Healthy Living Tips

Rise & Shine
Wake up when the sun rises. When you get out of bed in the morning drink a full glass of water. Also, blow your nose when you get up & before you go to bed at night. Workout in the morning in the open air prior to breakfast.

 

Mealtime

 

Breakfast:

Make sure you eat a good healthy breakfast. Try some of the following; fruit, oatmeal, eggs, meat, and whole grains.

 

 

Lunch:

This should be the biggest meal of the day, but don't over eat. Eat a variety of vegetables and have a 4 oz. to 8 oz. piece of meat (depending on your body size and activity level).

 

 

Dinner:

Eat at the dinner table with the rest of your family. It's a good opportunity to spend time with family and communicate. (Shut off the TV) Keep drinking fluids down to a minimum during your meal. This helps keep you from diluting your stomach acid and you'll digest food quicker. This is especially important for those who get heartburn. If you have a drink don't submerge it in ice. Cold liquids slow down your digestive system.

 

Eat your meats first and chew them well. Digestion begins in your mouth and chewing reduces the amount of time it takes for the stomach acid to dissolve it. The acid sits in the bottom of your stomach, so whatever takes longer to digest should be eaten first. Eat your salad at the end of your meal. It breaks down quickly and helps provide roughage (fiber) to help keep your digestive system healthy. Take your time and don't stuff yourself. Try to leave the table still feeling hungry. After the meal you'll feel good and not tired.

Between meals
If you think your hungry between meals drink a glass of water and wait 20 minutes. Being hungry might be a sign you're just dehydrated. If you become hungry 20 minutes after drinking the water grab a piece of fruit or a hand full of almonds. This should hold you over till mealtime. If you really have to eat something try fruit and it should help stabilize your blood sugar levels. Don't snack between meals; your digestive system needs to rest. Eating often can cause of obesity. Keep your body and appetite healthy by waiting till your next regular meal. Try to eat at the same time everyday.

Vegetables
Eat vegetables raw or lightly steam them. Stay away from the canned vegetables in the store. They have been heated/cooked (killed the enzymes), processed, and sometimes contain preservatives. Eat vegetables as the main course in your meals. Cooking kills nutrients and enzymes, so don't over cook vegetables. The vegetables will look vibrant in color when there cooked properly.

Fruit
Eat whole fruit instead of drinking apple juice, orange juice, etc. Eat whole foods and eat foods in there natural state. Eat fruit in between meals and it should help stabilize your blood sugar levels in-between meals.

Meat
Have another source of protein on your plates beside a piece of meat. The amount of meat you want to eat with your meal should be about the size of the palm of your hand. Eat only the marbleized fat in the meat, not the outer fat or grizzle. Eat meats that haven't been contaminated with hormones, preservatives, and antibiotics. Support your local farmers that raise free-range meat and 100 % organic produce.

Water
Drink only filtered water. It is essential that you drink plenty of water everyday. A good rule of thumb is dividing your body weight by two and is the amount of water in ounces you should drink throughout the day. Water transports hormones, chemical messengers, and nutrients to vital organs of the body. Health problems can occur without an adequate amount of water. Note: If you eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables you do not need to drink as much water. Your activity level plays an important role on how much you should consume. These are the minimum amounts I would suggest. A good water filter should eliminate fluoride, chlorine, pesticides, herbicides, parasites, mold spores, and bacteria. Trace amounts of medications have been found in municipal water supplies. Don't drink out of plastic bottles or consume reverse osmosis or distilled water. Save money and invest in a water filtration system in your kitchen.

Going shopping at the grocery store
Eat before you go shopping. This way you won't be craving everything you see. Stay out of the isles; this is where they usually keep the man-made foods. If it's in a box, can, jar, or bag most the nutrients are dead from the processing, synthetic nutrients are put in their place, and they may contain preservatives. Stay away from artificial sweeteners, refined sugar, hydrogenated oil, high fructose corn syrup, and you'll be off to a good start. When your body gets hungry it needs fuel (nutrients), not a bag of chips, candy bars, cookies, or soda. Don't pay for junk food that has little to no nutritional value. Think about using that money for food that is going to nourish, heal, and give your body fuel to function. It will actually cost about the same when you get to the check out lane. Make the smart choices and invest in your health.

Gardens
Save money, get exercise, and enjoy the fruits of your labor when you plant a garden. Those who have had a garden know what I'm talking about. The freshness of the food, juicy, flavorful, and it looks good. You know it's real by the taste. Meals that taste great just like grandma use to make. Now you know why she lived to her 90's. Don't buy the genetically modified, under ripened, low nutrient foods from your grocery store. Can or freeze what you don't eat from your garden and enjoy it all winter long. Support you local farmers market.

Sleep
Sleep and rest are important for your body and mind. When you sleep your body renews itself and is a time for healing. Every part of your body will suffer without adequate rest. Do not work hard or do any stimulating activities a few hours before going to bed. Your body needs time to unwind. Try to listen to music, have a pleasant conversation, or anything that keeps your mind cheerful. Late meals and drinks should be avoided. Take a cool bath and rub yourself vigorously with a towel before lying down. Keeping your bedroom cool and well ventilated may help promote restful sleep. God has given us a gift (sleep) to recharge. Your mind, body, and spirit will suffer without it.

Stress
Stress can be emotional, psychological, and physical. Find an effective stress management program to decrease or eliminate the stress in your life. Activities such as exercise, meditation, and hobbies are excellent ways to relieve stress. You may feel more stressed when you have an unhealthy diet. The condition of the mind affects the body and what happens to the body affects the mind.

Diet
A diet is a bad four-letter word and that usually always fails someone. People can't win at the diet game. It seems like most of the time some diets means starving yourself. Quit starving and confusing your body with diets and fads. You need to change your eating habits and lifestyle. Start by getting rid of the cookies, chips, and sodas. Turn off the TV and do a physical activity. Exercise doesn't necessarily mean getting on a treadmill or going to a gym. Cleaning the house, walking up and down stairs, taking the kids or dog on a walk, doing yard work, are all ways to exercise. The average person in good health should walk two to three miles a day. Stay away from the 3 P's and you'll be off to a healthy start: Potato chips, Pop, and Pasta

Give the body what it needs to repair itself. Every second of everyday your body is trying to repair itself. If you don't drink water or eat healthy are you going to stay alive? Do you want to take medications the rest of your life? Your body runs off of what you put in it. If your filling up your fuel tank (body) with soda, chips, candy, & enriched grains is it going to run well? No, you're starving your body of vital nutrients. Cravings are your body's way of saying I need some nutrients. Deficiency of nutrient rich foods can lead to overeating.

We call some things food, but it is nothing but garbage with a cool name in a fancy bag or box. Only you can change your health, have faith in yourself, and get motivated to modify your health