Tips for Healthy Living

I’ve recently started reading up about ways to live a healthier lifestyle

We expose ourselves to toxins every day, whether it’s through what we eat or drink, put on our skin, or the poisonous fumes and gasses we are exposed to on a daily basis such as car fumes, cleaning aids, exposure to radiation through electronics or the environment we work in an amalgamation of these things can make us sick. But, through a healthy diet and clean living, we can reset our bodies back to health and cure almost any disease as most diseases are caused by ourselves through what we eat and the environment we find ourselves in.

Although my family lives a relatively healthy life – for instance, we already only use natural products in our home, eat a healthy diet and get enough exercise, it did make me realise that I need to take better care of my health in general as health ultimately is everything!

I learned that good nutrition is the basis for good health. You are what you eat after all! If we eat healthy, living food we will get optimum nutrition from it. But, if we eat dead food, with no nutritional value, full of empty calories our health will start to suffer in the long run and we may end up malnourished. Nutritious food will keep you satisfied (no cravings) and fuller for longer but when you eat empty food, devoid of nutrition your body will ask for more food as it needs nutrients for the body to function optimally. For this reason, people with an unhealthy diet can be overweight because the calories they consume do not provide their body with any nutrients – only with empty calories.

How I adapted my diet and lifestyle

I started changing the way I live and took more care about what I put into my mouth, keeping in mind that the more natural and unprocessed the foods, the better for me.

Changes I’ve incorporated:

• Drink lots of purified water – the body is made up of around 70% water and needs to stay hydrated to function properly
• Juice regularly using a combination of fruits and vegetables – to boost your immune system
• Drink less caffeine as it is a stimulant that could disrupt your sleep or make you anxious (eventually I will need to cut this out of my diet completely)
• Drink more herbal teas  – they are known for their many health benefits
• Reduce alcohol consumption – alcohol depletes your body of water and nutrients (try to drink only naturally brewed beers and wines and avoid any distilled alcohol)
• Swop white flour products and white rice for wholewheat or brown – Refined carbs have been stripped of almost all nutrients and only contain empty calories.
• Avoid all processed and fast foods as they are full of salt, sugar and preservatives which can lead to serious health issues
• Avoid sugary foods and fizzy drinks as they can also lead to serious health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and more
• Introduce more grains, legumes and pulses to my diet as they contain lots of nutrients including protein, fibre and antioxidants
• Include more raw nuts and seeds – they are good sources of protein, healthy fats, fibres, vitamins, and minerals.
• Prepare grains, legumes, nuts and seeds properly by pre-soaking them for at least 12 hours to improve digestion
• Eat more fresh fruit and vegetables – they contain lots of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to your health
• Use organic, in-season products where possible – no pesticides used and fresh without lying in a cold store for 6-months. Ideally, grow your own – this can also be done indoors if you do not have space outside.
• Eat more living foods such as sprouts and microgreens – they are packed full of nutrients and contain even more than the grown plant. I recommend getting yourself a sprouting kit.
• Avoid GMO products – they contain no nutrion and could have harmful effects on the body
• Eat lots of fermented products such as kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut and kombucha and make your own if you can – your health begins in your gut!
• Eat good quality pasture-raised meats that are antibiotic and hormone-free – it is much healthier for you and better for the animals
• Use raw dairy products that are non-pasteurised and preferably also non-homoganised
• Eat organic eggs from pasture-raised hens
• Start composting – instead of throwing your food scraps away – compost them using a bokashi system and reuse the compost in your garden when growing your own vegetables.
• Forage – we live by the sea and can forage our own mussels, kelp and other sea vegetables. It’s fresh, it’s alive and it’s full of nutrients.
• Use natural products in your home – avoid toxic chemicals
• Regular gentle exercise – good for the heart and lungs to get the blood pumping
• Spending more time outside in nature – good to clear the head and relieve stress and get some important vitamin D
• A bedtime routine – with no screens after 9pm and reading a book before sleep helps to calm the mind. Aim for at least 8 hours sleep per night
• Being grateful and thankful – avoiding negativity and expressing gratitude helps us to become postive and it also improves our health
• Manifest – meditate daily to reduce stress and manifest to attract what you want from life – as long as it is in service to the universe and not a selfish wish.

In Summary

In order to have a healthy body, we also need a healthy mind. With the right focus and intent, we can break any bad habits and replace them with good ones. We are responsible for our health and it is sometimes too easy to reach for a quick fix in the form of a pill and ignore the real issue. By changing our diets and lifestyles we can improve our health, it’s a fact! So, if you do have health conditions remember, small changes can make a big difference and a pill will only mask the problem, or even create another problem elsewhere in the body, so take control of your health – it’s the only body you have!

Since making these changes I already feel so much better within myself. I’m losing weight and hopefully also regaining optimal health. I’m also feeling good within myself, knowing that I am working towards positive change in my mind, body and soul which cannot be a bad thing!