A healthy lifestyle starts every morning and lasts all day long. It’s about eating right, exercising more, and taking good care of your body from morning to night. Here are 10 ways to get started.
- Get plenty of sleep. A good night sleep is extremely important. Your body recuperates during sleep. Between 7 and 8 hours is most ideal.
- Never skip breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It revs ups your body’s engine to keep it fueled well all day. Make sure to eat a healthy breakfast with whole grains or protein. This will keep you fuller longer and help with digestion throughout the day.
- Walk to school. Many children live within 1 mile of the school that they attend. This is a great time to get in 15 -30 minutes of exercise first thing in the morning.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Make sure half of your plate is filled with vegetables when eating any meal. This will help in digestion, as well as, keeping you full longer. Pick the vegetables that you like, or that are in season, steam them or gently stir fry with minimal olive or canola oil.
- Stay hydrated. But not with juice or soda! It’s important to drink throughout the day, but what you drink will determine your weight and your health. Drinking lots of sugary juices or sodas add lots of calories. Many times it could be 100’s of calories that just wait to be snug around your belly, thighs or buttocks. Pick up a nice cold water or seltzer. Make homemade tea at home with just some fruit tea bags, ice and a big jug of water.
- Mind your friends. You are known by the company you keep. If you surround yourself with negative people there is a very good change you will pick up negative thoughts and behaviors. This is not a recipe for success in health. Keep yourself surrounded by positive thinking people, with you being the ring leader!
- Make dessert a physical activity. Nothing wrong with having a little ice cream once in a while. However, why not make yourself and your family exercise for it. Walk together to the local grocery story and pick out a dessert that you could all share within the correct portions. Then walk back home and enjoy!
- Turn off the TV, phone, DVD, IPad, Blackberry, IPod. When eating any meal try and eat as a family. Bonding together will help cure some of the mindless eating that tends to occur when family members are focusing more on their electronics than their eggs.
- Xbox, Wii – no problem. You just want to sit on that couch and play video games? Why not turn your gaming into a healthy activity. On your next purchase, instead of the newest shoot up game why not try bowling, dancing or baseball as your next game. You can play the game as a family and you’ll be exercising and bonding at the same time.
- Learn to cook healthy. Check out a local community center and see if there are any low cost or free healthy cooking classes for you and your children. Empower your children to take control of their own health destiny by educating them about healthy cooking. Many times local parks and recreations centers will offer these types of classes. Be proactive about your health. The best way to start is in your own kitchen.