Society today challenges living a healthy lifestyle. With technology, cars, a sedentary lifestyle, fast food, and even the foods in grocery stores, it is pretty easy to sway in our diets and exercise. The most important thing to know is that we are all very different, which means that one diet and exercise plan will not work for millions of people, but below are tips that can help everyone amplify their daily routines to live a healthy lifestyle.
Water
When: Drink first thing in the morning. This cleanses your system and digestive tract, flushing out toxins that develop in the body while asleep.
How much: Drink 6-8 glasses a day (48 oz.) Add lemon or grapefruit which helps cleanse, detoxify and adds a twist.
How: Drink out of glass. Many plastic and metal bottles leak chemicals. Or look for a BPA-free plastic bottle.
Diet
Make sure you eat breakfast! Why: When breakfast is missed metabolism is sluggish all day therefore attributing to a slow moving body, slow moving mind and slow digestion.
How much: Eating 5-6 small, well-balanced meals a day is recommended, boosting your metabolism and giving you energy.
When: Eat about 75% of your calories before dinner and eat lighter closer to bedtime. Eat before you eat; reduce your appetite by eating a hard-boiled egg before heading out to a party/dinner/buffet. The healthy fat and protein will crush your fake, social hunger!
What: Eat real food - real food is anything that can be picked, gathered, milked, hunted, fished, or that was grown or raised in a clean environment. (Nancy Deville – Healthy Sexy Happy: A Thrilling Journey to the Ultimate You). A tip to eating “real food” is shopping on the perimeter of grocery stores. This is where the fresh produce, dairy, meats and breads are. The middle aisles contain a lot of foods with additives and preservatives. Stay away from white foods and enriched foods. No coffee, soda, or juice which contain a ton of sugar. Package up healthy snacks: Almonds, organic berries, a fruit, some carrots. This ensures you will eat healthier snacks instead of opting for sugary snacks that will have you crash. (Christine of www.sacredspacenyc.org). Eat raw; Eating one big raw salad a day gets the majority of your fruits and veggies out of the way.
Exercise
How much: Working out 3 days a week is important to maintain a healthy weight. For more major results, workout 4-5 days a week.
When: Working out in the morning proves beneficial because those who do have a 75% chance of sticking to that routine. It gives you energy for the whole day and kick-starts your metabolism. If you don’t have a lot of time try taking a 10 minute walk in the morning, taking this time in the morning also allows you to clear your head, set goals and reflect. Take a 10 minute walk at lunch which allows you to take a break from work, and take a walk before dinner. That’s 30 minutes right there.
What: It is important to vary your workout routine; avoiding mental fatigue, muscle injury and working the same muscles everyday is important. (Bike, run, walk, lift weights, work your core – it is important to build in a strength workout at least 2x a week). Interval training challenges muscles and improves cardiovascular fitness through high-intensity (work) time and low-intensity (recovery) time. After a five minute warm-up, 20-30 minutes of intervals (each high-intensity interval should not exceed 120 seconds), and a cool-down, your body will be screaming at you, but keep it up and you'll love the results. By simply moving quickly and intensely for short periods of time you'll burn hundreds of calories -- FAST! Give it a few weeks and you will be loving you new look (www.byanymeansfitness.com). Ditch the car and run or ride your bike whenever you can. Take the stairs to the 4th floor, park far away in the parking lot. These little acts really add up!
Lifestyle
• Allowing yourself mini breaks throughout the day, like every 2 hours is important because it helps clear your head. Also stretching during these breaks throughout the day is good for your muscles.
• Lack of sleep is the biggest culprit to stress and health problems. Make sure you get your 8 hours of solid sleep.
• Get organized – set out your clothes the night before, if you know you are going to be busy you can make meals and pre-portion them and put them in your fridge for the week to make things easier on yourself.
• Add in healthy daily reminders to your phone that will go off throughout the day.
• Keep a food and exercise journal.
• Have sex! Sex has many benefits including a bolstered immune system, improved cardiovascular system and even natural pain relief.
Seattle: The Burke-Gilman Trail
The trail, perfect for biking, walking or running runs 27 miles throughout different cities in King County. The trail serves as a great venue for a workout or a place to clear your head while walking alongside the creeks and through the forest.
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