With medical costs at an all time high, it’s time to take control of your health. If you’re lucky enough to have insurance, even the deductible and copay costs are increasing. For long term good health, you can become your own health care advocate and not become dependent on a shaky heath care system. The tips below are a good starting point.
Make a Pact
Find a healthy-life buddy or a health coach. It’s kind of like a work-out partner. We all know the power of being accountable. Unfortunately, it’s sometimes difficult to be accountable to ourselves. But you can find a health coach or a friend that, like you, is on a mission to take control of their health. In addition to helping you stay accountable, your buddy will add important human interaction which is a something we all need to maintain a healthy balanced life.
Keeping a daily journal is another way to be accountable. Topics to journal every day are your goals for that day: how long and what type of workout, how many servings of fresh leafy greens and vegetables, how many glasses of water, what’s your optimum amount of sleep, what foods will you avoid, and how you are feeling that day. And of course, a statement of gratitude. Every evening, review your progress and do what you can to finish strong on your goals for the day. The process of journaling will also allow you to monitor your progress and/or any changes you notice as you take control of your health.
Get Some Enjoyable Exercise
Aim for 20 to 30 minutes of movement/exercise per day. This is so important for your circulatory system and overall wellness. Gentle to moderate exercise is known to strengthen the immune and cardiovascular systems, improve lung function, and improve sleep patterns. Not to mention, if you are doing something you like, you’ll feel happier and more energetic than ever. Today there are soo many options for exercises that will help you take control of your health. If you want to stay at home, you can buy a ball, foam roller, exercise bands, or some weights and find a book or video to give you exercise ideas and keep you company. You could go for a jog, run, walk, or hike. There are gyms for whatever kind of workout you like. Cross-fit, Zumba, cycle, and more. There are quiet spiritual exercises like Qigong, Tai Chi, and yoga. The key is to get moving. In Ayurveda, they recommend a walk after eating each meal to help digestion. There are even chair exercises you can do at work and special things you can do on a plane. In short, there is no reason that you can’t move your body.
Avoid Processed Foods
It may seem easier to grab something to go, but trust me, you’re paying the price for the convenience in two ways. One, processed foods most often contain preservatives, hormones, pesticides and antibiotics. All things that impact your health negatively. Second, because you’re negatively impacting your health, you will end up paying to get well. Or even worse, paying to maintain a lower quality of life than you could have had if you had ate fresh foods. There are many bloggers and websites that feature quick, fast, and healthy recipes and tips. Think morning smoothies, lunchtime salads, and evening veggie stir fries. Snacks can be low glycemic fruits, raw veggies with nut or seed butters. There’s even tasty treats like puddings made from avocado. Or snack balls made from coconut butter, nut butter and raw pumpkin. Make a date with your healthy-life buddy and make up batches of food that you can freeze or that will keep all week.
Rotate Healthy Organic Foods
You may be affected by a food allergy or sensitivity without even knowing it. While you’re taking control of your health, listen to your body. You may not have any food sensitivities or allergies, but if you do, rotating foods is a good way to find out. Even if you don’t, food rotation is a good way to get a variety of nutrients. Choose dairy or wheat as your first item. Avoid it for 2 to 3 weeks. That is the time it takes to clear it out of your system. Then add a lot of it (organic of course) back in on the first day and see what you notice. How was your energy without it, how do you feel now that you’ve had it? Do you notice any mucous, any discomfort. Repeat this for other common allergens like corn and soy. These are both tricky because there are corn and soy derivatives in almost every processed food. – even organic. So while you are eliminating these, stick to a fresh from scratch diet and become a label reader if you are using things like organic sauces.
Stay Hydrated
Drink plenty of filtered water every day and avoid sodas, energy drinks, and too much coffee or alcohol. If you are not hydrated, you may experience lack of energy, headaches, weight gain, a weakened immune response, or even experience brain fog. You can also get fluids from fruits and vegetables and from cooked foods like oatmeal. Getting plenty of fruits and vegetables will also help you maintain healthy electrolyte levels which will help you stay hydrated. That’s because they contain things like magnesium, calcium potassium and sodium which are electrolytes. Add an all natural spring mineral water once a month for another way to stay hydrated with the added benefit of getting needed trace minerals.
Avoid Toxins in Body Care, Cosmetics, Cleaning and Household Products
Another way to take control of your health is to avoid the toxic chemicals that are in common grocery store products. Choose as organic and natural as possible, but don’t be fooled by clever labeling. One simple way to avoid really toxic ingredients is to read any warning labels on the product. Anything with a warning label that says call your poison center or doctor is really bad. Consider using pure simple ingredients as often as possible like pure organic shea butter as a skin and lip moisturizer, Dr Bronner’s pure castile soap as a body wash and shampoo, vinegar as a household cleaner, essential oils as a deodorant, perfume, or cologne. Again, there are tons of articles, blogs, and tips with a large variety of options for healthy everyday clean living recipes. Here is a blog post I wrote on chemicals to avoid in body care and cosmetics. http://sharonledwards.com/toxic-ingredient…dy-care-products/
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