Considering that I now have a couple readers, I should try and make this interesting. I get askedthis question quite a bit by people I run into on a day to day basis and thought I'd share what I think could be done. How and where do I start being healthy? My first response is always the same. Start. You would be amazed at what happens when you just start. For more details read on.
101 ways to improve your health & fitness
1. sleep 8 hours each night
2. meditate
3. stand up straight
4. eat more protein
5. read about health & fitness
6. don’t drink soft drinks
7. visit a chiropractor or osteopath to ensure your spine is correctly aligned
8. take a multi-vitamin supplement everyday
9. consider complimentary therapies before antibiotics
10. snack on nuts and seeds in place of sugary snack foods
11. take an anti-oxidant supplement everyday
12. eat whole foods (if man made it, don't eat it)
13. reduce your sodium intake
14. increase your magnesium and potassium intake
15. exercise regularly
16. believe in yourself
17. set yourself some realistic, achievable goals
18. find a training partner
19. eat less simple carbohydrates
20. breathe deeply
21. get your partner involved in health & fitness training
22. employ a personal trainer
23. educate yourself
24. recognise your addictions and take steps to treat them
25. start playing a new sport
26. choose compound exercises instead of isolation exercises
27. take the long-term approach, there are no quick fixes
28. join a sports club
29. don’t rely on scales as your sole measurement of success
30. push yourself
31. challenge your habits
32. reward your achievements
33. watch less TV (hard for most people)
34. spend more time with your family and friends
35. stop worrying
36. remove temptations
37. drink less alcohol
38. don’t smoke
39. sit properly at your desk
40. learn how to lift objects correctly
41. take some time for yourself each day
42. get some fresh air
43. exercise your mind
44. invest in a good pair of shoes
45. lift free weights in place of machine weights
46. eat carbohydrates with and low-medium GI value (where possible)
47. learn how the human body works
48. get a regular health & fitness check-up
49. form a plan to reach you goals
50. follow your plan precisely and adjust if necessary
51. stretch
52. don’t fall pray to advertising
53. keep a food diary
54. forgo your favourite drink for 24 hours
55. keep a training journal
56. don’t drink and drive
57. keep a sleep journal
58. understand that both food and exercise affect your hormones
59. don’t skip breakfast
60. keep your physical training interesting
61. ask questions of friends and professional about their health & fitness knowledge
62. get a massage
63. choose organic food options as your priority
64. wear your seatbelt
65. eat lots of fruit and vegetables
66. increase the intensity of your exercise sessions
67. eat less bread
68. reduce – or where possible remove – the stress from you life
69. drink at least 2 litres of water each day
70. eat fruit in place of fruit juice
71. drink less coffee and caffeine-containing drinks
72. understand your moods and learn how to deal with them
73. don’t eat sweets, cakes, lollies and so on (or dramatically reduce your intake)
74. train using heavy weights
75. limit your consumption of potatoes and pasta
76. combine cardio and weight training into one workout
77. balance your work time and free time
78. eat lean meats (or substitutes)
79. don’t live to work, work to live
80. eat 2-3 serves of fish each week
81. read labels on processed foods
82. clean your teeth and floss at least twice a day
83. eat something healthy every 3-4 hours
84. get a regular medical check-up especially as you get older
85. take the stairs
86. engage yourself in various physical activities
87. read books in place of watching the TV
88. remove saturated fats from your diet
89. treat outrageous health & fitness claims with due scepticism
90. don’t diet, learn to eat correctly
91. take time to smell the roses
92. avoid pollution and polluted environments where possible
93. aim for a ratio of 40:30:30 (carbohydrates, protein, fat)
94. strengthen your back
95. invest in a good mattress and pillow
96. wear sunscreen and a hat when your will be exposed to a lot of sun
97. aim to eat a portion of protein at each meal
98. rest, it’s just as important as hard work
99. eat less processed food
100. learn about your family’s health history
101. stay positive
Remeber. Pick 1 and just start. Little by little you will end up doing all of them.
Photo Credit: Revlimit of Flickr
4 comments:
I like your list! I notice several of those things are in place in my life, but not all. Far from all. I like the snack of seeds and nuts thing, I'm going to Bulk Barn this weekend! Finally a reason to buy peanuts!! (Legumes count, right??)
Also: How come I have to stop drinking pop, but you only have to drink -less- alcohol?? How about none!!
Also: Burpees are good exercise! I can't wait to get a house so I can get a weight set and a pullup bar.
Be careful with 'snacks' of seeds and nuts. Make it a fistful that you can close your hand. The best nuts are almonds non-roasted and unsalted. Cashews are great but high in fat. Macadamian nuts are good and high in fat too. The good kind of fat but limit them. Peanuts not so much. I like sunflowers seeds in place of these, unsalted of coarse. Bulk Barrel is a great store.
There is a huge debate about protein. As a vegetarian I get asked all the time how do I get enough protein, most people don't need to gorge themselves on meat because it is a protein. Eliminating a lot of extra fat and sugar and just elevating your activity level is enough to be healthy. My protein is usually beans or tofu (tofu in moderation though to all the debate about genetically modified plants).
Yup. A huge debate about protein. Protein is protein, it doesn't matter where it comes from. Preferable sources are of course lean meats according to paleo diet wisdom. In my opinion there is nothing wrong with animal protein, but that is just me.
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