Self-Improvement | Nutrition | The Self Improvement Blog

4 Healthy Habits We Love to Hate

March 14, 2010 By Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Living a healthy lifestyle is often not as hard as we make it out to be. We all know what to do, but just can’t seem to bring ourselves to do it consistently. Instead of engaging in the activities that will ensure our health, which ensures our quality of life, we prefer to medicate or ignore. Bad habits and healthy habits have one thing in common…they are both habits, and habits can be changed, eliminated, or created. Here are the 4 Healthy Habits We Love to Hate.

Habit #1: Drink! Water That Is

Many of the sodas and juices we drink several times a day can give us more calories than the food we eat. As an experiment, a young man eliminated the 5 – 6 sodas he drank daily from his diet, and within a month, he lost 15 pounds with no additional changes to this diet. While sodas and juices do contain some water, it contains far more sugar, syrup and chemical sweetners than what can be considered healthy. In fact, sometimes after drinking soda or juice, you are left even thirstier than before!

Water is necessary for healthy living. Our bodies are mostly water. Without enough water, we can become dehydrated which causes all sorts of problems, including headaches, loss of energy, and lack of full body function. Water doesn’t have the sweet taste of our manufactured drinks. However, it does have the distinction of being necessary for life, and for healthy living. Sugary drinks always taste good in the short term. Water is always the best choice for your health in the long term. When short term and long term goals conflict, always choose the long term. Water is your friend. Get rid of the imposters.

Habit #2: Sleep Until You Are Done

We are perpetually tired. Between stress and lack of sleep, we are falling asleep at red lights or while actively driving, we walk into walls, spill our drinks, make simple mistakes that often have big consequences, and we have close to no mental clarity. Sleep is our body’s method of rejuvenation, and allowing our minds the time it needs to organize our thoughts and memories for clarity and recall. We often think that sleeping less means we’ll get more done, but the opposite is actually true.

If you find yourself waking up tired and remaining tired all day, go to bed earlier. Record your favorite late night shows and watch them during your waking hours. Cut out some of your social networking time, internet surfing and game playing time, and your late night channel hopping. Instead, get to bed. Slow down your thinking by realizing that while in bed, you can’t do anything about the work you left at the job, the people that wronged you, or the thing you forgot to do today. Rest your mind and body. That is the only way to be fully prepared for what tomorrow will bring, and to accomplish your to do list completely. Don’t just sleep enough to function. Sleep enough to function well.

Habit #3: Move Your Body

Our ancestors had to exercise in order to eat, whether they had to hunt or grow their food. With the advent of the take out menu, many jobs that leave us sitting all day long, and mind sucking television shows, we just can’t seem to find time to exercise. If we aren’t burning more calories than we eat, we gain weight, which can lead to one of many health issues later down the line.

If you are a “go to the gym” type of person, find a way to fit it into your schedule and then stick with it. Identify a work out buddy that can help keep you motivated and have fun. If you are more of a game person, pick a sport that you love and play it several times a week. If you are a studio person, aerobics, yoga, and martial arts are all great ways to get moving. Movement is the energy of living. Lack of motion is the energy of life ending.

Habit #4: Eat to Live, Don’t Live to Eat

We all know we need to eat fresh, vibrant, nutritious foods. Yet, we settle for fake foods, or foods with so much sugar or preservatives that it no longer resembles what it was intended to be. The problem is speed, a sweet tooth, and the need to pacify.

We have become so busy in our lives that we rush, even when we don’t need to. Rather than taking the time to prepare a healthy meal and share it with our families, we buy something on the way home. If we do prepare foods at home, we microwave it, pull it out of a can, or fry it up. Instead, let’s slow down when it comes to our food. Meals with family should be about health…healthy foods, healthy family time together, and healthy conversation.

In addition to rushing, we love our sweets. Some of us are so conditioned to eat sweets that even when we know we no longer like them, we still have to have them. When you have a sweet tooth, choose yogurt or a citrus fruit. When you need a pick-me-up, choose nuts, carrot sticks, or another fruit or vegetable you enjoy. Let’s put down the candy and cakes and pick up something we’ll be proud to eat!

Comfort foods are all around us. When we feel stressed or have a challenging day, there are those foods that we often have to have to help us unwind. Let’s make that choice a healthy one going forward. The problem is that many of our unhealthy choices make things worse. Sugar gives us the fast up and the fast crash. Fried foods and foods with a lot of preservatives can increase our blood pressure and leave us with the general feeling physically bad. Fast foods can do all of the above. From this point on, eat foods that will add quality to your life and leave the rest behind.

James LeGrand is an Author, Life Strategist, and the publisher of http://www.SpiritualIndividual.com, a free weekly newsletter that presents solutions to life’s issues through the lens of self-help, wisdom, philosophy and spirituality. He is the author of an Amazon.com best seller in Religion and Spirituality titled Evolve!, and an Expert Author with Ezine Articles.com & SelfGrowth.com. James LeGrand is also a former Radio Personality, and a Sifu in Shaolin Kungfu, which has been known for centuries as a pathway to spiritual enlightenment.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_LeGrand

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: drink, eat, exercise, family, Food, Habit management, health, nutrition, sleep, water

Your Body – a Lamborghini or a clunker?

January 31, 2010 By ireneconlan Leave a Comment

By Irene Conlan -

I apologize for not posting on Saturday. I learned first hand how poorly I function when I don’t feel well. I had a cold or the flu – it doesn’t matter which – fever and the whole nine yards. It was the first time I can remember in years of going back to bed and staying there until almost noon. When I did get up, I sat and looked at the computer. No words would come and no writing got done.

I managed to do the daily crossword puzzle but it took me twice the time.

I am reminded again how important health is. We take it for granted until something happens to impede our full functioning. A cold or flu can flatten you even if you are at a peak of health but it’s less likely to keep you down.

Good health involves using some common sense and being watchful in three major areas:

Nutrition

Sleep

Exercise

Good nutrition is often lost in the need for fast and easy meals but if you want your body to stand up to attacks you have to eat balanced meals that maintain an optimum weight and care for your immune system. If you stay away from junk food and fast food and eat fresh vegetables, fruit and adequate protein, you are way ahead. That doesn’t mean you will never get sick, but its a great start. And when you do get sick you will recover much faster. We all know what good nutrition is – we chose to find short cuts that save time but not save health. To check the adequacy of your daily diet go to http://nutrition.about.com/library/dietquiz/bldietquiz.htm

Most of us also already know about getting enough sleep and yet we burn the candle at both ends and then are surprised when we succumb to the first germs that come around. When you continuously don’t get the amount of sleep you need, you pay for it in daytime drowsiness, trouble concentrating, irritability, increased risk of falls and accidents, and lower productivity. Sleep is also essential to the immune system. Without adequate sleep, the immune system becomes weak, and the body becomes more vulnerable to infection and disease. Sleep is also a time of rest and repair to neurons, the freeways of the nervous system that carry out both voluntary commands, like moving your arm, and involuntary commands, like breathing and digestive processes.For more info on sleep go to http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleeping.htm

Exercise is the hard one for many of us who spend our days at the computer but is is critically important to our health. Exercise is necessary for increased energy and metabolism, improved muscle tone, stress reduction, improved self esteem and better overall health. Hopefully, while you’re exercising you are also getting some fresh air and sunshine which are also necessary for good health. For more about exercise go to http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676/NSECTIONGROUP=2

If you had a very expensive car – say a Lamborghini – you would put the highest quality fuel in it, would be absolutely avid about all maintenance and would drive it with great care.

However, if something happened to your Lamborghini, you can replace it. You can always buy another car, but you can’t get another body. The older I get the more aware I am of my body and its limitations and I often use that old saying, “If I had known I would get this old, I would have taken better care of myself.” We take care of our bodies like we would care for an old clunker when we should be treating it like a Lamborghini.

So give this body of yours the proper fuel, the best maintenance , and take it out on the road frequently. And to top it off, nurture it with positive thinking. You will reap the benefits for years to come.

Filed Under: Self Improvement Tagged With: adequate sleep, exercise, health, nutrition, self improvement

3 Steps to Long Term Health and Wellness

January 10, 2010 By Guest Contributor 2 Comments

By Stewart Bailey –

Our nature is to look for the quick fix to heath and well being. We search the infomercials for the “Ab Cruncher” or the “Total gym machine” with the hope that it will transform our bodies into those of Greek gods.

Unfortunately, most people fail because they are unwilling to make lifestyle changes and plan to change their eating habits and exercise programs properly. Like clockwork, gym memberships spike and new diets are discovered with “Amazing Results” each and every year.

Health and wellness is not a quick walk around the track after a stop at your local burger joint. It is a long term plan and strategy that you define and execute consistently. Sensible eating and moderate exercise are the true combination to assist in losing weight and becoming more fit and healthy.

So, if now is the time to pick up a new lease in life, increase your stamina and decrease your level of fat and sugar intake, then by all means look to develop a plan around your goals and objectives.

Here are 3 steps to get started:

1. Before starting any new program, get a physical and discuss your desire with your doctor. They will give you guidance and point you in the right direction based on the results of your physical and long term goals. Ask about recommendations around nutrition, and your current physical state to determine if the activities you might enjoy are feasible.

2. Before you decide to change your eating habits, document all the foods you eat over a week or two. This will help you set a baseline of your current dietary habits and choices. Once you see what you have been consuming, determine the areas you might want to address first, like sugar or fat intake.

3. Develop a plan around the type of food and exercise choices you are willing to make initially. Keep it simple and reasonable in the type of change you are willing to make in the beginning.

If you start to make small changes with gradual adjustments, you are more likely to stick with your program. If you try to make drastic changes all at once, your willingness to continue will be less successful because you will feel that it is too difficult and abandon your plan for long term health. Indoor Bike training can be part of your health and wellness program. To see more info about indoor bike training go to http://gravitygarden.com/indoor-bike-training/index.

Article Source: 3 Steps to Long Term Health and Wellness

Filed Under: Health, Physical Health Tagged With: 3 Steps to Long Term Health and Wellness, exercise, nutrition

Why your New Year’s resolutions fail – up till now.

December 28, 2009 By Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

By Sarah J. Bird -

If you’ve been blighted by broken resolutions in the past, it needn’t be like that in the future.

As January 1st hurtles towards us, thoughts inevitably turn towards those New Year resolutions that will see us give up smoking, lose weight, learn a new language, cut down on drink and a whole host of other very noble aspirations.

The reality, however, is that over 90% of resolutions will have gone up in smoke within the first seven days, and less than 5% of people will go on to make lasting and permanent changes in their lives.

One of the most common resolutions made and broken is getting fit. We join the gym, starting off the New Year with good intentions, but by February most of us are back in our old patterns. Intentions and money blown!

If you ask people why they haven’t succeeded, you tend to come up with the same stock responses time and time again: “I just don’t have the willpower”; “I’m too busy to carry out my plans”; or even more depressing – “I couldn’t be bothered after the first few days”.

For many people, it is a given that their resolutions were doomed from the very beginning due to the level of self-doubt that accompanied them. In many cases, that doubt arises from previous failures which have set up an unconscious expectation for ‘more of the same’. These thoughts are like the viruses that run in your computer, not seen until they crash the system.

This fear of failure (or sometimes fear of success) is like any other fear or phobia in that it is a learnt response. Sometimes this can be a reaction to external sources such as parents, friends or loved ones telling us that “you’re no good, you’ll never give up cigarettes, you’ve no willpower etc.”

In other cases, the messages may be internally generated – we generate our own sabotaging messages, even as we’re starting out on our resolution journey.

The bottom line, however, is that this level of self-doubt is having a genuinely restrictive effect on how we live our lives, condemning us to lifestyles which are unhappy, unhealthy and maybe even dangerous.

Thankfully, however, help is at hand in a number of simple interventions that come under the broad heading of Energy Psychology. Energy Psychology interventions work with the body’s natural energies to shift the chemical patterns in the brain that maintain unwanted habits, inappropriate emotional responses and self-limiting ways of thinking.

Through the medium of Energy Psychology, you can change your beliefs, thoughts and patterns of negative behaviour. You can take back control of your life!

Two of the most powerful and common techniques of Energy Psychology are known as TAT (Tapas Acupressure Technique) and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). TAT is based on the acupuncture techniques of traditional Chinese medicine and helps remove the blocks to our energy system that cause conditions such as phobia, post-traumatic stress, panic – and even allergies.

This is done by holding acupoints and head areas related to the brain’s vision centres while you focus on your problem. The energetic/emotional charge that has been held in place is removed from the past event, allowing integration of that thought, creating harmony, peace and a sense of unity and connectedness.

EFT, on the other hand, removes negative and harmful beliefs about ability levels, removing the toxic stigma of past failures. It taps in directly to the self-image, eliminating any negative self-beliefs and strengthening the positive ones.

It involves holding a disturbing memory or emotion in mind and simultaneously using the fingers to tap on a series of 12 acupoints on the body. The science behind EFT is that when a negative experience occurs, negative emotions are felt and the body’s energy system gets disrupted, which leads to inappropriate programming inside the body.

In order to remove the negative responses, you tap into the energy system using specific cognitive statements relating to the issue. This releases the problem and brings the body’s energy field into balance.

But whatever the treatment you opt for, it’s important to realise that you can change your belief system and you can change your life.

And don’t forget that resolutions should be about the positive as well as the negative. So rather than giving up something for the New Year, why not take up something that will challenge you, stimulate you, help you grow as a person and bring untold happiness for many years to come?

Go on – you know you’re worth it!

Sarah Bird is a leading practitioner of Energy Psychology and practices both in Ireland and internationally. She specialises in working with stress management and trauma, including fears, phobias, panic attacks. She helps athletes to develop the mindset required for peak performance. Her humanitarian work has taken her to Pakistan and Kashmir, and she also works with soldiers and their families dealing with Combat Trauma and PTSD. She can be contacted by phone at +353 (0)87-2193343, by email at sarah@sarahbird.ie or through her website at http://www.sarahbird.ie

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_J_Bird

Filed Under: Emotional Health, Health, Physical Health Tagged With: exercise, health, new years resolutions, nutrition, self improvement

Cheat Sheet For Healthy Eating

October 14, 2009 By Guest Contributor 1 Comment

By Dee K –

With so many fad diets going – me, a hungry consumer (pun intended) – is left confused and frustrated. Us fat people are meant to be jolly you know, and it is precisely us that need to lose weight – it just goes against the principles! One diet vouches for 30 pounds in 30 days with some water based diet while the other cuts off every good thing and vouches for 50 pound loss. But what’s the point? Depriving myself so will only pave way for my going back to all the favorite foods with a vengeance and get me back exactly to square one.. oh well except a lighter wallet may be – not so much the lighter me.

Instead, I think we should be able to enjoy the good foods sensibly. That way I won’t feel deprived and end up attacking the French fries as if I have not eaten for 3 months like a hungry caveman (or woman!) from the Ice Age. Few miniscule changes here and there and voila – welcome to the utopia – guilt free, good eats. The important trick – cheat your mind into believing that you just ate all those calorie rich and appetizing food while in reality you haven’t.

So what are the cheat codes which have worked for me? Here goes:

1. Cut out oil in the skillet

Did you know that whenever you need to saute onions in a skillet, you actually don’t need oil to do so? Heat the skillet, when hot, add the onions and little bit of salt and give it a quick stir. The salt will bring out the moisture in the onions and will also help it to cook. You can add rest of the vegetables to this mixture and continue cooking as if nothing happened! You just cut out 1 tablespoon of oil (or more) which amounts to approximately 120 calories in one go. There is no loss as such to the good taste.

2. Say NO to yellow (no, I am not talking about lemons)

Any recipe that calls for eggs, you could benefit from a little deviation from the recipe. Instead of a whole egg, just add the egg whites. Have you tried making omelets with just egg whites? Or how about your favorite buttermilk pancakes? Or maybe the all time favorite, good old fashioned corn muffins? There is no reducing the flavor and at the same time you get to enjoy your favorite, day-to-day foods without all that fat and cholesterol from egg yolks.

3. Include lots of protein and fiber in your diet

Not only is it healthy, but it will also fill you up faster – so naturally, you would end up eating less. Lean meats, legumes, tofu, yogurt are some fill-me-up-fast foods. A simple baked Falafel burger for lunch is not only delicious but also immensely healthy. You won’t miss your hamburger.

4. DON’T eat healthy – just sneak in healthy

Why do New-Year resolutions never work for me? I set such a lofty goal, I know I am never going to reach it – ever! So in the same vein, don’t go all out and decide on eating all healthy things that your mind revolts against, and eventually breaks you. Instead, when you find yourself reaching out for the buttery dinner rolls next time, why don’t you reach out for these [http://chefinyou.com/2009/04/quinoa-dinner-rolls-nutrition-in-a-small-package/]Quinoa dinner rolls? They taste very buttery though they have no butter! Or go for these mixed bean and quinoa croquettes along with your salad.

5. No need to give up that dessert

Now I would expect the obvious question – what about dessert? Do we cut that out? Not in a million years- I can’t think of foregoing my desserts. So how in good God’s name are we cutting out calories then? Strawberry and lavender sorbet and Orange givrees make excellent desserts and they have the nutrition from fruits. Baked ricotta berry cakes are my personal favorite – ” healthy and lip-smacking good.

These are just few ways of making minor changes without actually having to cut down anything. It’s not about depriving fries and ice creams – it’s about making these minor changes in day to day eating habits so that eating our favorite foods occasionally don’t make us feel guilty or leave us wanting.

So what about you? Do you have any tricks up your sleeve that you use?

Written By DK

For Recipes to any of the dishes mentioned above please visit my [http://chefinyou.com]site with easy vegetarian recipes

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dee_K

Filed Under: Health, Physical Health Tagged With: Cheat Sheet For Healthy Eating, health, nutrition, self improvement

Healthy Lifestyle Change

October 11, 2009 By Guest Contributor 2 Comments

By Kelli Glass –

(Irene’s note: This article was written exclusively for The Self Improvement Blog by Kelli Glass)

Obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are rampant in the United States and there are many theories floating around on how to combat these issues. As a Registered Dietitian, working in the trenches every day, I have come to the conclusion that this battle will never be won without healthy lifestyle change. We must focus our efforts on teaching people how to appreciate being healthy and provide a step by step approach on the necessary changes that will improve quality of life and overall health. My approach for better health includes 4 major components: nutrition, exercise, stress management, and sleep. We all know that making better food choices and increasing exercise can improve health, however we often forget the negative impacts that stress and poor sleep can have on our bodies. In order to live an overall healthy life, we must address all 4 of the above components equally. No one component is more important than the others.

Nutrition
Making changes in the way we eat can be challenging, however it’s not impossible and does not have to make us miserable. Making even small changes in our daily eating habits can really make a big difference in the long run with regard to overall health. It may be as simple as drinking diet soda as opposed to regular soda or only eating dessert 1 time per week rather than ever y day. I really believe that all foods can be enjoyed in moderation in the context of an overall healthy lifestyle.

Exercise
Just like with the nutrition component, you don’t have to run a marathon in order to be healthy. Increasing your physical activity in any amount will provide so many benefits beyond just weight loss. It improves respiratory capacity, functional ability, reduces stress and depression, the list goes on and on. I have found that once you begin to see results with exercise, you will want to do more. Again, most of us are aware that cardiovascular exercise like running, swimming, biking, and walking are important. We must also remember that flexibility and strength training are equally important.

Stress Management
Stress management may be a little foreign to some folks. Let’s face it, we all have stress and it’s almost impossible to get rid of all the stress in our lives. The key is to find ways to manage that stress effectively. I personally love yoga! It makes me feel great and it’s a time for me to focus on my body and let go of my list of things to do for awhile. Others may find meditation or relaxation exercises effective. The key is to get out of your comfort zone and try something new!

Sleep
Healthy sleep habits are extremely important for overall health. Sleep deprivation leads to many negative consequences including weight gain, decreased quality of life, increased risk of diabetes and heart disease, decreased immunity, and cognitive difficulty not to mention the increased risk of industrial and car accidents. Creating a healthy sleep routine starts with making an effort to go to sleep at the same time and wake up at the same times every day. You can also make certain dietary and environmental changes to help you obtain a more restful sleep.

Kelli and Brandi

I have only touched on the basics in this article. Remember that it is never too late to make healthy lifestyle changes and those changes can make you feel better every day and help you reach your goals! For more information on how to incorporate these lifestyle changes into your daily routine, see our book, “How To Eat Fried Chicken and Be Thin Too” on Amazon.com or at strategicbookpublishing.com

Kelli Glass and Brandi Brandi Sentz both Registered, Licensed Dietitians and have owned their company, NutriSense Nutrition Consulting, LLC for the past 6 years. Their book, How To Eat Fried Chicken and Be Thin Too was published in April 2009 and is available online at Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com and at strategicbookpublishing.com

Filed Under: Happiness, Self Esteem, Self Improvement Tagged With: exercise, Healthy Lifestyle Change, nutrition, rest, self improvement

5 Ways to Kick Off Your Healthy Lifestyle

October 9, 2009 By Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

By Steven Kemp –

Becoming healthy is one topic on many peoples lips, “is the world really as unhealthy as health experts say” is a question asked by many. There are so many different views as to what is considered a healthy lifestyle. Here are five options included following.

1. Pick what results you want from a healthy lifestyle: Quite often many people want to loose weight and think that a healthy lifestyle will kick this into affect. This is true, with a good and healthy balance of eating and exercise. Other people consider other factors of a healthy lifestyle these being the social aspects of sporting and gym cultures, also just exiting the house for a common walk is considered healthy and could also prove to be a social aspect too.

2. Fast food or health food: Fast food has rapidly evolved over the last decade and is a more convenient option for people on the move. Along with the unhealthy options on menus all over the world, there are many fast food places seeing that a health food option is much better then an unhealthy option. There are now many dedicated outlets that specialize in healthy food for the benefit of weigh loss and also just for the benefit of a healthy lifestyle in general.

3. Gym and outdoor sports: The gym is fast becoming a very convenient option for the working household with many gyms now with a crèche facility you can make the gym a social outlet for the whole family while exercising. Regular exercise is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Gym is a very efficient and practical option to people who are unable to join sporting clubs due to the hours they work or because of other commitments. Home gyms and circuit training is also an option for people with limited time and can exercise on there own. All options provide a great option for a social outlet and also for self confidence boosting as healthy lifestyle will provide a lot more energetic and happiness with yourself and others in day to day life.

4. Social activities: Involving yourself in social activities is a great start to a healthy lifestyle not only does it give you a conversation but also the social life needed as a human. Whether your socialising with workmates after work enjoying a brew responsibly or running in the afternoon with a family member or girlfriend. A good responsible social life is what I consider a definite in a bid to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

5. Doing research: One major step to a healthy life is considering all your options especially in regard to exercise and eating. Eating the right foods in moderation with a regular exercise routine is the most appropriate and the healthiest way to become healthy. You will notice many diets each of which is up to the individual person and whether you choose to implement a diet plan or stick with a healthy option of appropriate foods and regular exercise.

A healthy lifestyle is definitely a positive step in everyone’s life and hopefully you can take something from this article and use it for an advantageous result and head towards a healthier lifestyle.

steven kemp is founder of finding your healthier lifestyle where you can find updates on healthy foods, exercise and health issues http://www.findyourhealthiness.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Kemp

Filed Under: Emotional Health, Health, Physical Health Tagged With: exercise, healthy lifestyle, nutrition, research, Self Improvement, socialize

5 Ways to Stay Healthy

July 30, 2009 By Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

By N. P. Collins -

Obesity and general “unhealthiness” are on the rise in North America, and more and more people are searching for ways to keep themselves and their families healthy. In a world of fast food, junk food and the cravings brought on by TV commercials, it’s no wonder that our waistlines are expanding. However, there are a few simple ways to keep your body healthy, (that don’t include dieting!) so don’t give up hope just yet.

1 – Drink Water: Everybody has heard all their lives that we should be drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water a day. For the most part, people tend to ignore, or at best only partially obey this rule. Do not underestimate the health benefits of water! If you drink enough of it every day, it will continually flush toxins out of your body and you will feel the difference. Speaking from personal experience, since I started drinking 3 litres (100 oz) a day, I no longer feel the need for caffeine, and I have more energy than I know what to do with.

2 – Eat Your Greens: Many of you are probably thinking, “rabbit food is for rabbits!” Before you decide to leave the green stuff to the bunnies, consider the advantages of vegetables: Listing the benefits of lettuce, broccoli, carrots, celery, beans, peas, and many others would fill a book. Vegetables are full of much needed vitamins and minerals and they also fight heart disease, stroke, and cancer. You really can’t afford to skip the veggies.

3 – Go for a Walk: This is the easiest thing you can do to improve your health. It almost sounds too simple to work, but it does. Walking just 30 minutes a day helps heart health, reduces body fat and helps to get you in better shape. It is the simplest form of exercise, and it is also very easy to incorporate throughout your day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator; go for a quick stroll at lunchtime, or take your kids for a walk in the evening.

4 – Relax: This one should be fairly easy – everyone loves to grab some downtime! The stresses of life can get to us at times, but we need to be careful not to let our worries get the better of us. Stress can be very unhealthy and cause some serious problems such as heart attacks, anxiety and depression; not to mention emotional eating. Take some time everyday to unwind and relax by yourself and with your family. Always think about potentially stressful situations in perspective.

5 – Get Some Sleep: Not getting enough hours of sleep at night is one of the proven causes of obesity, fatigue, anxiety, depression and a lot of other unpleasant problems. Adults need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep per night to function well throughout the day. Don’t think you can catch up on lost sleep the next night either; once it’s gone, you can’t get it back.

Tip: Getting too much sleep a night (more than 8 hours) can also cause fatigue!

These 5 suggestions can help you live a longer and healthier life, but only if you follow them. If doing 5 things seems a bit overwhelming, try focusing on changing one habit at a time, and before you know it, you will feel better, look better and these 5 healthy habits will come naturally.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=N._P._Collins

Filed Under: Emotional Health, Health, Physical Health Tagged With: exercise, healthy, nutrition

Feed Your Brain – Feed Your Mind

December 17, 2008 By Guest Contributor 1 Comment

By Loren Elio -

We are constantly told how to nourish our bodies. There is no shortage of information on nutritional habits, diets, food plans, vitamins and supplements to achieve the optimal healthy body. But where do we go to find the most nutritional diet or food plan to gain the optimal healthy brain?

I don’t want to force another diet plan on you. Heaven only knows we are bombarded with tens of fad diets claiming to give you instant results. But we should tap into our common sense thoughts on healthy eating.

You should avoid foods that are high in saturated fats, with the exception of organic coconut oil. Read the labels of your food products and try to avoid processed foods containing the majority of margarine’s, sunflower and corn oils. These saturated fats wreak havoc on blood vessels and interfere with blood circulation, which carries oxygen to our vital organs, including the brain.

Another lifestyle health problem in our daily living that wreaks havoc on our arteries, lungs and brain function is the over consumption of alcohol, sugar, salt and the worst one – tobacco. Now all of these, with the exception of totally eliminating tobacco in your daily lifestyle habit, should be in very low consumption.

A diet of saturated fats reduces membrane fluidity and efficiency, contributing to premature aging and disease. While foods high in EFA’s (essential fatty acids), which are in salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, flax oil, walnuts, oysters and tuna are beneficial fats for cognitive brain function.

It is further possible to give our brains a healthy boost by supplementing our daily healthy food plan with vitamins and minerals that specifically target the brain.

Here is a healthy supplemental recipe I take daily;

Note: “If you are taking medications, or have any food restrictions you should consult your doctor before beginning this or any other supplemental program”.

Vitamin C 1-3 grams

Vitamin E 400 UI

B-complex vitamin

Selenium 200 mg

Coenzyme Q10 100-300 mg with a meal

Alpha-lipoic acid 300 mg divided between morning and afternoon

Acetyl-L-camit 2000 mg divided between morning and afternoon

Carnosine 1000 mg

EFA 2000 mg fish old extract

GPC 600 mg

Lecithin 1 gram

Who am I?

At best, I am a life coach! I was an inner city child with a single mom until the age of 8. I had an abusive step father that forced me to leave home at 16. I grew up on the streets. My life as you can imagine with the role models I encountered quickly shaped my future. After years of alcohol abuse, therapy sessions, counseling and anger management courses, I was at a crossroad. My life was not what I envisioned it would be and it was spiraling out of control. Realizing my barriers was painful to say the least. I couldn’t mask my emotions anymore and that is when I decided I needed a life change! Even though my career was in the right direction at the time I couldn’t experience happiness.

Change came after applying the teachings and secrets that I am about to reveal to you I use in my own life. I am student of life’s teachings in all aspects. My teachings are a condensed version of experiences, encounters, lessons and action plans that are put together in an easy to use manual.

I am committed to transforming my clients to start living their life to the fullest! If you are looking for an easy to read ebook to help you gain A Happy, Healthy Lifestyle, get your copy Now to Start Living the Life You Deserve! http://www.wellbalancedlifestyle.com

Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Loren_Elio

Filed Under: Health, Intellectual Health Tagged With: nutrition, nutrition for the brain, self help, Self Improvement

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