Poor health is not something that just happens to you, it's the result of the lifestyle you live: the food you eat, the air you breathe, the water you drink, the work you do, the friends you keep, your attitude about life and more. Yet no matter what your present health situation is, you can improve it. Here are 9 lifestyle changes that can lead to better health:
1. Eat Healthier Food. Out of 2.1 million deaths a year in
the United States, 1.6 million are related to poor nutrition. And more than 200
known diseases are transmitted through food contaminated by viruses, bacteria,
parasites, toxins, metals, etc., causing up to 81 million illnesses and up to
9000 deaths each year. Improve your diet by making better food choices and
buying healthier, fresher seasonal food and by eating more frequent, smaller
meals rather than fewer large meals. A good motto to follow is: If it grows,
eat it. Increase fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, dried beans, seeds, brown
rice, and whole-grain products. Eliminate partially or fully hydrogenated oils
and all processed food. Keep sugary foods to a minimum or eliminate altogether
(pies, cakes, cookies, ice cream, candy, etc.). But don't deprive yourself of
foods you love because no amount of the wrong food will satisfy that craving,
and you will over-eat trying to satisfy it. Learn to eat a small amount to
satiate the craving.
2. Drink Lots of Pure Water. Lack of water (dehydration) is the #1
trigger of daytime fatigue; 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. Plus
45 million Americans drink water contaminated with lead, heavy metals,
radiation, parasites, cycts and bacteria. Drinking lots of clean purified water
is imperative to your health. In fact, drinking 5 or more glasses of clean
water a day can reduce your risk of colon cancer by 45%, breast cancer by 79%
and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers. Buy a high quality water purifier
that removes chlorine, lead and heavy metals, E. coli, cysts (including Giardia
and Cryptosporidian), VOCs (THMs, herbicides and pesticides), odors and
sediment to produce safe, healthy water, and then carry a bottle of the
purified water wherever you go. And don't forget to filter harmful chlorine
from your shower and bath water, so you don't breathe the toxic fumes.
3. Breathe Clean Air. Indoor air can be 2 to 10 times more
hazardous than outdoor air, and, as a result, billions of dollars are spent
annually for medication to help Americans breathe or cure their respiratory
illnesses. And according to the EPA, 20% of all employees have a major illness
related to indoor air pollution such as allergies, asthma, autoimmune disease,
etc. The World Health Organization estimates that 40% of all buildings pose a
serious health hazard due to indoor air pollution. The solution is to get
outside more, open windows to let fresh air in and clean your indoor air with a
high quality UV-oxidizer combination air purifier that destroys a broad range
of harmful pollutants, such as mold spores, viruses, bacteria, VOCs (Volatile
Organic Compounds), chemical gases and fumes off gassing from new carpets,
furniture and construction, odors, pollen and more, and leaves the air clean
and energized.
4. Exercise More. Physical inactivity doubles the
chances of developing heart disease and increases the risk of diabetes and high
blood pressure. Even moderate exercise such as a brisk walk for 30 minutes most
days helps control weight, cuts stress, anxiety and depression, maintains full
functioning, improves circulation and oxygenates your cells. Find ways to walk
more, like parking farther from the door or using stairs instead of an
escalator or elevator, or find other physical activities, like gardening,
raking leaves, dancing, etc. Take frequent breaks to stretch various parts of
your body to relieve tense, tight, tired or sore muscles and to remain
flexible. Keep your body flexible and strong and it will serve you well for a
long time.
5. Do Work You Love. Career unhappiness can lead to
discouragement, self-doubt, feelings of inadequacy, hopelessness and
depression, lowered morale, negative attitude, weaker motivation, lack of
commitment to the job and reduced productivity, all of which cause stress that
impairs the immune system and leads to diminished health. If you are unhappy
with the work you do, take a deeper look into your work situation to discover
the cause of your feelings of unrest or unhappiness and to determine if it can
be fixed before you decide to jump ship. If it can't, take some time to
identify what you really want to do because if you're going to switch jobs or
professions, at least move to or toward the type of work that really gets your
juices flowing. If you decide to leave your current position, don't leave for
the wrong reasons or in the wrong way.
6. Spend Time with Good Friends. Friends can make the difference
between whether you succeed or fail just in the way they support you. If you
consistently feel exhausted or stressed-out after spending time with a friend,
assess if that friendship is worth diminishing your health. A good way to tell
whether a person is a real friend or not is to look at the ways they have
enhanced your life. If they are loving and supportive of you, even if they
disagree, they are a true friend. Choose friends who accept you as you are and
support you in the changes you want to make for yourself.
7. Think Better Thoughts. Negative thoughts cause stress, which
impairs your immune system, tenses muscles and changes metabolism and fat
circulation. Recognize when you are in a bad mood so you can take action to
shift your energy. Remind yourself that there are always different ways to look
at something and see if you can look at your situation through different eyes.
Talking things out with someone you trust has a way of lifting stress and
opening your eyes to a better way. Letting go of things you can't change and
finding a way to move on goes a long way toward easing stress. Create a
positive experiences journal, documenting all the good things that have
happened in your life and all the things for which you are grateful. Then, if
you find yourself feel low, read your journal to remind yourself of everything
that went right instead of dwelling on things that may appear to be going
wrong.
8. Make Better Choices. Each choice you make in every moment
of each day leads to a future outcome. Unfortunately, most people make choices
for all the wrong reasons, and when things don't turn out the way they
expected, they get angry, upset or blameful. An example is taking a job because
of the money, without considering what you must do or who you must do it with
to earn that money. Although you may have the money you wanted, working in a
job you don't enjoy will cause significant stress, which will alter your
attitude and performance, diminish your productivity, and eventually cause your
health to deteriorate, so all your hard earned money will be spent on remedies
and doctors to make you well. So before making a choice, ask yourself,
"Does it feel like the 'right' thing to do?" Before you act on a
decision, decide to feel good about your choice regardless of the outcome, and
then you will feel better about your choice no matter how things turn out.
9. Give Love Freely. Love reduces stress hormones and
strengthens immune response leading to greater resistance to infections and
disease. Focusing on what you love acts as an antidote to unpleasant
experiences during the day. Love makes you happy, and happy people are
healthier and live longer, so spend more time focusing on what and who you
love, and on finding more people and things to love.
To get started, pick the
step that is the easiest. Then work through the steps one by one, and before
you know it you will find yourself feeling healthier and better about yourself
and your life.
Written by: Carol A.
James, InspiredLiving.com
