Health, healthy lifestyle, healthy aging, eating healthy, aging gracefully

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Have you heard the saying "Your Health is Your Wealth"? Just what does that mean? To many of us, it means that if we have our health, it is as if we are wealthy, rich, prosperous beyond measure AND that we can do just about anything! There are no health limitations and we are free to pursue our dreams.

Here you will find some helpful tips and information including links to other sites.

^{Living Healthy}

The concept of healthy living has been catching on the health radars of people around the world. Due to widespread media coverage, everyone feels that healthy living incorporates nutritious eating habits, regular physical activity and a vocation providing some level of personal fulfillment. But there are many other aspects to healthy living which people usually overlook. To gain maximum benefits from healthy living, it’s also important to consider:

One’s spiritual healthiness and well-being
One’s general mental disposition
An overall sense of balance in life

How do I strike a balance in life?

This actually depends from person to person. For example, if someone spends a lot of time on the job, resulting in neglect of family or health…then that would be considered unhealthy. But you can also spend too much time exercising and ‘trying to get healthy’. Therefore, striking a balance in day-to-day activities is one of the most important tenets of healthy living.

There are lots of people, particularly the elderly, who learn this the hard way – when failing health and ineffective medicines force them to consider major changes in their lives. It’s best to learn hard lessons as early as possible…but that’s not our nature as humans, is it? Just take some time periodically to assess the various elements of your life and see if you can make small changes early, instead of drastic changes later.

Bottom line: Avoid the tyranny of the urgent

Healthy Eating

So…are you eating healthy these days? Let’s talk about age for a minute. It’s no secret that young people tend to think they’re immortal. For the most part, they haven’t had to confront death up close yet…so many of them think they can eat however they want and they’ll be just fine. But eating so unconsciously is a bad idea…among other things, it’s a terrible habit that’s hard to break later on when…yes, you’re OLDER and what you eat becomes REALLY important. So be careful about scarfing down pizza, ice cream, and burgers every day, no matter your age. Because, whether you want to believe it or not…your body in later years will be a reflection of how you treated it in your youth.

There’s good news, though. It’s never too late to change the way you eat…and, by doing so, you’ll find that you can undo much of the damage you did to your body in your earlier years. The real culprit with poor eating habits is FAST FOOD. And, on the flip side, then… the key to healthy living is to make your own meals. When you prepare your meals, you can truly control what goes into them. It’s wise, when possible, to avoid processed foods such as; crackers, chips, cereals, and snack foods. Instead, look to build your diet around organic produce and meats. If you don’t go organic, then you’re consuming a lot of pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. Vegetables, meats and dairy products all contain these if they’re not organically grown. Fortunately it’s rather easy these days to attain the right information…and more importantly, to buy organic. Farmer’s markets and large national chains like Whole Foods can be a great help in this regard.

You can also help yourself by eating more fiber…as it fills you up in a healthy way and eases gastro-intestinal problems. Your stomach and bowels will function better and with less strain, and can help reduce disease. Insoluble fiber works by sucking water into the intestines, and it eases passing stools. Soluble fiber in a healthy breakfast plays an important role, too… because the stomach contents won’t empty too fast. Other studies have shown that this cuts down on the incident of diabetes, and clogged arteries of heart disease. The Dietary Fiber Guide is a great source for more information.

Healthy meals go easy on fats, salts, sugars, and cholesterol… but don’t skimp on water, vitamins, and minerals. These are nutrients you can acquire from fresh organic fruits, vegetables, and meats. You need all these for truly healthy eating plans. Avoid processed foods such as chips, cookies, and crackers… all of which commonly contain preservatives and additives which can be harmful to our bodies.

It’s not easy to change lifetime habits. We all love junk food, but too much of it is a bad thing. You can enjoy ice cream or a brownie once in a while, but go easy. Those fatty, sugar-infused foods will hurt you if you overdo it. Use common sense. If you need to change habits, make small goals and take them one at a time. It’s not important to do it all at once. Changing one healthy thing at a time can add up to significant life-living a healthy life.

Healthy Living Over 50

Everyone wants to look young. Our culture is obsessed with youth and beautiful bodies. But, it’s not really all that new. The search for the fountain of youth can be traced back from the ancient times to present day.

When we get older, especially after age 50, our bodies slowly start to fall apart. Often, you’ll find that it is much easier to put on weight now, than when you were younger…whether or not you WANT to do so.

There are, however, a number of things you can do to help keep that weight off and look younger:

First, it’s important to exercise every day. Your exercise program should be well-rounded and should include some sort of cardiovascular activity. Before starting your routine you should stretch and flex to avoid any injury. Otherwise, your muscles are tight and subject to injury.

Remember that as you get older, grayer, more wrinkled, and you start to sag…your muscles are not as elastic as they used to be. You can save money on “extreme makeovers” at the Beverly Hills plastic surgeon’s office by doing “preventative maintenance” through aerobic activity. And, just to be clear…aerobic activity does NOT include moving your arm up and down, scooping up food and putting it in your mouth.

Good exercises include walking, running, swimming, biking, or a gym workout. A nice mile-long walk at a decent pace can work wonders. For those who are bored easily, you might want to mix your routines…bike one day, walk the next, go to the gym the next day. In addition, instead of hiring someone to do your gardening, do it yourself. Do the same with home maintenance. You can burn off a lot of calories climbing a ladder, digging, raking etc.

As you age, your diet is of utmost importance. Not only WHAT you eat but HOW MUCH you eat. No matter your style of eating, it’s important to pay attention to the type of foods you’re eating as well as the quantity. Look for foods that are rich in fiber and low in fat. Fiber gives you that full feeling without eating a lot of food.

Try to avoid eating refined carbs which include: enriched white bread, pasta, and rice. Instead choose whole grain and wheat products. Also, consider eating leaner proteins such as fish and poultry.

Get exercise, eat less and eat right. These simple, base steps lead to living a healthy life…and can help you make the most of your senior (seasoned) years!

A Healthy Lifestyle Diet

Here are some ideas to keep in mind:

1. Plan your eating ahead of time - Eating without a plan in mind is like driving without a map. Create eating strategies for home, work, traveling, or dining out. Fill your refrigerator with fresh produce….that way, they are RIGHT THERE staring you in the face every time you open the fridge! Put the foods with high fat and sugar up on the top shelf of the pantry (or, better yet… in the trash!) so you can’t get to them easily. Buy lean protein, low-fat, high-fiber cereals. Purchase frozen dinners that are low in sodium and fat so that you always have a healthy choice available when you’re hungry.

2. Eat more portions, but make them smaller - This area is crucial to any lifestyle diet. It’s easy to tire of “rabbit food” and fall into the trap of eating whatever is available socially, and of course, most of the food is not conducive for weight loss. Reduce portions significantly by leaving a third of what you would normally eat on your plate.

3. Increase fiber intake - Added fiber will help you lose weight because it makes you feel full. It also aids in digestion and excretion of food. Always look for 5 grams or more of fiber per serving when purchasing cereals. Fruits and vegetables also are an excellent source of fiber.

4. Breathe deeply and hydrate - Most of the time, binge eating comes from emotion rather than hunger. If you feel this temptation coming on, stop and take 3 long, slow, deep breaths… exhaling as slowly as possible. Drink a big glass of water and wait 10 minutes before you give into the impulse to binge. You might be surprised… the impulse may go away!

5. Make balanced food choices - Have some protein and carbohydrates with every meal. This will keep blood sugar levels under control and make sure that you get the nutrients you need.

6. Control the splurge - Every now and then, we ALL need a break. If you NEVER eat the foods you enjoy, your eating habits will make you rebel, and you’ll go crazy and binge. Give yourself free meal passes one day each week, so you won’t let the binge get out of control and undo days of hard “work”.

For most people, eating is a source of great pleasure and an environment for great relational communiction. But for those intent on living a healthy life, it’s also important to make wise choices about eating… to eat in moderation, and to give your body the nutrition it needs to survive and even to thrive!

5 Reasons to Live Healthy

There are many reasons for healthy, active living (definitely more than 5)… and all the reasons are just as important as one another. Really, they are not to be seen separately. All your reasons support each other like bricks work together to support a house.

REASON #5: STRESS RELIEVER

Healthy active living will relieve stress and allow you to handle problems better. Stress can be brought on by many things: work, diet, family, friends, holidays, too much caffeine, not enough sleep, kids, parents… the list goes on and on. Healthy living is a great way to help you deal with day-to-day problems. After working out, your body releases endorphins that give you a sense of euphoria, accomplishment, and satisfaction. Just 30 minutes a day will change the rest of your life. When you embrace a healthy lifestyle, you start becoming more efficient and focused at whatever you do. If you say you don’t have time to work out, what you’re really saying is that you’d prefer to be stressed out.

REASON #4: FAT BURNER

In addition to being a fat burner, healthy living relieves you of the slavery to another diet. Forget about dieting. Instead, make small changes in the way you eat… with the intention of changing the way you eat FOREVER. But, be realistic… have balance and allow for slippage. It takes self-control and self-discipline, but you can eat a lot of foods that other people can’t eat if you change your overall lifestyle. Why? Healthy living involves exercising… which burns off lots of calories, meaning you can spoil yourself every now and then.

REASON #: INCREASED ENERGY

A healthy lifestyle raises the maximum amount of oxygen your muscles can use by almost 50%. This means more energy and less dependency on caffeine, just in case you’re a heavy coffee drinker. It also means you will have to drink more water which is good for all systems in the body and improves memory.

REASON #2: INCREASED CONFIDENCE

Even if you only begin your exercise routine with 5 minutes and you build from there… you will still experience a great degree more confidence in everything you say and do. Afraid to tell a girl you like her? Start working out you will notice your body and mind improving together. You’ll notice your poor self-esteem being replaced by a new sense of self-assurance. And you’ll find that confidence can make a huge difference in virtually EVERY area of your life.

REASON #: YOU!

YOU are the most important reason to embrace a healthy lifestyle. All other reasons stem from you, because you are the root. If you love yourself (and you should), then a healthy active lifestyle is a good way to express it. It allows you to prove what your body and mind are truly capable of. Ask around…virtually NO ONE has ever felt worse about themselves after starting a workout routine. It may be difficult at first, but after you get over the 3-day hump you will start to build a passion for it (or at least some tolerance!) and you will look at yourself in a whole new light. Your entire perspective can change… as you begin to see the world as full of opportunities instead of obligations.

You can still be a good person and not have a reason for living a healthy life, but if you understand the reasons for healthy active living than you can still become a BETTER person. Healthy living is about always trying to improve one’s life. It’s a journey not a destination. Enjoy the journey!

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