Often times we see people in magazines or see blog posts on blogspot that gives us an unreal expectation of what a healthy lifestyle may be. More than likely you’ll hear them bragging about how easy their healthy lifestyle is and you’ll see pictures of their progress that is a medical induced state or photoshopped. That isn’t true healthy living.
We all know that the world that we live in is cruel to not only our bodies, but to our minds as well. There are tons of things that are against us as a population. If you think about it, we’ve got fast food against us. We got technology against us. We’ve even got television with negative body image against us so you know how hard it to live in a world with nothing but bad health habits surrounding us. What are some things that you can do to combat this unhealthy world?
Diet and Healthy Living
Image source: http://www.motleyhealth.com/diet-and-nutrition/basics-of-a-healthy-diet-what-to-eat
A diet is a great way to start your healthy lifestyle. Although going on a diet, does not just mean changing what you eat. Ultimately, it means altering your eating habits to fit a healthier lifestyle. Having a healthy diet doesn’t mean cutting out red meat at dinner, loading up on greens, or doing a daily detox. It’s about portion control and restraint from eating the sugary, bad foods.
Healthy living and diet go together to better your health through diet. Let’s say that you’ve got a diabetes. A diabetic shouldn’t be eating overly sugary foods, just like babies shouldn’t have cows milk until they’re body can support it. If you’re diabetic, don’t think about becoming an alcoholic anytime soon. But you already know this.
Smaller Bites
A healthy diet does not mean cutting things, like bread or meat, out to make for a more balanced diet. It’s about looking at all aspects of your diet and determining what can stay and what should go.
Try a small plate along with smaller bites to trick your mind into thinking that you’re getting more than just the appropriate portioning. This works in your benefit as your mind sees a full plate, when in reality it is smaller. The benefits of “smaller” bites are a award to you as you will feel healthier just by cutting down portion sizes.
Meal Prep
Along with cutting down on meal sizes, try thinking of meal prepping. Meal prepping may burn your booty, but put some aloe on it and get over it. This will help you make better decisions when it comes to healthy eating; Think about it, if you’ve got meals ready to go, you’ll less likely feel the need to go out and make poor decisions when it comes to your “fast, quick, and easy” meal from the fast food joint down the road.
The best thing about meal prepping? You can portion your food; When I say cut your food, you can make bitesize portions or have whatever you wish to have that day, just portioned and ready to go. Consider meal prepping as a healthier option. Meal prepping eliminates the option of bad decision. You don’t have to worry about what you’ll eat for lunch or how you’ll fit a healthy meal time into a short period of time.
Diet Redefined
What diet doesn’t mean is this… You don’t need to load up on vitamins and supplements and you surely don’t have to become a vegetarian or vegan to achieve a “diet” that will work well for men or women. Smaller portions of healthier options are the answer.
Exercise
Image source: http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2014/05/23/how-to-work-out-exercise-guidelines-101
If you’re looking to lose 30, 40, or 50 pounds, great. If you’re looking to loose 10 pounds or 100 pounds, great. Any amount of weight will take work, dedication, and a variation of activities to shed the weight.
Exercise is a key to not only lose weight, but to also find the right balance of health. While eating right can help you lose weight, it may not tone the innards the way that we think. Yes, if we cut down on certain foods there will be less fatty acids running through our veins or if we cut cholesterol, there will be a lesser risk of heart disease, but exercise strengthens what food cannot curb.
Yoga
Yoga isn’t just for women, it’s great for teenagers and men too. Yoga is a way to get into a more natural routine. If you’re looking for routine that will work your whole body, yoga is the workout for you! Not only will it increase your flexibility, but also your endurance. Yoga will help you build muscles while improving your balance and playability.
Cardio
Cardio is a high intensity workout that will strengthen your vascular muscles, giving you the ability to have strength and endurance. This can include Running or jogging, biking, swimming, and even walking. Cardiovascular exercise strengthens your cardiovascular system, aka, your heart and lungs. By doing 30 minutes or more of cardiovascular activities, you can keep your heart muscles strong and keep you healthy. This type of exercise is proven to reduce your risk of heart attacks and obesity.
Weight Training
Weight training isn’t training your weight. It’s training your “exterior” muscles for strength and endurance. It is thought to be one of the best ways to shed fat layers. Weight training burns a lot of fat because it requires a lot of energy from your muscles. If you are looking to lose weight, this might not be for you. Muscle weighs a lot more than fat, so weight training may cause you to gain weight despite you slimming down.
Trainer vs No Trainer
Think about this… If you’re going to go to the gym, why not get the most out of your workout routine? Find a trainer that will work with you and show you how to do the work properly so that you can do the workouts by yourself.
If you don’t utilize a trainer, you have to know what you’re doing in a gym. You’ve got to know how to handle the equipment and utilize them to their max.
Do you want a trainer? Sure, if you’re not familiar with how everything words. Do you need one? Not everyone needs one, but sometimes they are beneficial to get the most for your workout routine.
Screen Time
Screen time may not be an important factor in healthy living but if you think about it, more than likely you spend more than 80% of your day with or on technology. If you have a job that keeps you on your computer, that’s perfectly fine. You just want to make sure you get some physical activity in around work. You can also try using a standing desk or taking walks around your building every so often.
Routine
Getting into a routine can be really difficult, but once you are in a workout routine your day won’t feel complete without working out. There will be days that you will be busy, and that’s ok. Don’t let yourself slip into a routine where you’re always pushing exercise off. Find time to work out and stick to that time every day. Once you get into the swing of things, that workout time will fly by.
The Buddy System
Image source: https://www.saratogahealthandwellness.com/blog/better-buddy-up/
Healthy Living in an unhealthy world isn’t easy when you’re trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. As you may have figured out, a healthy lifestyle isn’t just eating a healthy snack or taking a walk after work. It’s dedication and commitment, a complete lifestyle change. Try and find someone that will motivate you when you are in a slump. Some people love having workout buddies and others don’t. Whether you like working out alone or not, you should still have a good support system to keep you going.
Healthy living or a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to mean something negative like giving up the sweets or becoming a gym rat. It just means that you’ve got to find it in you to make healthier decisions with eating and your workout. Tell us how you’ve created a healthier lifestyle for yourself. We’d love to hear from you!
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