By Staying and maintaining health shouldn’t be complex — and it’s not as tricky as we all think.
A holistic approach to health and happiness will always become a lot more enjoyable, welcomed journey to maintain in your lifetime. I tend to look at health in a different way than I previously did. Things that happen in our world, circumstances, natural disasters and death, can shake us out of our comfortable little world. But there will always be those small yet overlooked things that make a profound difference in our lives. Better health is something most of us strive to attain, yet a lot think it’s available in a shake, diet or bottle. All we have to do is keep it simple, without the bells and whistles. Let’s add more magical & abundant years to our life. We may not be able to have it all — but we can work towards trying.
One: Enjoy your time here on earth
Living well and enjoying life is going to make you a lot happier and healthier in the process. Spending time with the people you love, laughter and creating beautiful memories is precious and sacred. It’s something that has become rare due to constant outbreaks of the epidemic. But, it’s disheartening when a loved one is nearing the end of their life, and family cannot come together. Because we have all experienced some disconnection from our families the last two years, it makes it even more beneficial for our health to indulge in loving connections as much as possible. See to it that you make an effort with friends and family because you won’t be able to predict when that time will come to an end.
Two: Nourish yourself with live foods
The easiest and best way to become healthy, maintain that health for life is to eat natural foods. These are unprocessed and found in nature. Combining these with other sources, such as eggs, low-fat meats, nuts, seeds and fats — make the perfect marriage for each one of your meals. Think of how easily you can flick the switch on your health by making this one change?
Three: Get outdoors and walk.
Incidental exercise is one of the most overlooked activities I’ve come across. Who would have thought that walking would be just as beneficial as the gym — and cater to my mental, emotional and physical needs. When in lock-down, all I could do was walk -and I would walk a lot. It not only helped me stay fit, but it also gave me a calm sense of peace. I used walking as my meditation — where I could disconnect from the world and come back to it again when I was ready.
Four: Get into the habit of indulging in more time out
Taking time out — even just 5 minutes to sit and think, allows us to take a breath of fresh air and gain clarity over what our inner voice wants us to hear. All the noise of everyday life doesn’t help us see the warning signs of our unhappiness or perhaps tap even the potential of ill health. Consciously making an effort to take some time out will help us gain clarity while quietening the mind & opening it up to listen to our inner voice. We all need to take a deep breath & stop once in a while — as it helps to remind us that we’re all human and need to end the noise, even for a few moments at a time.
Five: Say no to restrictive diets.
They don’t work — period and usually helps us miss out on what we enjoy in life. Having a piece of cake once in a while won’t cause any harm. It can make you a lot happier — igniting those feel-good hormones that come up when we eat chocolate, taste delicious food and are around people we love.So take a breather — it’s not all about calorie intake and loss. I would prefer to intermittently fast for a certain period, knowing I’m leading a healthy lifestyle — and having something I enjoy regularly won’t upset the balance of my weight loss & health goals.
Six: Use herbs and spices in your cooking.
Herbs and spices have become so sexy now. There are so many kinds you can use that pretty up a meal in minutes. Whether you have veggies, meats or pasta — they all somehow turn out even more delicious with a dash of herbs. It’s a very underused and enormously healthy add-on to your life. Spices like cayenne pepper and ginger will fire up your metabolism a little bit more — making your meal a lot more fat burning than you had intended.
Seven: Eat the whole egg — not just the white!
Hands up, who’s done this? Well, I have, and I ended it a long time ago. The whole egg has more benefits than we realise. Throwing the yolk out because it’s “fattening” is doing your body a complete disservice. The whole egg has a minimal effect on blood cholesterol, and it’s such an excellent (low calorie) source of protein. But, on the other hand, it hurts my heart to think how many times I’ve thrown the precious yolk out. Go ahead, indulge and have the whole egg. What is simple will become easily maintained and result in the ultimate lifestyle choice. Trust your inner voice. What do you choose?