“I believe a balanced lifestyle gives you peace of mind. It also makes it easier for you to maintain a strong and healthy body and a high level of energy.”
“I believe when you have a balanced lifestyle, positive energy draws towards you and you radiate that energy.”
“I believe to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you must live in the truth and stay mindful. This will let you live every moment of every day to its fullest.”
There is a lot of confusing information out there about what is considered healthy. This is the reason I went back to school to work towards a master’s degree in exercise and sports nutrition. I wanted to know everything there was to know about anatomy and physiology, nutrition, exercise science, biology and chemistry. The most surprising thing I learned, however, was that most people aren’t concerned with the truth. We still want the quick fix, or the “miracle this or that”. No one wants to spend the time doing what needs to be done in order to stay healthy. Unfortunately, our country suffers from the worst health it has ever had. We have become an overfed, undernourished, over-supplemented, sedentary society. On the other hand, we do have the small percentage that has gone the other way, malnourished, over-trained, falsely stimulated, suffering from adrenal syndrome over-doers, who are aging quickly, and frequently injured.
Even though common sense is not that common, we have to use it when it comes to health and wellness. You become part of everything that you are exposed to. Choose, and it is a choice, to move towards balance or away from it with every decision you make. Be a discriminating consumer when you buy into everything from what you are going to eat to where you are going to spend your time. Remember that like attracts like, so if you are surrounded by positive energy, you will become part of that energy and therefore continue to draw it towards you.
Knowledge is power and understanding how the body and brain work is invaluable. But when it comes to a healthy lifestyle, it’s just not that difficult.
Your body is nature. It was set up to work with nature. So just some basic things to think about:
Get up a little before or when the sun comes up. The sun is coming up so that you can see where you are going! If you wake up a little before, your body is giving you time to stretch, say a prayer, do a little meditation.
Drink some water when you get up and all through the day except before and at meals. The trillions of cells in your body all work off chemical reactions in a water base. No water, no reactions. To get the body moving you need reactions. Before meals the enzymes and acids in your digestive system are getting ready to process your food. If you drink water, you dilute these chemicals making them not as reactive and you will not digest your food as efficiently.
Eat fresh natural food. It is full of life when it is fresh. If it has sat on the shelf or in a truck for days, there is not much life left. If it is processed food (fake food), there is no life source. Your body will reject it and process it as a toxin. Eat only what you need to feel satisfied, that should be about or less than two hands worth. Feed someone or something else before taking food yourself.
Nourish and cleanse your body. Oil can be used to nourish your skin. Let it absorb before showering and this will leave your skin really soft and fed. Coconut, almond or sesame oils all work well. Just remember, if you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin.
Exercise by doing something cardio (bringing your heart rate up) and weight bearing, (lifting something heavy.) This will keep the heart muscle strong and the skeletal muscles strong as well as your bones.
Contribute something to the universe. Play with your children, grow a garden, take care of a pet, pick up some trash, sing in a choir, help a neighbor, tutor, paint a picture, be a positive force when needed.
Work at a job that inspires your passion, or find something about your job that you can be passionate about! Mentor a new employee, start a food drive, or maybe just choose to be a positive energetic force. Work smarter instead of harder so you don’t have to take work home. Take your vacation time and enjoy it.
Have a home yoga practice. Don’t consider it part of your exercise routine; consider it your spiritual practice. Learn to meditate.
Spend time every day with your family, without distraction. Turn off the television, the computer, the cellphone. Laugh, play, have fun with each other.
Go to bed when the sun goes down. Rest, heal, and rejuvenate.
A healthy lifestyle….easy.
