June 3, 2008 at 7:34 am | Health Tips - Posted by Pat King |
- Be A Sponge – Absorb like a sponge everything that you can about living healthier. We can never know enough in any area of our lives, especially an area that we want to make some growth in. Read, listen, watch and surround yourself around healthy empowering people, places and things.
- Delete Negative Self Talk – You know, all those disempowering thoughts that you have on a regular basis. Thoughts that tell you, “it’s too hard, I don’t have time, I don’ know how, I’m too tired”, etc. Stop allowing this little voice in your head to keep you from living the life you want. This little voice will settle for mediocrity, will you?
- Visit A Nursing Home – If it’s motivation that you are looking for then I would suggest visiting a nursing home to see the results of unhealthy living habits. Facing early aging of the mind and body is reality if you choose to make unhealthy habits who you are.
- Get Prepared At Night – Prepare yourself a couple of healthy meals and snacks in the evening for the next day. Pack them in an insulated cooler bag so that it’s easy to grab on your way out the door on your way to work or school. Lack of preparation in our daily routines in many case is the cause of our bad eating habits.
- Get A Mentor – Just as we need a mentor in our personal and business lives, we should also consider having a mentor for our overall health. Someone who can guide, motivate us and hold us accountable. Think this is not important? How are you making out on your own? More importantly, how important is your health to you?
- Water Your Heart – Recent studies have shown that not drinking enough water on a daily basis is as harmful to the heart as smoking. Drinking the proper amount of water on a daily basis significantly reduces the risk of heart disease. What we’ve learned is that water is just as important as diet, exercise and abstinence from smoking.
- Sleep Deprived? – If you are sleep deprived, it’s best to add an hour or two each night rather than trying to catch up all in one night. If you’ve ever done this you may notice that you are even more lethargic after sleeping for 12 hours than getting 5 or 6 hours the night before. This is just another example of humans looking for a quick fix to another problem.
- Chocolate Anyone? – Dark chocolate is VERY high in antioxidants. To ensure that you are receiving maximum benefits of eating dark chocolates make sure that you are buying chocolates that are low in sugar, contain at least 60% real cocoa, have organic ingredients and are free of dairy products. Yep, that means no snickers bar for you!
- Low Fat Isn’t Always The Answer – Research at the USDA shows that low fat isn’t always the best solution, especially for women. The women in this study were short changing themselves of vitamin A, E, Calcium, Folic Acid, Iron and Zinc. Women and men should follow a well rounded and nutrient rich diet. Learn about what kind of fats you should be eating instead of being concerned specifically about lowering fat. Education is key.
- Get Outside – Research has shown that being outdoors reduces stress and promotes an overall sense of well being. This being the perfect time of year to start getting outside, find some exercise and activities to do outside as well. Mountain biking is my personal favorite, but there are many ways to exercise outdoors. Long walks after dinner in the evening are also very helpful for promoting healthy digestion and keeping the metabolism moving after a meal. Hiking, walking, biking, jogging, etc…. you pick, there are plenty!
Written by Pat King -
Visit Website
Leave a Reply
Great tips!
Loving it as always Pat!
Thanks all! Glad that you are taking something away from my articles.
Great tips! I am working on #1 (Be A Sponge) and then integrating that information into my life. For example, I love garlic, cook with it all the time - all I have to do to make it even healthier is crush and wait 30 minutes before cooking with it. Right on!
I am also focusing on making health more fun and friendly … with friends, with communities like yours, everything is easier.
thanks!
Viveca
Just wanted to add something very important regarding #9 and “low fat.” During my wife’s last pregnancy she developed gestational diabetes - so the OB told her to cut back on sugars. She also decided to go low-fat. I started reading all the ingredients and nutrition values on everything she ate - one thing I noticed regarding so-called “low fat” items (especially dairy) they actually add more sugar to make up for the lower fat. There are more calories and more sugar in low fat products than there are in regular. Next time you’re in the store - compare the low fat yogurts, sour creams, cottage cheeses, etc to the regular ones and pay particular attention to the sugar content - you’ll be amazed.
@ The BoBo, you are right. In many cases low fat foods are high in sugars and other chemicals. It’s important to always read the labels and educate yourself on what’s actually in the foods that you are purchasing. Unfortunately the labeling guidelines are not very strict either.
#6 — drinking plenty of water IMO is the main secret to a long healthy life. Of course, the rest of your list is very important, but plenty of water has always kept me healthy and happy.