January 12, 2018
The Holidays Are So Over So Let’s Get Back To Healthy Living!
The holidays? So 10 days ago! Now it’s time to get yourself feeling the best you can, both mentally and physically. Yes, a recipe for healthy living takes a bit of work but the rewards really are priceless. By creating a lifestyle that centers on health from the inside out, it becomes an ingrained routine and much easier to stick with…so you’ll feel and look great!
The first thing you can do to help you is drink a lot of water! It will help cleanse your system and get you turned around in the right direction. Remember—64 ounces a day or half your body weight in ounces of water daily.
Second…and don’t groan…you need to exercise three to four days a week. Find something other than the boring treadmill that is different and that you like, such as kickboxing, TRX straps (invented by a former U.S. Navy Seal – here’s a primer) or hot yoga. Group classes make it easier and more fun to stick with a regimen because you end up not wanting to let your classmates down if you ditch a class. Plus, you get much needed support! Bonus! When you’re in shape, you will feel like you can leap off tall buildings! (Okay, sounds fun but don’t!)
Next, really take care your diet. Really. Dr. Agin, MONAT Scientific Advisory Board member, advises to eat a balanced diet: hydrate yourself and eat nutrient-dense foods (with the greatest amount and variety of nutrients) and minimally processed foods. This will help you look good from the inside out, as if you’re glowing! Here’s a great article, “Add more nutrient-dense foods to your diet” from Harvard Health Publishing/Harvard Medical School that will get you on the right path. And we can all use some help there!
In fact, eat like you’re on vacation. A dinner of broiled fish and fresh vegetables looks the same anywhere. Take time to enjoy what you eat. In fact, pretend you’re overlooking the sea and try eating the Mediterranean way, with heart-healthy fats, minerals, and antioxidants in foods like hummus, olive oil and feta. The Mediterranean diet has been proven to not only keep you slim but help lower your risk for heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.1 If you want to get started on a healthier way of eating, here’s a great overview – 10 Things to Know About the Mediterranean.
Finally, if you really want to put the holidays behind you and get back on a healthier way of living, make sure you get good sleep, adds Dr. Agin, member of MONAT’s Scientific Board. This is something the body must have to recover, heal and function at its best! So healthy year here we come!
1 Mayo Clinic Staff, Mediterranean diet: A heart-healthy eating plan. Nutrition and Healthy Eating. Mayoclinic.org. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801
