Lifestyle Choices for Long-Lasting Health
Daily Tips in Reducing Stress to Feel Your Best
Every decision you make within the moment influences the next. When choices become routine they have even more of an impact. Consciously bring awareness to your daily and weekly routine and exercise healthy choices. By doing so, you will notice that this new lifestyle only results in feeling your best.
Focus on the Basics of Health
When eliminating all distraction in today’s fast-paced world, humans by necessity breathe, eat, hydrate, sleep, and eliminate. All are needed to survive and if one is missing then death is inevitable.
- Breathing – Take a few moments every day to practice breathing. In Donna Farhi’s The Breathing Book she claims that “breathing is the most readily accessible resource you have for creating and sustaining your vital energy… Opening the doors to this life force involves rediscovering the virgin nature of the breath.”
Start now by inhaling through the nose slowly, naturally the belly will rise. Continue with the exhalation out the mouth equally as slowly until all the air has escaped. Continue to slow each breath down and become aware of the relaxing qualities of full breathing.
- Eating – Consider the principles of the 100-Mile Diet and incorporate fresh organic produce and meats in your diet. Eat regularly when you are hungry, without over-eating, and without consumption three hours prior to bedtime.
Grow your own garden throughout the summer season. Plant lettuce, spinach, spring onions, a couple tomatoes and some of your favourite herbs. As long as there is sunshine and a good potting soil mix, all you need to do is water on a regular basis.
- Hydrating – Research indicates that drinking water on a regular basis is essential to our survival. Listen to your body. When you start feeling thirsty or hungry between meals, drink another glass of water. Some experts recommend adults drink up to 8 cups of water per day.
- Sleeping – Sleep is definitely underrated along with the quality of your mattress and pillow. Make your sleeping environment the most comfortable for you. Choose a mattress that is fairly firm and a pillow that supports your head when you sleep. Your pillow should hold your head in line with the rest of your spine.
- Elimination – Become aware of your bowel movements and whether or not they are healthy. If you suffer from bowel irregularities, it is a reflection of your overall health. If either constipation or diarrhea occur, consider trying an elimination diet. However, keep in mind that digestive problems can also be caused by emotional, chemical or hormonal imbalances or irregular daily routines. Consult a doctor if symptoms persist.
An Active Lifestyle
Develop daily routines with consistency and moderation. Statistics Canada’s Community Health Survey published in May 2007’s Health Reports studied Canadian physical activity. “Canadians who were active in their leisure time were more likely to rate their health excellent or very good. They also reported lower levels of stress, were less likely to report high blood pressure, and were less likely to be overweight or obese than those reporting lower levels of activity.”
The survey considered a healthy amount of physical activity one of the following equivalent routines:
- An hour of walking every day;
- 20 minutes of jogging per day or;
- 3 one hour classes of physical activity every week.
Walking or jogging outside can provide a change of scenery and fresh air that further stimulates the body and the mind. Try to plan special trips outdoors to go hiking in the woods, canoeing on the lake, or swimming in a river. These conditions are not always safe or available nearby but are well worth the experience if never done before.
Other ideas for alternative physical activities are (but not limited to) dancing to your favourite music at home or in a club, taking a walk along the beach, stretching in your neighbourhood park, or biking to work.
Physical, Mental and Emotional Stimulation
Balancing the many aspects that make life full requires a commitment to healthy lifestyle choices. Regular physical activity with practice in the basics of health combined with mental and emotional stimulation is paramount in lifestyle longevity. Getting to know what makes you feel good on a daily basis determines what will make you feel your best in the long run.
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