How to Live a Healthy Life Style

Achieving good health is no quick fix by any means. Instead, getting healthy and staying that way, involves changing one’s patterns. How you eat, sleep and manage your stress may mean the difference between a healthy and unhealthy life. The path to a healthy life can be achieved through implementing healthy habits, one day at a time.

Eating healthy is simple but not easy. Here are 5 tips that can take your eating in a fit direction.

1. Eat foods high in fiber: Fiber is contained in oats, nuts, beans, fruits such as apples, bananas and berries, some vegetables and foods made with whole wheat. Fiber helps keep your digestive system running smoothly and also helps you feel more full after a meal. 35-45 grams of fiber a day is recommended.
2. Choose lean proteins: Lean proteins include tofu, chicken, fish and turkey. Protein is a good source of energy and helps your muscles grow and repair. Eating protein that is lean can help your energy level, muscle growth and even weight control.
3. Eat 5 fruits and vegetables a day: Our bodies need vitamins and nutrients. Eating as many fresh fruits and vegetables a day as you can ensures you are pumping your body full of all it needs to function. 5 a day should be a minimum amount for a healthy lifestyle.
4. Avoid processed foods: Processes foods are devoid of vitamins and minerals. They are usually full of fat, sodium and a lot of empty calories. Eating as little of these and as many whole, unprocessed foods as possible, is sure to affect your health positively over time.
5. Incorporate more live enzymes: Live enzymes can be found in raw fruits and vegetables as well as unpasteurized yogurt. Juicing raw fruits and vegetables is an excellent way to up your enzyme intake. Enzymes are a form of protein that is particularly helpful for digestion. They also increase your energy.

1. Make your sleep space just right: Making your bedroom cozy and comfortable is important to your rest. When your space is messy or otherwise unappealing, you are will be less at ease and this can interfere with falling asleep. Take some time to make your bedroom more attractive and the payoff might just be a better night’s sleep.

2. Choose a regular wake up time: What time do you need to wake up to have enough time to get ready for your day?

3. Find your ideal “bedtime”: Choose a time eight hours earlier than your wake up time.

4. Wake up at your ideal time NOW: Start waking up at your routine time will cause you to be tired earlier. This will help you find a regular sleep pattern.

5. Move towards your “bedtime,” one hour at a time: If you have trouble falling asleep at your chosen time, work your way to your goal, one hour at a time.

6. Tire yourself out during the day: Spend your day being productive. If needed, incorporate a workout routine to get out excess energy.

7. Avoid caffeine: caffeine should be avoided 6 hours before bedtime.

8. If falling asleep is a problem, try natural remedies:

· Chamomile tea

· Melatonin

· Valerian capsules

· Lavender tea

1. ·Say “no”: Believe or not, taking on too much is what causes many people to become overly stressed. Learning to say “no” is a huge lesson that we all much learn eventually. Prioritize your time and only agree to take on more when you honestly can handle it.
2. Find some healthy stress relievers: There are many stress relievers and finding which ones work for you is important. Here are 5 stress relievers that might fit your lifestyle and preferences. Try them out and begin to incorporate at least one into your life routinely:

• Meditation-Meditation is a way to quiet your mind. Beyond helping with your mind, it can also help you connect to your spirituality, practice acceptance and send good vibes into the universe. Mediation can be as simple or as in depth as you choose. There are many paths to meditation and each one offers stress relief.
• Massages-When is the last time you really treated yourself? Getting massage is a way to indulge yourself and relax. According to www.massages.org, messages are

“a methodical manual application of pressure and movement to the soft tissue of the skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments; massages get curing by encouraging the flow of blood and lymph, alleviating tension, stimulating nerves, and loosening or stretching muscles and connective tissue to maintain them flexible. In general, massage can concern the entire body, but it has a major influence in the activity of the musculoskeletal, circulatory, lymphatic, and nervous systems.”

• Listening to music-Listening to music can be a great stress reliever. Gentle music such as jazz or classical music can be soothing. Music can also function as a means of connecting to other people’s experiences. This can be essential in stressful times. For example, listening to music about heartbreaks can help someone going through that experience better express and connect to their pain. This connection can also help the person feel normal, knowing that his or her feelings are not unique. Finally, fast beat music can be cheerful and even joyful.
• Hobbies-Finding a hobby involves getting in touch with something you like to do. Focusing on something new takes your attention off of your stressors and on to something fun and enjoyable. Your hobby can become a way to unwind and unplug.
• Exercise-Did you know that exercise is an accepted treatment for mild depression? Getting your body moving releases endorphins that give your body a boost in good feelings. Tiring your body out through exercise can also cause you to sleep deeper, resulting in you feeling more rested.

3. Connect to your spiritualty: Whatever your spiritual beliefs, tapping into your inner resources can not only relieve stress, but actually cause you to feel happier overall. Reading spiritual literature can help you to focus your mind on more positive ideas, sacrificing your “stinking thinking.”

4. Spend time with positive people: Support is an essential part of any healthy lifestyle. Find people in your life who are positive and you might just find your biggest supporters. Family, friends and co-workers with good attitudes often have the words that can help us get through the day. Taken over a period of time, consistent support can be the difference between a nervous breakdown and downright joy.

5. Take inventory: Self-evaluation is a tool for a healthy lifestyle that can have astonishing results. Find out what is causing you the most stress, and explore possible ways to eliminate or lessen these stressors. Here are some possible ways of taking inventory:

• Pros and cons list-look at one stressor and weigh the pros and cons on a T-chart. Note that each pro and con may have a different weight. For example, a second job that is causing you to neglect your children might not be worth the extra income it brings to your house hold. Often just getting these thoughts in black and white will help you see if something is worth continuing.
• Journaling- Journaling requires some consistency but the results can be well worth your time. Writing down your thoughts and feelings regularly will allow you more insight into your psyche. Reading over your writing can also help you understand what decisions have led to difficulties that may be arising.
• Life Board-Create a life board using words or pictures! You can either have one side full of words or images that represent what is working in your life and one side to represent what is not working. Looking at your situation in this way may shine a light on what needs to be changed for you to be happier…healthier!