Staying healthy can be as effortless as you want it to be. What you need to do is watch what you eat, exercise regularly, stay free from undue stress, and maintain a steady pattern of sleep.  Your family and friends will also play a big role in your holistic wellbeing.

Food and Diet

You are what you eat. Eat foods that add value to your body. Avoid junk. Take food that are rich in fiber, avoid fatty and sugary foods, and red meat. Eat a well balanced diet.

We need to demystify some misconceptions about Starch. Our bodies need the starch every day. Taking large portions of Vegetables and food rich in minerals and missing out on Carbohydrates does not constitute healthy eating. What you need to do is take the starchy foods in the recommended portions.

Since we are involved in physical exercises in our activities, however minimal, we will use calories. We therefore burn calories in the activities we perform. Otherwise, some of the other types – Proteins and Vitamins – will be converted to energy. This will lead to deficiency in some areas in our bodies. What we need to watch out on is the amount of Starch that we take in. This is important so that we don’t retain more than we need, and thus avoid accumulation of Starch in our bodies.

Exercise

Having a body that is fit due to exercise is one of the essentials to good productivity. Want to feel good and work well? It isn’t very demanding; there is an easy program that you can follow with amazing results. We’ll talk more on how to do this as we go on.

Stress Management

The best way to manage stress is to take control of your life. The way you think will determine in a very big way what you do. Having a positive attitude will go a long way in dealing with your perceived problems. Renew your mind daily and get a positive mindset to achieve your goals.

Identify the things that cause you stress. It isn’t the problems that we get that causes us stress – it is the way that we deal with stress that makes all the difference. To achieve success in life, you have to know how you deal wit your problems.

Successful people have a positive attitude to life. That makes the whole difference. They actually have more challenges in their journey to success. But in dealing with their challenges, they get more satisfaction in life. Hence, they live happier life. A person in comfort zone can’t get the satisfaction in life that is enjoyed by the person who pursues his goals and dreams.

Managing stress will go a long way in overcoming it.                                            

You may find this challenging in the beginning, but once you get used to it, you will enjoy every step of the way. This will be funneled by counting the benefits that will be reaped from this. However, it takes a lot of discipline to achieve and maintain this.

Take a case of a man in his early forties.  He has a busy schedule – works for twelve hours every day. He is aware of the importance of healthy living, but he is just addicted to fried chicken and chips.

He needs to stop this bad habit, but he keeps on going back to the junk food that he is addicted to.

The reason he gives is that he comes late from work while hungry. His tight schedule does not allow him to get the groceries and whole meal grains that he requires to prepare a healthy meal.

You may be in this group of people. A lot has been said about having a crash program that will make you lose weight in two weeks. This does not work! You need a total lifestyle change. Have total commitment to achieve your goals. Be consistent and enjoy your life as you work. Don’t let bad habits affect your productivity – achieve your maximum potential by having a healthy mind and body.

So how do you start staying and living healthy? You may be having a busy schedule, and going home to your family and kids. But some few changes make all the difference. Walk as much as you can. Walking is the simplest and best exercise ever. If there is a distance you can cover without using a vehicle, don’t board the vehicle, just walk.

Family and Friends

Your family and friends go a long way in determining your general wellbeing.  They say that joy is contagious. Surround yourself with people that bring you joy, and are focused in life, and you will have a good life.

What Should your Diet Constitute of?

Your breakfast should be the main meal. This is because you’ll need a lot of energy to enable you to carry out the day’s activities. Many people just have tea and maybe bread for breakfast, skip lunch, and have a huge meal for supper. It shouldn’t be like that. Have a heavy breakfast, try as much as possible to have a proper lunch, and eat a light meal for supper.

Prepare in advance for breakfast. Let it not be taken in a hurry, it is your main meal of the day. The best way to start your day is by having two glasses of warm water when you rise up. Then have fruits. Give yourself at least thirty (30) minutes, or one ( 1) hour if you can before having your main meal. This is your prerequisite before your main meal for breakfast.

The best breakfast meal is what people actually have for supper. This trend should be reversed. There is a misconception that breakfast should constitute tea and bread. First, let’s demystify that myth. Then act. Have a well balanced diet – Carbohydrates, Proteins and Vitamins.  Take food for breakfast, and not tea and white bread. You could have soup, if you can, or porridge. Take your drink with high fiber cereals. This will go a long way in maintaining your energy levels during the day.

Avoid sugary items (creamy pies and cakes, muffins) and sausages, meat pies and bacons. They don’t add value to your body. This group of food causes of diabetes and obesity.

You could have tea at ten o’clock in the morning. If you had skipped breakfast, having tea and mandazi will make you even hungrier. The best combination would be arrow roots or sweet potatoes – roots and grains rich in fiber. 

Because of our daily lifestyles, we usually go to fast foods for lunch. We eat fatty foods and high carbonated drinks.

Avoid this, it is not healthy in any way. You may eat proteins that need to be digested for longer periods. This is because they are not recommended for supper, they will affect your sleeping pattern.

Have a light supper, early enough to allow for digestion before getting to bed. It is good to have supper at least one and a half (11/2 ) hours before getting to bed. Two (2) to three (3) hours is even better.

This will make you healthier, productive and you will enjoy a good night’s sleep. You’ll wake up in the morning feeling great, ready to face the day with a lot of energy. If you eat junk food, and / or a heavy meal (your main meal) during supper and get to bed immediately, you won’t get good sleep and you’ll wake up in the morning feeling tired. There is a level of burn out you’ll get, even after resting during the night. It’s all associated with the sleeping pattern.

When the bad cycle continues, you will feel unwell. Lifestyle diseases will creep in. You will spend more trying to correct this. This should be avoided early enough in life.

Try as much as possible to have supper two hours before going to bed.

It is always good to take a meal and snacks in between main meals. This should be done in moderation and should not contain any junk food.  Do not take snacks that don’t add value to your general wellbeing. These include hamburgers and soda. Instead go for fruits, items high in fiber, and drinks that don’t contain additives, sugar and high carbon content.

Take enough water

It is a common occurrence not to differentiate between thirst and hunger. Some people even go to an extent of saying that drinking water often enough makes them not have an appetite for food. This is far from the truth. Water is essential in maintaining good health. You actually feel hungry for not taking enough water.

Dehydration has very adverse effects to our bodies. It makes a person feel exhausted. This reduces productivity. Did you know that one of the common causes of your headaches is lack of sufficient water in your body system?

 If you don’t drink water well, the toxins and other waste products will not be flushed out well. This will also lead to poor circulation of blood in the system. The overall effect is that your body will be weaker and your performance will be greatly reduced.

Concluding on Eat Healthy, Stay Young and Live Longer

We cannot stop re-emphasizing on these five best practices:

• Food and Diet
• Exercise
• Stress Management
• Sleep
• Family and Friends

Don’t go for shortcuts. Learn to control your pangs for junk foods – the bad habits will tempt you – you just need to be disciplined enough to overcome them. This will need a strong support system that you can rely on.

And remember that you are what you eat. When you manage your physical, mental, spiritual and emotional health, you will live life to the fullest and enjoy your old age. And your family will benefit in this lifestyle, eat healthy, stay young and live longer.