3 Simple Lifestyle Tips

Sometimes it seems as if our world is spinning around us faster than we can keep up. The good news is we can slow it down by making a few changes to our lifestyles.

Science has proven that our physical and mental health are greatly affected by our way of life. Take inventory of your situation, figure out what does and does not work for you, discard the negative concepts and replace them with positive ones. Create a balance that will enhance the changes that you plan on making to customize your path to a healthier lifestyle.

There are three ideas listed below that may beneficial in helping you decide when you think about your options.

Set aside some time for meal preparation

Get ahead of the game by pre-planning a weekly meal schedule, so that you know in advance exactly what you need. Make a list and stick to it, fresh is always best so deter yourself from purchasing the frozen boxed foods that have high concentrations of sodium, fats, sugar and carbs. Frozen fruits and vegetables are a good substitute for fresh. Its up to you. Decreasing the amount of sugar, fats, carbs, and sodium catapults you towards making healthier choices that improve your lifestyle.

Reserve one afternoon a week for slicing and dicing all the veggies you need or pre make some of those time-consuming meals and freeze them. Food prep can feel tedious at first but push through it and free up some valuable time for yourself.

Think about portion size and structure your meal plan accordingly, half of the plate is reserved for vegetables the other half should be divided into two quarters, one for the protein and one for the carbs.

Get up and start moving

A sedentary lifestyle is so detrimental to your overall health, it can greatly increase the risk of heart disease as well as Type 2 diabetes. It doesn’t matter how young or old you are it’s always a good idea to stay active, and it’s never to late to start. Set some goals for yourself and once you reach them set some new ones. Start off slow to avoid becoming overwhelmed and risk falling back into old habits.

It is recommended that you allow one hour a day for physical fitness that may seem a little excessive when you first start out, so try breaking it down by squeezing in a half hour session in the morning and another half hour session later in the day.

Take your dog on a vigorous walk, jump on your bike and go for a ride. The possibilities are endless, figure out what is best for you and get moving.

Track your progress

Download an App or start a journal, write down what you eat and when you ate it, also enter the amount of time you spend exercising and what physical activities you did. You are the only one responsible for your well being so take accountability for your actions. Reward your accomplishments, but also be prepared for some shortfalls and don’t get discouraged by them.

You are a work in progress so pay attention it, chart your course and make the necessary changes to improve your success.

Try implementing these three tips into your lifestyle routine and feel better for it. Lao Tzu quoted “the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”. Take that step!