You don’t need to overwhelm yourself by making sudden changes. Make diet changes gradually so that your body has time to adjust. When you give your mind & body a chance to adapt to your new healthy lifestyle, you will most likely stick to your healthy habits in the long term.
Here are some healthy tips when it comes to eating, sleeping & exercising:
1. EAT Eat healthy meals & snacks Look for healthy foods you enjoy. Find recipes online that are both healthy and enjoyable. Have a healthy snack in between meals. Be sure to stock up on fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Keep them handy at home and in the office in case you feel hungry.
Eat Healthy Fats Avoid trans fats and consume sufficient essential fatty acids. Make sure you are getting your omega-3 and omega-6 fats. These can be found in fatty fish (i.e., mackerel, salmon, seabass), seaweed, algae, flax oil, nuts and seeds.
Eating Out When dining out, check out the menu ahead of time. Many restaurants offer healthy options. Choose vegetables for your side instead of French fries. Vegetables are rich in micronutrients and are essential to your health. They also cleanse the body’s detoxification organs like the liver, intestines, kidneys and skin.
* I love to eat out without jeopardizing my health. Since I am allergic to gluten, I appreciate that many restaurants offer a gluten-free menu. Being gluten-free, I cannot eat food containing wheat, barley, malt or rye.
Buy Organic Produce Unfortunately, many produce sold in the market today do not have a lot of nutritional value. This is due to the depleted soil used in the industrial farming process. Buy organic produce, when possible. While they may be more expensive than conventional produce, the benefits are worth it. Organic crops have higher levels of antioxidants, and they taste better.
2. SLEEP It is important that you get a good night’s rest. Getting enough quality sleep can help protect your overall health including your physical, emotional and mental health. Sleep in a quiet and dark room so that you experience the best sleep possible. Some people are fully energized with 6 or 7 hours of sleep. I feel energized after getting 8 hours of sleep, so I try sticking to that every night.
3. EXERCISE Exercise improves not just your physical health, but also your mental health. It helps prevent illness, boosts energy and brainpower, reduces stress, improves mood and helps you get a better night’s sleep. Schedule your workout at a specific time and place so that it becomes a habit. Make it as important as a business meeting or a doctor’s appointment.
Cardio Workout To maintain good health, the Centers for Disease Control and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend performing a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio activity on most days of the week. High-impact cardio activities include jogging, running, jumping rope, high-impact aerobic dance and some advanced strength training. Low-impact cardio exercises include: walking, swimming, cycling, rowing, yoga, pilates & the elliptical. Cardiovascular exercise helps burn fat and raises your metabolism. It also strengthens your heart and lungs.
Stretching Stretching is important for your flexibility. Use dynamic or “active” stretching as a warm-up. They prepare the body for activity by helping to increase blood flow and muscle temperature. Don’t stretch a cold muscle, or you will injure yourself. Only perform “static stretching” (stretch and hold) after a 5 to 10-minute warm-up. You should stretch after a workout when your muscles are already warm.
Strength training Building muscle not only increases your strength but also increases your metabolism. Your bones will get stronger which can help with balance and coordination. When you have more muscles, you burn more calories when you’re doing nothing at all. This helps keep off extra pounds. Strength training slows the aging process. As we age, we start to lose muscle mass. It’s important to engage in strength training 2-4 times a week. You don’t need a lot of equipment. Start small with a couple of hand dumbbells. Pushups, pullups, and other “body weight exercises” can also help build up your muscles.
If you fall back into unhealthy patterns, it’s okay. We’re not perfect. The important thing is that you move forward towards good health.
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Edna Dimataga-Fernandez founded The Wellness Institute in 2013. The company utilizes a holistic model of wellness consulting focusing on the 6 dimensions of organizational well-being: physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual & financial health. The Wellness Institute provides holistic health assessments, corporate well-being workshops & wellness consultations with holistic health practitioners. Wellness-Spring, the company’s holistic health store, sells organic & non-toxic health & beauty products. A portion of the proceeds is donated back to causes that support women, children, health, wellness & education. She has worked & consulted for companies in the insurance & financial services industry, the medical & behavioral health field and the non-profit sector. Edna holds a B.A. in Economics from UCLA and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. She is a Past President (2010-11) of the National Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors - Los Angeles Chapter and is an approved Continuing Education Provider for the California Department of Insurance.