine your mental health.
At these times realize that this too will pass. Become an optimist and know that good can come out of every situation. There is nothing that life brings you and there is no solution.
3. Reduce your Salt and Sugar Intake for a Healthy Lifestyle
Reducing your salt and sugar intake can help you live a healthy lifestyle also. Studies from Harvard Medical School have shown that sugar and salt are hidden in many of the foods we eat daily. Add that to what you have placed there, and that is a health disaster.
The best way then to make sure that you are keeping within your limits is to keep an eye on all the foods you consume. For example, you can start to read the nutrition labels on the packages.
By avoiding excess sugar and salt you can help yourself from getting illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure. So, if you love yourself, it is wise to take note.
4. Make Exercising A Daily Activity
We all know that the body works better when it is exercised. It was made to be moving. Could that be why we have so many joints? :-). Do not use them and they will get stiff.
What about when we become couch potatoes or spend most of our time on the computer or cell phone? So turn off the devices and start moving.
Well, let us look deeper and see some of the great benefits of exercise.
- Avoid getting the weight we do not need or want
- The large muscles in the legs and arms and the ones you need for breathing will not lose bulk and weaken
- Look and feel better
- Fewer aches and pains
- Better mood
- Proper posture
5. Let Sleep become your Friend
Many of us treat sleep as an enemy. We try to avoid it as much as we can. That might work for a true enemy, but not if you want to live a healthy lifestyle.
Have you ever slept only for a few hours and tried going through the day? The best way I can explain it is I usually feel like a dead rat. In other words, I feel like I am getting my strength from a machine and not my own body.
The body is truly made by God to get rest. That is why those in the medical field always encourage us to get at least 8 hours of sleep nightly. This will help us to perform well throughout the day and not look tired with bags under our eyes.
Lack of sleep then can hurt our having a healthy lifestyle.
6. Cut Back On the Red Meat
A study on the food guidelines from the longest-living people in the world has shown that centenarians in areas like Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy: Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece: and Loma Linda, California, cut back drastically on consuming red meat.
They usually eat three ounces twice monthly. Many people in the west are guilty of eating that amount daily.
They often use it for flavoring other foods, as a side dish, or on special occasions. Beans are used instead for protein. We cannot lose sight of the fact that they are also cheaper.
Why not start replacing your hamburgers with lentil burgers or try some curried chickpeas.? These can be used with rice or in tortillas.
You can also try the Mediterranean Diet if you need some help to start cutting back on red meat.
7. Consume Healthy Fats
Would you believe me if I told you that not all fats are bad for you? Guess this might be something you have heard before, but do you know which ones are the best?
It is true that “bad fats” can clog your arteries, cause you to gain weight, and bring on some diseases. They can be found in crackers, chips, and, vegetable shortening.
Do not however think all is lost. Our bodies need fat if we want to live a healthy lifestyle. To get some “good fats” daily in your diet, make some great choices by trying these tasty foods:
- Nuts
- Avocado
- Coconuts
- Eggs
- Dark Chocolate
- Sardines
- Flaxseed
- Olives
- Greek yogurt
8. Eliminate Stress From Your Life to Achieve A Healthy Lifestyle
We all know that there will always be something or someone to cause stress in our lives. This is just part of life. It is impossible to remove stress from our lives completely.
How we deal with that stress is what allows us to live a healthy lifestyle. Stress can worsen or cause many health conditions. In other words, allowing every little thing to upset you is not good for you.
To handle correctly any stress in your life:
- Stop procrastinating – Do what must be done.
- Identify what stresses you out – When you realize what they are, work on getting them out of your life
- Get rid of those things that are unnecessary commitments – Do the ones that are the most important
- Avoid being late – Give yourself some extra time to work with, be at least ten minutes early.
- Learn to single-task instead of multi-task – This will avoid feeling overwhelmed
- Avoid difficult people as much as you can – Be around positive people who uplift you.
I am not saying it is easy and that we will always get it right. You should, however, work on your stress level quickly before it affects your health.
If you believe in God, remember that His will is not for us to be stressed out. How about letting Him help you? Read this Bible verse to see what I mean. 1 Peter 5:7.
9. For a Healthy Lifestyle Be Consistent and Discipline Yourself
Nothing good comes easy in life. Since living a healthy lifestyle is one of those things, with consistency you will become disciplined.
I guess you must be asking but how do I even get there? Just start :). Take some small steps. Do not become hard on yourself when you fail. Get up and try again.
No one can do it for you so you have to decide if you want it bad enough. “
It is the actions you take regularly that will cause you to see results.
Having shown you these 9 steps, the most important question you must now ask yourself is “Why should I want to live a healthy lifestyle? “I am hoping the answer is that you want to feel well, be the best you can be, and, look great.
By following them you can be sure of living a great healthy lifestyle. Why waste the only life you have here on this earth? Most importantly, you would be around for a longer time.
