It took me 48 years to figure this out! All my life I’ve struggled with my weight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and just plain frustration about how I looked and felt. Over the last 4 years I’ve corrected all of those things and I feel better than I did in my 30’s!
From my experience, I believe that there are 3 keys to a healthy life. Doing one is good, doing two is better, but when you do all three, you will complete the puzzle and unlock all of the healthy benefits!
The first key to a healthy life is your approach to eating.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying you have to go on a diet! The word diet signals a negative response from most people. Dieting is synonymous with deprivation and it is usually not something you can live with for a long period of time. I am suggesting some small healthy lifestyle changes in your approach to eating.
- Eat REAL Food- cut out processed foods as much as possible! Fill up on fruits, veggies, lean meats, fish and healthy fats.
- Eliminate white flour and white sugar as much as possible. Stick to whole grain sprouted breads, brown rice, brown rice pasta or whole wheat pasta, whole wheat flour, honey, pure maple syrup and ther natural alternatives.
- Replace butter with a healthy substitute like Earth Balance or coconut oil.
- Gradually decrease the fat content in your milk.
- Increase healthy protein and cut down on carbs.
- Do not drink soda- especially diet soda. Stick to water whenever possible.
- No artificial sweeteners! Try Stevia, fruit or honey instead.
- Watch your salt intake. Try Himalayan pink salt! Read labels- for example, many brown rice boxes are filled with very high sodium. Don’t be fooled. Go for the unseasoned varieties and control the flavor on your own.
- Use olive oil or coconut oil. Avoid saturated fats as much as possible.
- Avoid cakes, cookies, chips and other low nutrition high calorie foods. You can splurge now and then for special occasions, but it is easy to lose control if you keep that stuff in the house.
- Know that there will be days that you are going to slip up and that’s okay! If you are good most of the time, you will still improve your overall health. Start fresh and smart the next day and don’t allow negative self talk to derail you.
The second key to a healthy life is exercise.
Whether you are male, female, young, old, athletic or not, you can and should exercise for at least 30 minutes 5-7 days a week. For some people, this may mean walking, for others this may mean yoga and for others it may be a Zumba class. It doesn’t matter- just move! Start where you are and know that you are doing great things for your body just by getting up off the couch and moving. If you feel you are out of shape, start like I did with a walking tape at home. I progressed and mixed it up with some kickboxing and gradually worked up to running. It isn’t going to happen overnight, but you need to start somewhere. I do suggest that it be a healthy mix of cardio and weight resistance. There are plenty of things to choose from, so do your homework and get started today! It does help to build a support system for accountability. Find a workout buddy, join a exercise group and/or publicly document your workouts on social media.
The third key to a healthy life is the smart use of natural supplements.
There are some things that diet and exercise just do not provide. Set yourself up for success with a smart supplement regimen. For me, this includes Greens for energy, pH Balance and nutrition, Relief for healthy joints, New You for lean muscle and muscle recovery and Regular for, well, to keep me regular of course! For weight management I swear by Fat Fighters– a carb inhibitor and ProFit- advanced superfood nutrition.
This is what works for me, at my age and with my goals and lifestyle. Your selection of smart supplements might vary. I would love to help you choose the most effective supplements for you. Please complete this short survey and I will forward you my recommendations bases upon your goals, lifestyle and budget.
Ready to order?! You can shop here: www.eileenhealey.com
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