5 Simple Steps to a Healthier Way of Life
Never before has society been so health aware and it has good reason to be. More people than ever are becoming ill and even dying from lifestyle related conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, alcoholism and obesity. So why, when we have so much health advice available to us, do we choose to ignore it?
I believe there are three main reasons for this: Firstly it seems hard to incorporate healthy activities into our lifestyle. As soon as healthy lifestyle changes are mentioned I hear you all cry, I'm too busy, I can't afford it or I have nowhere to do it. It would therefore seem logical to deduce that we are all living unhealthy lifestyles we cannot get out of.
Secondly we are confused by the amount of information available and how relevant and beneficial it is to us. The media is full of quick fix tips and cure alls such as gumba gumba oil saved my skin and my marriage or eat bananas to improve your sex life which out of context are of no benefit at all. Although I am sure the humble banana in the right hands could be extremely versatile in a bedroom situation, most of us would buy a few bananas, see no improvement become embarrassed and give up.
Finally, we perceive healthy things as being dull and boring and as daily life is often a combination of dull and boring with stressful and anxious, the last thing that is going to motivate you is to introduce more tedium into your life. You want pleasure and satisfaction and you want it now so lettuce, leotards and a rain lashed 5 mile run is never going to have the same appeal as TV, comfy sofa and double choc chip ice cream, especially when it comes with a flake.
It is true that if you want to be both happy and healthy, you have to make time and put effort into making it happen but this does not mean it has to be hard work or difficult to do and it certainly does not have to be dull or boring. In fact, the more you enjoy it, the less effort and the easier it is to sustain.
The only way you can maintain a healthy lifestyle is by choosing it over an unhealthy one because you prefer living it. Having experienced both types of lifestyle, I can tell you that there is nothing more dull and boring or anxious and stressful than being trapped in an unhealthy way of living. It makes you feel ill, exhausted, worthless and every thing is an effort.
You watch your life pass you by but dread the future, always harping on about the past and how things could or should have been. Miserable or what! Healthy options give you more energy so you can have more fun, more hours in the day, greater achievements, more contentment, greater self esteem and confidence. It is empowering so you feel more in control and love the future because you have plans and ambitions to look forward to. Seems good to me.
So let's dispel a few myths:
1. Most people are not leading an unhealthy lifestyle, yes there are some unhealthy aspects in it but a few small tweaks can easily change that.
2. Good health advice is not confusing, contradictory or involves unrealistic quick fix solutions that raise expectations far too high, leading to endless disappointments.
3. There is no one thing be it in tablet form or hot stones rubbed liberally over your bottom that can make and keep you healthy it is a combination of 5 very straight forward factors.
To achieve good heath your body needs - 1) physical and mental activity and stimulation, 2) a balanced and nutritious diet, 3) to experience feelings of pleasure and achievement 4) needs time to restore and re-energise and 5) needs to manage stress healthily.
If you are missing one or more of these out of your life then your body is sure to let you know. Fatigue, weight gain, digestive disorders, poor skin, anxiety are just your body's way of telling you it is not happy with the way you are using it but provide the right resources and it will reward you handsomely with oodles of energy, a glowing complexion, a happy outlook and the ability to burn lots of calories.
Although external factors out of our control do affect our ability to stay healthy, there is a huge amount you can do to limit the damage and influence your future state of wellbeing. Taking control not only improves physical health but is great for your emotional state. Call me power crazy but just knowing you can make your future life better even when presently it is not, has to be the first and biggest step towards good health.
Follow the "BE" Plan which is based on a few simple starting tips to help you get motivated.