More and more research is showing
that the key to lifelong good health is
what experts call “lifestyle medicine”
— making simple changes in diet,
exercise and stress management. To
help you turn that knowledge into results, we’ve put together this
manageable list of health and wellness
action steps.
1. Check your food ’tude What we eat and how we feel are linked
in very complex ways. A healthy
approach to eating is centered on
savoring flavor, eating to satisfaction
and increasing energy, rather than
focusing on weight. Check your balance of low-calorie foods, nutrient-dense
foods (providing many nutrients per
calorie), and foods that are calorie
dense but nutrient poor. We all need to eat more fresh whole
foods (in contrast to processed, highly
refined foods). Try to add more whole
grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and
legumes into your meals. Pair these
carbohydrate-rich foods with a healthy fat or lean protein to extend
satisfaction.
2. Eat like a kid If adding more fruits and vegetables
sounds ominous, look to “finger food”
versions that preschool kids love —
carrot and celery sticks, tomatoes,
broccoli florets, grapes, berries and
dried fruits. All are nutritional powerhouses packed with antioxidants.
3. Be a picky eater Limit saturated fats and trans fats, and
aim to eat more foods rich in anti-
inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids to
cut your risk of cardiovascular disease
and maybe even improve depressed
moods. The equivalent of just 1 gram of EPA/
DHA (eicosapentaenoic acid/
docosahexaenoic acid) daily is
recommended. Eating cold-water oily
fish (wild salmon, herring, sardines,
trout) two to three times per week will provide both EPA and DHA. Adding up to
2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed and
eating meat, milk and cheese from
grass-fed animals will provide you with
a healthy dose of omega-3s.
4. Use foods over supplements
Supplements are not a substitute for a
good diet. Although many health
experts recommend taking a
multivitamin and mineral supplement
that provides 100 to 200 percent of
your recommended daily value, each and every supplement should be
carefully evaluated for purity and
safety. Specific supplements have
been associated with toxicity, reactions
with medications, competition with
other nutrients, and even increased risk of diseases such as cancer, heart
disease and diabetes.
5. Get satisfaction Both eating and physical activity are
fun, sensory experiences! In both, aim
for pleasure — not pain. Pay attention
to the nutritional value of the foods you
choose to eat, as well as your sense of
satisfaction, relaxation, tension, exhilaration and fatigue when you sit
down to eat. Check in with yourself as
you eat, rekindling your recognition of
hunger, fullness and satisfaction when
considering when and how much to eat.
6. Exercise daily
Did you know that daily exercise can
reduce all of the biomarkers of aging?
This includes improving eyesight,
normalizing blood pressure, improving
lean muscle, lowering cholesterol and
improving bone density. If you want to live well and live longer, you must
exercise! Studies show that even 10
minutes of exercise makes a
difference — so do something! Crank
the stereo and dance in your living
room. Walk to the park with your kids or a neighbor you’d like to catch up with.
Spin a hula hoop. Play water volleyball.
Bike to work. Go for a hike.
7. Make a list … and check it twice Take a few minutes and write down all
the reasons you can’t begin an exercise
program. Then look at the basis of each
reason. For instance, if you wrote, “No
time” as one of your reasons, then
perhaps that’s based on a belief that an exercise program takes a lot of time. Starting with even five minutes a day
will have a positive effect because you
will have created a healthy habit where
one didn’t exist before, and that’s a
powerful mental adjustment. A closer
look at your list will expose those false beliefs hiding behind each excuse.
8. Get at good night’s sleep If you have trouble sleeping, try
relaxation techniques such as
meditation and yoga. Or eat a small
bedtime snack of foods shown to help
shift the body and mind into sleep
mode: whole grain cereal with milk, oatmeal, cherries or chamomile tea.
Darken your room more and turn your
clock away from you. Write down
worries or stressful thoughts to get
them out of your head and onto the
page. This will help you put them into perspective so you can quit worrying
about
9. Think small
Often the biggest deterrent to
improving health is feeling
overwhelmed by all the available advice
and research. Try to focus first on one
small, seemingly inconsequential,
unhealthy habit and turn it into a healthy, positive habit. If you have a can
of soda at lunchtime every day, have a
glass of water two days a week instead.
Starting with small, painless changes
helps establish the mentality that
healthy change is not necessarily painful change. It’s easy to build from
here by adding more healthy
substitutions.
10. Keep good company You can do all the right things — but if
you have personal relationships with
people who have unhealthy habits, it is
often an uphill battle. The healthiest
people are those who have
relationships with other healthy people. Get your family or friends involved with
you when you walk or plan healthier
meals. Making healthy changes with a
loved one can bring you closer together
as well as motivate you.
that the key to lifelong good health is
what experts call “lifestyle medicine”
— making simple changes in diet,
exercise and stress management. To
help you turn that knowledge into results, we’ve put together this
manageable list of health and wellness
action steps.
1. Check your food ’tude What we eat and how we feel are linked
in very complex ways. A healthy
approach to eating is centered on
savoring flavor, eating to satisfaction
and increasing energy, rather than
focusing on weight. Check your balance of low-calorie foods, nutrient-dense
foods (providing many nutrients per
calorie), and foods that are calorie
dense but nutrient poor. We all need to eat more fresh whole
foods (in contrast to processed, highly
refined foods). Try to add more whole
grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and
legumes into your meals. Pair these
carbohydrate-rich foods with a healthy fat or lean protein to extend
satisfaction.
2. Eat like a kid If adding more fruits and vegetables
sounds ominous, look to “finger food”
versions that preschool kids love —
carrot and celery sticks, tomatoes,
broccoli florets, grapes, berries and
dried fruits. All are nutritional powerhouses packed with antioxidants.
3. Be a picky eater Limit saturated fats and trans fats, and
aim to eat more foods rich in anti-
inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids to
cut your risk of cardiovascular disease
and maybe even improve depressed
moods. The equivalent of just 1 gram of EPA/
DHA (eicosapentaenoic acid/
docosahexaenoic acid) daily is
recommended. Eating cold-water oily
fish (wild salmon, herring, sardines,
trout) two to three times per week will provide both EPA and DHA. Adding up to
2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed and
eating meat, milk and cheese from
grass-fed animals will provide you with
a healthy dose of omega-3s.
4. Use foods over supplements
Supplements are not a substitute for a
good diet. Although many health
experts recommend taking a
multivitamin and mineral supplement
that provides 100 to 200 percent of
your recommended daily value, each and every supplement should be
carefully evaluated for purity and
safety. Specific supplements have
been associated with toxicity, reactions
with medications, competition with
other nutrients, and even increased risk of diseases such as cancer, heart
disease and diabetes.
5. Get satisfaction Both eating and physical activity are
fun, sensory experiences! In both, aim
for pleasure — not pain. Pay attention
to the nutritional value of the foods you
choose to eat, as well as your sense of
satisfaction, relaxation, tension, exhilaration and fatigue when you sit
down to eat. Check in with yourself as
you eat, rekindling your recognition of
hunger, fullness and satisfaction when
considering when and how much to eat.
6. Exercise daily
Did you know that daily exercise can
reduce all of the biomarkers of aging?
This includes improving eyesight,
normalizing blood pressure, improving
lean muscle, lowering cholesterol and
improving bone density. If you want to live well and live longer, you must
exercise! Studies show that even 10
minutes of exercise makes a
difference — so do something! Crank
the stereo and dance in your living
room. Walk to the park with your kids or a neighbor you’d like to catch up with.
Spin a hula hoop. Play water volleyball.
Bike to work. Go for a hike.
7. Make a list … and check it twice Take a few minutes and write down all
the reasons you can’t begin an exercise
program. Then look at the basis of each
reason. For instance, if you wrote, “No
time” as one of your reasons, then
perhaps that’s based on a belief that an exercise program takes a lot of time. Starting with even five minutes a day
will have a positive effect because you
will have created a healthy habit where
one didn’t exist before, and that’s a
powerful mental adjustment. A closer
look at your list will expose those false beliefs hiding behind each excuse.
8. Get at good night’s sleep If you have trouble sleeping, try
relaxation techniques such as
meditation and yoga. Or eat a small
bedtime snack of foods shown to help
shift the body and mind into sleep
mode: whole grain cereal with milk, oatmeal, cherries or chamomile tea.
Darken your room more and turn your
clock away from you. Write down
worries or stressful thoughts to get
them out of your head and onto the
page. This will help you put them into perspective so you can quit worrying
about
9. Think small
Often the biggest deterrent to
improving health is feeling
overwhelmed by all the available advice
and research. Try to focus first on one
small, seemingly inconsequential,
unhealthy habit and turn it into a healthy, positive habit. If you have a can
of soda at lunchtime every day, have a
glass of water two days a week instead.
Starting with small, painless changes
helps establish the mentality that
healthy change is not necessarily painful change. It’s easy to build from
here by adding more healthy
substitutions.
10. Keep good company You can do all the right things — but if
you have personal relationships with
people who have unhealthy habits, it is
often an uphill battle. The healthiest
people are those who have
relationships with other healthy people. Get your family or friends involved with
you when you walk or plan healthier
meals. Making healthy changes with a
loved one can bring you closer together
as well as motivate you.
No comments:
Post a Comment