Having a healthy diet is not about starving yourself. When you embark on such a journey, the purpose is to have a balanced diet of fruit and vegetables that will help you clear out your body and dump the toxins. The rewards are immense, as they won’t limit to your body only, but they will extend to your mind and spirit as well. Plus, adding a consistent workout routine will contribute to your health improvement overall.
Here are a set of useful steps to help you with your game plan:
1. Start with a positive mindset
Observe and learn from
these health and wellness experts. Most of them have a strong online and social media presence. This makes it easy for you to research them and choose the one that best matches your expectations on how to stay in good shape. Whether you’re dieting so that you can look good in your bikini, or simply because you do care about your health, make sure you stay motivated to get the best results.
2. Make a plan and make sure you stick to it
How much weight do you want to lose in how much time? Set some realistic targets for each week and write down your progress. Get a diet buddy to keep you on track with working out and compare notes. Surround yourself with motivational quotes and keep visualizing your goal image.
3. Never underestimate the power of chlorophyll
Go for green vegetables, particularly the dark leafy ones. The more, the better. Not only are they brimming with fibers, but also with minerals, vitamins, enzymes and tons of antioxidants.
Thanks to Dr. Oz, green juicing has become immensely popular. Juice isn’t just fast and easy to prepare, but it’s the best way to start your day with. According to
Kris Carr, New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Sexy Diet, all you need is: organic celery, a peeled cucumber, some romaine, kale and a pear.
Juicing is a great way to get your recommended daily allowance of fruit and vegetables, reduces inflammation and gives you a great boost of energy. And it’s wonderful for your immune system.
4. Hydrate properly
Water is essential for carrying nutrients and oxygen to cells. You need water for your overall metabolism. It also helps tremendously with the detox process, keeping your immune system functioning properly. It supports digestion as well as transporting and removing waste products in the blood. Make sure you drink one glass of water every hour.
5. Choose a workout you’d enjoy
Include in your regimen a workout that helps you add muscle while you lose fat. Zumba can be a great option. It’s fun, high-energy and those Latin beats are easy to follow. If you’re more into something milder, a Pilates session or a set of hatha yoga exercises will help with your
flexibility and strengthening your muscles.
If running is not your bag try walking or swimming. Another option would be Tim Ferriss’s Six- Minute Abs described in his book The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman. Whatever tickles your fancy.
6. Avoid mixing carbohydrates and proteins
Most nutritionists are reserved about this combination. It slows the digestive process. Proteins are digested differently than carbohydrates. Mixing acidic foods like meat, fish and cheese with the alkaline fruit and vegetables would cause fermentation in the intestines. If you can’t give up on your steak and baked potato, no worries, you can still have them. Just not during the same meal.
7. Don’t forget to reward yourself
Punishing yourself is not going to help. Every once in a while, when you notice that you’re closer to your goal, indulge yourself. This way, sticking to a healthy diet won’t feel like a trap. Treat yourself to an ice cream or a small piece of your favorite chocolate cheese cake. It’s not going to be the end of the world.
Obsessing over your daily intake of food and pushing yourself too hard won’t get you anywhere. The key is to eat and exercise with moderation having set some realistic targets. It’s all about finding the balance that’s right for you.
8. Eat Healthily
We all know that what we eat has a big impact on our physical wellbeing, but it also affects your mental happiness. As the old saying goes; a healthy body makes a healthy mind, so think about your diet and what foods you maybe eat too much of. While it’s easy to forgo healthy foods for those that are convenient there are lots of quick and easy meals that are much better for you. Eating three meals a day will keep your energy levels up and keep you feeling good all day long. As well as eating healthy foods, drinking lots of water will keep you hydrated and boost your metabolism; making you feel and look better.
9. Watch what you Drink
While a lot of people drink alcohol and caffeine to change their mood, their effect is only temporary. When the feelings of energy or excitement fade you will often feel a lot worse than before you drank, which has a big effect on your mental wellbeing. Most people only drink alcohol or caffeine in moderation which can often be good for you. However, some people carry on drinking to delay the onset of these negative feelings, or to escape underlying feelings of nervousness or depression. This is very dangerous and can cause long-term health problems or cover up existing conditions. Try to drink no more than four units of alcohol a day if you are male and three if you are female, and try not to drink caffeinated after seven o’clock at night.
10. Take some Exercise
Doing a little exercise every day has many different benefits; both mental and physical. When you exercise your body releases endorphins which can greatly improve your mood. You don’t have to spend a lot of money and join a gym to get some exercise; walking or cycling to your destination instead of driving, cleaning the house while listening to music and gardening are all easy ways to get the blood pumping. After a while you’ll start to find doing tasks easier as well looking better, which in turn will also make you feel better about yourself.
11. Talking to Others
In today’s world it has never been easier to keep in touch with friends and family. Feeling connected with other people is an important part of what makes us human and neglecting this part of life can have detrimental effects on your mental health. Many mental health problems have their roots in trouble with communication and can be helped or even prevented by keeping in touch with others and maintaining strong relationships. If you are having difficulties then some of the best help can be given by friends or family, so talk to them about how you feel as well as listening to their thoughts and emotions.
12. Getting a Change of Scenery
Sometimes we get stuck in a rut, it happens to all of us! Taking a holiday is a great way to relax, improve your mood and see more of the world. However, not all of us are lucky enough to jet off into the sun whenever we feel like it. But there are much simpler (and less expensive) ways of taking a break from our day-to-day routine which can do just as much to improve your mental health. Taking a different route to work or just moving the furniture around will help your mind in being able to experience new things and cope with different situations.
13. Get a Hobby
So much of our lives are taken up by the pressures of work these days that we can sometimes forget about what we enjoy. Maybe you love to paint, play a musical instrument or have always wanted to build the best railway set in the country. Taking some time out to dedicate just to yourself will help you cope with stress, focus your mind and allow you to express yourself. If you are feeling blue, conveying your thoughts in a painting, a song or in a poem will help you understand how you feel and make you feel much better.
14. Accepting that You are Unique
Many people are unhappy or self-conscious about their appearance, the way they speak or their background; comparing themselves unfairly to others they see in magazines or on television. These kinds of feeling can lead to an entrenched sense of worthlessness or even bring about conditions such as depression or an eating disorder. By talking to others and expressing your feelings you will be able to get a better understanding of both your weaknesses and strengths. If you find it helps, take five minutes every day to list the qualities that make you unique, thinking of one positive and then one negative, and try to accept that you are you; which is the best person you can be.
15. Care for Others
It’s only natural to be concerned for other’s welfare, whoever they are. Part of maintaining healthy relationships is returning concern for those who care for you. This could be as simple as signing a ‘get well’ card at work or calling an elderly relative to ask how they are. Getting a pet makes you exercise these emotions constantly as you are the person they rely on for food, shelter and love. Really caring for others can help greatly improve your mental health and allow you to explore feelings you may have grown out of touch with. You may even find you enjoy it so much that you want to volunteer to help others in the community who are less fortunate than yourself, but this is only an extreme example of caring. Allowing yourself to have feelings for others helps you understand why other people care for you and why you should care for yourself.
16. Exercise your mind
Just like the rest of your body your brain needs exercise too in order to stay healthy. There are lots of different ways you can do this; from computer games to doing the cross word. Instead of working out your bills on a calculator straight away, try calculating the sums in your head first before checking if you were correct mechanically. Learning a new word every day is also a good way of making sure your memory stays in full working order, which will help as you get older as well as in day-to-day life. Your mind is your most valuable tool so keeping it fully functioning is very important to staying happy and living an active life.
17. Remember that Help is at Hand
By following these simple steps you should feel better in and about yourself. However, if you are feeling anxious, depressed or think you may be suffering from a mental illness it is important to remember that there are lots of places you can go to where you will be offered plenty of support. As well as your G.P. there are many different services based locally around the country such as charities and support groups. The most important thing is to let someone know how you are feeling, be it a friend or family member, a confidential service like the Samaritans or professional services offered by your local health trust.
