More and more people are becoming aware of the enormous benefits of living a mindfully healthier life. Now that internet access is the norm, we are able to dig deeper into the issues that make our lives better.
In particular, careful eating, exercise, sleep habits, good medical care and mind training are hot topics for those who want to live life to the fullest:
1. To Perform at Our Best, We Must Eat More Carefully
Eating carefully means more than just eating organic food. The time of day we eat, the amount we eat and the atmosphere in which we eat are all factors of a healthy lifestyle.
As for when we eat, Dr. Joseph Mercola advocates intermittent fasting to reach peak performance. He states that this practice will allow our body to use the good foods we give it more efficiently.
The amount of food we eat at one time can make a big difference in the way we look and feel. Many of us were taught to eat everything on our plate. This may be fine advice for children, but for adults it can lead to obesity and heart problems. The wiser course of action for adults is to eat healthy foods in moderate amounts at each meal. We should strive to alter our way of thinking by leaving some of the least beneficial items on our plate – such as bread or pasta. Nevertheless, we mustn’t stop eating fats, because fats are an essential part of our diet.
The environment in which we eat affects our healthy eating habits. Restaurants with loud music, crowds and poor service are not conducive to healthy living. We often frequent the restaurants that serve the most food for the money. We leave the table feeling stuffed and sleepy.
A better plan is to choose a quiet restaurant with relatively good service. Then choose the most nutritious items from the menu without over ordering. We can always order more later if the amount of food is not sufficient.
2. Our Sleep Patterns Make a Big Difference in Our Sense of Well Being
A lack of sleep is a common complaint among people who do have a sense of wellbeing. A lack of sleep puts a strain on the body and mind. It can lead to depression and insomnia, both of which are very hard to cure.
There are several causes of the widespread sleep problems we are experiencing today.
- Digital devices
- Artificial lighting
We are surrounding by these sleep disruptions. For the body to enter the rest phase, the pineal gland, located in the brain, must start producing the sleep hormone melatonin. Unfortunately, light waves from the cool light spectrum that enter the retina of the eyes tell the brain that it is daytime. Our brains produce almost no melatonin during the day.
Because our digital lifestyle is not conducive to sleep, we must make every effort to create an environment that will induce sleep at the proper time. The first step is to turn off digital devices at least one-half hour before we want to fall asleep. We should dim the lights in the house and use lighting that produces waves in the warm spectrum whenever possible. For example, we can use red LED nightlights in our bathrooms and hallways.
Staying asleep once we get there is our next focus. Making sure the bedroom remains dark throughout the night is vital. The pineal gland will continue to produce melatonin if noise enters our ears, but it will slow down or stop melatonin production if light enters our eyes. Another way to make sure that we stay asleep is to make our bed as comfortable as it can be and to sleep on the left side, in order to avoid back pain. To ensure a good night’s sleep, we can even invest in an adjustable bed, or if that’s out of your reach, a comfortable and hypoallergenic pillow for side sleepers would work as well.
Insomnia, developed from bad sleeping habits, it is hard to cure. A better plan is to see that our sleep comes naturally and is not interrupted.
3. Proper Exercise Makes the Body Feel Better
We are constantly reminded that a sedentary life is a dangerous life because it leads to heart disease, toxic buildup in our cells and other unhealthy conditions. An active life, which can include an exercise program, is the antidote.
Mark Wahlberg, lead actor in many movies including Invincible, says that resistance training is the most beneficial. Mark’s career and personal goals require him to work out several hours a day five days a week.
We do not have to be body builders or famous actors to get benefits of resistance training, also known as weight lifting or weight training. Nor do we need to lift huge dumbbells in order to become more physically fit.
People of every age, except small children, can safely engage in resistance training. Adults should engage in some sort of consistent weight training exercises because it’s easier to maintain our strength than try to build it later. Here are some exercises that beginners can do to build their muscles.
Mark Wahlberg stresses the importance of eating after a workout. Our bodies become depleted as the cells use energy to perform the exercises. Sweat carries away more nutrients, including minerals that our internal electrical system needs to keep the heart pumping. Always help the body recover from exercise by eating the right things, in the right amounts, shortly after a workout.
4. Proper Medical and Dental Care Can Extend Our Lives
Some people ignore symptoms that are warning us to see a doctor. We hope things will just clear up on their own. However, that does not always happen and the longer we wait to get a situation corrected, the worse it can become.
Then there are those medical conditions that have few or no symptoms. For example, high blood pressure and high levels of cholesterol can lead to life-threatening conditions, such as heart attacks, but we can be completely unaware that we have these problems until the heart attack occurs. For this reason, we should see a doctor regularly and get the blood test and other tests that help us know exactly what is going on in our bodies.
Regular trips to the dentist will give us a better quality of life – although we rarely think of going to the dentist in this way. Strong teeth allow us to eat all types of foods as well as chew our food correctly.
When we allow cavities to form, giving us mouth pain, we tend to avoid meat and fresh vegetables because it hurts to chew them. Instead, we opt for soft foods, such as creamed soups, canned fruits and donuts dunked in coffee. A steady diet of soft foods can lead to malnutrition. We won’t get the fiber and minerals we need to build muscle and to keep our organs working optimally.
So schedule and keep regular doctor and dentist appointments. In between them, let’s take good care of your bodies and teeth so we will have healthier lives.
5. Harmonizing our Minds, Spirits and Bodies
When we think about making our lives healthier, we immediately think about what foods to eat and what exercises to do. We don’t always consider what could be done to improve ourselves mentally and spiritually. However, this may be the most important aspect of all. If we have supremely healthy bodies, but we are suffering from depression or stress, we don’t feel healthy. We feel miserable.
A perpetually shared saying on Facebook is, “You can’t expect to live a positive life if you surround yourself with negative people.” As much care – or more – should be taken regarding what we feed our souls as what we feed our bodies.
How often do we evaluate what we feed our eyes, ears and hearts? Watching horror movies, reading depressing books and continually listening to negative news reports will not lift our spirits. Hanging around people who criticize us, will not improve our self-image.
Prayer and/or meditation should be part of our daily routine. Affirmations and spiritual reading will motivate us to reach lofty goals.
Conclusion
If we take care to follow these five easy steps, we can achieve a healthier life.
What do you need to improve on to make your life healthier?
Do you have any suggestions that have helped you live a healthier life?
Please share your thought and ideas in the comment section!!
