Health of body and mind is a great blessing, if we can bear it.
Building a healthy lifestyle for yourself and your family is one of the most valuable goals to aim at. Creating healthy habits is not as difficult as you think. Here are some tips to point you in the right direction of gaining a healthy lifestyle, even if your life is very busy.
FOOD TIPS
1. Choose Dark Salad Greens- Romaine Lettuce, Spinach, watercress, arugula, green beans are other nutritious greens for your lifestyle.
2. Regularly juice fruits and vegetables.
3. Reduce your intake of fried foods, eat steamed or grilled vegetables and foods.
4. Margarine and foods containing hydrogenated fats increase risk of heart disease. Avoid them.
5. When preparing brownies, cakes, cookies, or any other baking recipe, substitute applesauce for butter or oil.
6. Eat beans and other legumes. Beans, lentils and dried peas are all good sources of fiber and consumed regularly, may help lower cholesterol levels.
7. Cook in cast-iron or steel pots to increase iron in your diet.
8. Eat fish to help your heart, it reduces your risk of heart attack.
9. Sauté vegetables in broth instead of butter.
10. Don’t skip breakfast. If you are in a hurry, eat an apple, banana or an orange.
11. Do not be fooled by fat-free recipes. Most of them are high in calories. You need to read the labels carefully.
EXERCISE TIPS
12. Work out at the gym or buy a treadmill and exercise bike for 20-30 minutes
13. Take the stairs, park your car far distance so you can walk.
14. Walk hills to burn more calories.
15. Sports activity like basketball, soccer, swimming, surfing, bicycling, bowling etc
16. Do chores in and around the home- working in the garden, vacuuming, sweeping, raking the leaves, mowing the lawn.
THINGS TO AVOID
17. Avoid flavored water juices, drinks, yogurt with sucralose and aspartame and avoid using other artificial sweeteners in your teas and coffee.
18. Salad dressings, sauces, spices, snacks, chips with monosodium glutamate. MSG can give you chest pains, nausea feeling, headaches, sweating and heart palpitations.
19. Drink less sodas (especially diet sodas which can give you headaches and affect your brain function. Instead drink water (6-8 glasses of purified or bottled water) or healthy beverages.
20. Use teas and coffee with less caffeine.
21. Be determined to quit smoking and gain help in doing it
HEALTHY HABITS
22. Snack wisely and healthy. (fruits, vegetables, rice chips, yogurt, granola)
23. Get 7 or more hours of sleep.
24. Find great ways to cope with stress, take vacations, take breaks, a day off.
25. Gain a realistic, hopeful, optimistic outlook on life.
