Why Develop a Healthy Lifestyle!

Choosing to live a healthy lifestyle is not a decision to be taken lightly.   For some of us its a gradual lifestyle make over.  It involves being vigilant about what we eat, when we eat, how often we eat, rest and exercise.   Here are four basic principles I have discovered that assisted me in living a healthier lifestyle.

1.    CHOOSING HEALTHY FOODS

                                 

I love food and the word dieting is not part of my vocabulary, at least not in the way it is promoted.   When you really think about it we are always dieting we just have to take charge of the foods we eat.  I believe in eating small meals often, and eating in moderation.  I eat a lot of vegetables, fruits, ground provisions, whole foods and healthy fats.   The biggest challenge for most of us would be controlling our sugar in take.

2.   EXERCISE REGULARLY

Exercise as regularly as you can, combining and switching up cardio exercises, strength training, yoga and meditation.   Yes, meditation!  Try to meditate as often as possible.   Meditation can be used as a de-stresser and it works wonders on your personality and how you deal with situations.

3.   AVOIDING UNHEALTHY HABITS

  

Remember, dieting should be a way of life and the habits we adopt sometimes infringes on that lifestyle.    Therefore, to maintain a healthy weight, quit smoking, excessive drinking and get lots of sleep.

4.   PRACTICE GOOD HYGIENE

Shower daily, giving yourself a facial and pedicure ever so often should be part of your routine.   This is essential in keeping your skin glowing and rejuvenated.    Brushing and flossing your teeth also helps prevent gum disease.

Before you leave I am inviting you to take this journey with me in making this lifetime change.   You are welcomed to subscribe to this blog so you can receive regular posts in your email.  You can also make comments and like this blog.  Come let's take this journey together!

Maintaining Your Weight In A Smart Healthy Way

So you’ve finally reached your ideal weight.    I must say you must congratulate yourself on your achievement.    The challenge now is to keep it that way.     Here are some everyday ways you can adopt to keep your weight in check.

Eat Often

This may sound crazy but take it from me it is a great way to keep your metabolism churning, especially when you’re trying to lose weight.    Aim for three healthy meals and two small snacks daily.   This ensures that you’re never letting yourself get too hungry.

Cut Back On Extras

Extra cheese, extra sauce, extra dressing, or spreads can give a sandwich or a salad a little ‘umph’,   but that little ‘umph’ adds up to more than 100 calories sometimes.    I’ll hold the cheese and replace it with veggies or a pickle.    You can do the same with for any one of your favourite high-fat ingredient.

Make Use of Your Oven

Got an oven.   Try roasting some veggies to keep as handy snacks or a quick addition to a meal.    Roasted veggies are said to be tastier than pan fried.    Try it you might like it.

Drink Up

Pour yourself 16 ounces of water at every meal with a goal to finish it by the end of the meal.    This slows down your eating pace and remarkably fills you up making you consume less calories overall.

Mix It Up

Let fruits and veggies make up about half your plate when preparing meals.    All of that brightly coloured produce packs a lot of nutrients and not much calories.

Dance Dance Dance

Turn on some up-tempo tunes and burn some calories while house cleaning.    Dancing can also make the time spent doing chores fly by as quickly as possible.

Slow Down                                                                                                                                                  

Whether dining out or at home, try to be the last to finish eating.    Doing this really allows you to chew your food savouring the tastes and enjoy the overall dining experience.

Remember which ever methods you try you must stay active.                                                   

Eating Healthy On A Budget

Some people think that eating healthy is expensive, but it’s not.     We just need to plan carefully and be creative.    Here’s some tips to keep you committed since you decided to go healthy.

Buy Whole Foods

Processed foods are less nutritious and more expensive than unprocessed foods.      Apart from unprocessed foods being cheaper, you get total control over the ingredients.      Try to avoid anything that comes from a box or a can 90% of the time.

Stock Up On Cheap Protein

Medical experts say that we need 1g protein per pound of body weight per day to build and maintain muscle and it helps with fat loss as well.       Save the steaks and salmon for special occasions and buy tuna, eggs, milk, mackerel, cheese frozen liver, and frozen chicken breast instead.   Check here for some cheap sources of protein.

Buy In Bulk

Practice buying in bulk or merging with a neighbour or friend and split the costs.     Especially when items are on sale, buy as much as you can afford and store to last you until the next sale.   Items such as rice, potatoes, pasta and oats are fill and easy to stock pile.

Buy Fruits & Veggies In Season

Fruits & Veggies in season tastes better and are much cheaper.     It may take some time, but you can for example buy grape fruit in bulk, squeeze them with the pulp, bag it out in portions and freeze.     When you’re ready for some freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, just sweeten a mug of water and add a portion of frozen grapefruit juice in the mixture to thaw and enjoy.

Stretching Your Money When Cooking

Try preparing large portions of food to use over multiple meals.    For example, one-pot dishes such as soups, casseroles or stews are great because in addition to saving on preparation time it saves money and dishing washing as well.     Some foods you can freeze half and on another day add a green salad or side dish to make a delicious meal.   Experiment with various combinations and surprise yourself and your family.

Don’t Leave Out Dessert

Baking items yourself allows you the opportunity to adjust the high caloric, or sweet ingredients.    Here are some great recipes you can try.

These are just a few ways in which you can eat healthy inexpensively.    

Be creative and take the challenge.

Ayurveda Practices and Your Health

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is a  natural healing doctrine, which originated in India dating back thousands of years.    It is considered a holistic lifestyle system that teaches the practical details of the arrangement of food, bodywork, rest periods, and work, which aims to achieve balance of body, mind, and soul.

 

Benefits of Ayurveda

• Helps in the prevention of diseases.
• Prevents further recurrence of any such disease.
• Capable of overcoming various health problems that occurred in the human body.

What to Use For Ayurveda

• Uses plants to fix the imbalance that occurs in the human body before they become disease.
• Combine plants or herbs to get the benefits of the drug or therapeutic value that is commonly known as herbal medicine.

Check out this link for Ayurvedic medicine tips and practices.

http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/explore-healing-practices/ayurvedic-medicine/how-can-i-use-ayurvedic-medicine-improve-my-health-well

Detox After Christmas Naturally!

https://www.yahoo.com/health/8-best-foods-for-instant-detox-105989828473.html