25 easy life style choices

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Easy Life Choices to Keep You Healthy, Fit and Strong

What if you were to discover there is a secret to possessing excellent health? What if there is a

single, mysterious "magic formula” that helps you, once and for all, live a healthy, rewarding lifestyle

– one full of vitality, of radiating wellness, and abundant energy, one that immerses you in a feeling

of constant, perpetual well-being - yet was concealed from the world at large? If you had the chance

to join those very few who know about it and use it, how eager would you be to get it?

It seems that way doesn’t it? I mean, there’s got to be something missing – otherwise why would

you feel as though you could lose a few more pounds, or that you’re not as fit, or as strong or as

toned or even as flexible as you should be? Shouldn’t you have more energy, more vitality, or be

able to sleep better?

Well, the good news is that there is a formula – and it has a lot less to do with “magic” than you

might think. It’s also far less concealed than you imagine. In fact, a lot of the information is readily

available, and pretty much available to everyone – if they really want it. It has a lot to do with

common sense, basic health principles, and listening to your own body. The only real secret lies….in

acting on it.

And the actions don’t even have to be massive, or momentous, or earth shattering. No – what’s only

really needed are small, consistent, daily actions based on informed, healthy choices. Slight, yet

important changes that build on each other to create, in the end, positive health results. The actions

may be small – but it’s the results that are momentous, and life-changing.

Rediscover the lost art of healing your own body

In some ways, the medical establishment may not want you to read this report – or take any action

on the ideas and strategies it talks about. After all, the latest figures reported from the IMS Institute

for Healthcare Informatics tell us that in the US alone, $325.8 billion was spent on medications in

2014. (Yes – I was astounded too.) When we’re talking in amounts of that magnitude, you’d have to

question if organised medicine cares more about you – or your money…

We all know that healthy eating and exercise are important for having good health – but there’s

more to it than that. Having an overall healthy lifestyle is also means creating and maintaining

positive mental health, and nurturing a healthy self-image.

And learning to live healthier, more fulfilling lives is much easier when you change one small thing at

a time. And one of first and most important things you can change is your behaviours. Whatever

your current state of health is, you can be assured that how you consistently think and act has

played a major part in the result – how you look and feel about your health at the present moment.

We all live busy lives, so finding time to live healthier lifestyles can be challenging. I share with you

25 lifestyle ideas and strategies (with some helpful tips) that will get you thinking a bit differently

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about your health and wellness, and help you change some every day thoughts, behaviours and

actions that perhaps have been holding you back from reaching your health goals.

1. Our health is our own personal

responsibility. As much as we’d like it to, good

health cannot be achieved by a flick of a switch or a

magic bullet – a miracle pill or injection. It comes only

with us taking control over our own health with small,

daily, ‘healthy lifestyle choice’ actions. The results of

the decisions we make are our responsibility: decisions

on things like food, sleep, activity levels, how we use

our spare time, our ‘mental’ health, personal care products, what supplements we use.

2. With regard to your health, you are your body’s best judge. You know it better than

anyone - so listen to it, and tune in to its needs. It takes discipline to achieve good health, so

the decisions you make could result in you being its best friend…. Or its worst enemy

Tip: When starting a diet or healthy eating plan, always seek the advice of a health professional or

diet counsellor. We’re all different, so a diet plan tailored for your body and your needs will

maximise your chances of success

3. Most of us know that the foods we choose to eat regularly

can have a huge impact on our health – good or bad. The

closer we are to a natural environment and to natural

‘whole’ foods that are unaltered in how they are

cultivated or prepared, the less problems we cause for

ourselves – and our children. The closer we are to a healthy

lifestyle that includes proper nutrition and regular exercise,

the greater the potential for good health for us…. and them. Our children can only learn

from what we do – if we promote healthy habits, they will likely follow.

Tip: Eating nuts is a healthy alternative to eating high-calorie snacks. If you do decide to eat nuts, a

good tip is select nuts in their shells – such as walnuts and peanuts. It will take you longer to peel the

off the shells, which help you eat less of them



4. Most of us understand the benefits of having enough

Omega-3 fatty acids in our diet. Experts

(organisations such as the EFSA -European Food Safety

Authority and the AMA – American Heart Association)

recommend at least 400mg of Omega-3 EPA/DHA for

adults per day to maintain good health – the equivalent

of two fatty fish meals a week. All fish contain Omega-3

fatty acids, but the highest concentration are found in

oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring.

Other foods with high Omega-3 sources include flaxseed, walnuts and pumpkin seeds. Good

quality Omega-3 supplements will also contribute to a healthier heart and longer life.

5. Restorative sleep is important for good health.

Ensure that you get enough good, sound sleep – that

means between 6 – 8 hours a night. Your body needs to

rest, recover and recuperate after its daily exertions.

Lack of sleep usually means lack of energy and

performance the next day. If you aren’t getting enough

sleep, perhaps it’s time to look at your habits. A few

tips: Remove the TV from your room. Read a positive

book. Write in your journal. Avoid caffeine after

lunchtime.

6. How are you ageing? Or more importantly, how do you view how you are ageing? Whether

you are positive or negative about it, chances are you will probably end-up ageing

accordingly. Those who challenge the ageing process will end-up ageing better. Age UK

reports that older people having a positive attitude to ageing tend to have better

health and live longer than those who see only the negatives. To age better they also

recommend: Start exercising – it’s never too late. Create a busy social life and get yourself

occupy yourself with activities throughout the week. Get regular medical check-ups

(including eye tests) and avoiding excessive sun exposure.

7. Yes, everyone knows how important it is to be physically active. Yet many of us still do

not get enough exercise. The AMA reports that experts are increasingly concerned about

the amount of time we spend sitting. Office workers for example could be risking their

health by just sitting at their desk. The longer the periods of time spent sitting down, the

greater the risk of chronic illness such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Recently

published research from Leicester University recommends that those at risk of developing

diabetes can escape the condition by reducing the amount the amount of time they spend

sitting down by 90 minutes every day.

Tip: You will need to exercise frequently (even daily) to maintain your healthy lifestyle - so it’s

important find exercise activities that you enjoy to stay motivated and to burn more calories



8. Another well-known lifestyle improvement choice is to

quit smoking. Yet, even today, there are over 480.000

reported deaths every year due to cigarette smoke in the

US according to the CDC (Centre of Disease Control). Yet,

the incredible thing is, even for lifelong smokers, quitting

this habit leads to a massive 40% reduction in the risk of

heart attack and stroke within just 5 years. A 10 year

study by the German Cancer Research Centre showed

that smokers were at double the risk of developing heart

disease compared to non-smokers - and that those who

had given up showed almost the same low rate risk as

those who had never smoked. Your body has a tremendous capacity for healing itself – you

just need to give it a chance.

9. Controlling blood sugar levels is also key to a

healthy lifestyle. Having high blood pressure increases

the risk of diabetes – and in turn its associated

complications such as blindness, nerve damage and

kidney disease. How long you live is at stake here –

Diabetes UK estimates that the life expectancy of those

with type 2 diabetes can be reduced by 10 years

because of the condition. Even with type 1 diabetes,

studies show that those born after 1965 had a life

expectancy of 69 years

10. Maintaining a healthy weight is another important part of living a healthy lifestyle.

The AMA reports that having a BMI (Body Mass Index) above the ‘ideal’ range of 22.5 to 25

will increase the risk of an early death. The higher your BMI is above the recommended

figures, the more risk you are – for every additional 5 units on the BMI scale, it is reported

that mortality is increased by around a third. So each additional five BMI units resulted with

a 40% increase in deaths from related heart and artery disease and strokes. Sobering

figures. Watch your weight = watch your life.

Tip: For long term weight-loss, speeding up your body’s metabolism is a must. Gaining muscle will

help speed up your metabolism, so including some resistance (weight) training to your exercise

routine is important

11. Parallel to maintaining a healthy weight is maintaining healthy blood pressure

levels. Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure means that your blood pressure

is continually higher than the recommended level. If not treated, over time, this can lead to

complications such as an enlarged heart, which means it becomes less efficient at doing its

job – pumping vital blood around the body. A recent study in the medical journal The

Lancet reports that high blood pressure is a major cause of early death in the UK, second

only to smoking. Obesity, lack of exercise, alcohol and a poor diet were other contributors.



12. Eating a healthy diet – well, we all know we are supposed to do this. But like

anything, knowing is not the important thing. Doing is. There is a ton of information

available on what foods are healthy to eat, but to keep things simple, research shows that

eating a Mediterranean-style diet can cut heart attacks, strokes and death rates in those

people at high-risk of heart disease by up a third. The Mediterranean diet – high in fruits,

veg, fish and wholegrain cereals and low in meat and dairy (saturated fats) - is a rich source

of anti-oxidants which fight cancer, heart disease and can slow the ageing process.

Researchers found after studying 1,200 over-70 year old’s that those following this type of

diet tended to live up to three years longer. Another important factor in the Mediterranean

diet is the widespread use of olive oil instead of butter – olive oil is high in

monounsaturated fat, which is thought to protect against heart disease.

Tip: When craving snacks between meals, try chewing or sucking on ice chips (small ones – you don’t

want to damage your teeth!) This will help fight the temptation to binge between meals. Just putting

the ice in your mouth can be enough to fight off the urge

13. The AMA also recommends maintaining healthy

cholesterol levels as another god lifestyle choice.

Too much cholesterol in the blood can cause the

arteries to harden and narrow. This can cause a heart

attack as the blood flow to the heart is slowed down –

or even stopped. Cholesterol levels are best

maintained through diet – NHS UK recommends a

healthy diet and exercise to reduce cholesterol levels.

Foods containing saturated fat such as butter, lard,

cream, cakes and biscuits, fatty cuts of meat and pastries should be avoided and substituted

with foods that contain more unsaturated fats such as oily fish (mackerel, salmon) nuts and

seeds.

14. A good thing to remember that health is something that happens through you – not

something that happens to you. Many people get stuck in a pattern of sickness and disease

– much of it self-inflicted – expecting that some external drug, organisation or health care

plan will come to the rescue. They are always disappointed. Health happens through

you when you adopt habits like healthy eating, regular exercise, having sufficient rest and

creating a positive mental attitude.

15. We’ve mentioned the importance of exercise as a positive lifestyle choice – it helps

maintain good health but also can prevent the onset of chronic diseases such heart disease.

But studies have now shown being active can be good for the brain. An

unhurried 30-minute stroll a day may reduce the risk of blood flow related dementia among

the elderly.



16. We all know we should stay off junk food – but

there seems to be good reason for our junk food

cravings. According to a study from Scripps Research

Institute it presented at the annual meeting of

Society of Neuroscience in 2010, junk food was

reported to be almost as addictive as heroin. The

report claimed: “This is the most complete evidence

to date that suggests obesity and drug addiction

have common neuro-biological foundations.” - It

gets you wondering what they put in it.

17. And following on from that, do you really know what’s in junk food sold by the

popular fast food chains? KFC for example put MSG, partially-hydrogenated oils, high-

fructose corn syrup, sodium nitrite and other such highly-processed, low-nutrient

ingredients in their food. Don’t just go ahead and eat anything without knowing what’s in it

first!

Tip: Eat slowly, savour the flavours and enjoy your meal. You will have more time to listen to your

body’s “full” signals, and know when to stop. Making a habit of pausing halfway through each meal,

and also chewing food for a lot longer will help you stop overeating.

18. People with depression have now been identified at risk from strokes and heart disease.

Joanne Murphy of the Stroke Association reported: “Everyone can help reduce their risk of

stroke by making lifestyle changes, such as reducing their blood pressure, giving up

smoking, reducing alcohol intake, improving their diet, and getting plenty of exercise.”

19. The British Journal of Psychiatry recently published the findings of a study among 3,486

middle-aged men and women. It reported that it found that those who ate a diet rich in

vegetables, fruits and fish were far less likely to be depressed than those who indulged in

mainly refined foods – refined (white) grains, processed meats, fried food, high-fat dairy

products and sweetened desserts. It’s a no brainer really – good diet = good health,

“junk” diet = “junk” health.

20. Make sure you drink enough water. The

generally well-known recommendation of eight

glasses a day is a minimum – you need more if you

are exercising. Dehydration is the enemy of your

body. Our muscles are made up of 70% water. Out

blood is 90% water. Our whole bodies consist of

mainly water. It is the essential transport

mechanism for all sorts of nutrients like vitamins

and minerals. And water is used not only to

distribute the good stuff throughout the body – It’s

also used in the removal of the bad stuff your body creates by its natural function, such as



ammonia and uric acid. Water as we all know is vital to our survival, and this is because it

used in many ways. The body uses it to control temperature, for digestion, for circulation,

to absorb nutrients, and for lubricating the joints amongst other things. You can live quite a

while without food. You would die in a few days without water.

Tip: Drink a large glass of water prior to each meal. This will help curtail your appetite. Also, our

brains often confuse thirst and hunger, which leads us to eat when we are not really hungry.

21. Every function in your body uses energy. Your body uses energy to keep your heart beating.

It uses energy to replenish cells, to circulate blood around the body, even breathing uses

energy. And digestion is no exception. In fact, the digestion process is a “heavy” energy user

- your body needs to burn a lot of calories to break down and absorb food. This is

commonly known as the “thermic effect of food”. The more frequently you eat, the more

your body has to work, so your metabolism increases and more calories are burned. So

eating regularly - the right foods (lean proteins, green salad and vegetables, natural

fibrous carbohydrates) in the right amounts every two or three hours - takes maximum

advantage of this effect and burning all those calories promotes weight loss and helps keep

your body lean and healthy.

22. For many people, stress seems to be part

and parcel of everyday life. Learning to

manage stress is a key lifestyle choice for

those wanting to be happier, healthier, and

more productive. There are many causes of

stress, and they can be different for each of

us, but its root cause may not be that

obvious. For example, you could be feeling

you are constantly stressed at work as you

are struggling with meeting deadlines – but it

could be your tendency to procrastinate, not

the job demands themselves that lead to

deadline stress. Looking deeper into your habits, attitudes or excuses may help you identify

the true cause of the stress so you can do something about it. To “manage” stress, people

sometimes opt for “quick fix” coping activities: They may smoke cigarettes, drink too much

alcohol, withdraw from people, use pills or medication to relax, over or under eat, or fill up

every minute of the day to avoid facing problems. Sometimes it can feel these help to

relieve the stressful situation temporarily – but these are not the solution, and can cause

further health problems down the line. To combat stress for the long term, experts suggest

strategies such as: taking control of your time (knowing your limits and learning to say ‘no’

for example), avoiding people that stress you out, taking control of your environment (hate

the supermarket? Then shop online) and making time for relaxation and doing the things

that are pleasurable to you (like having a massage)

23. Did it ever cross you mind that being 100% healthy is the body’s normal state of

affairs – and anything other than that is the exception? It seems we have been conditioned



to believe that we are in some way delicate creatures who are not strong enough to ward

off disease, illnesses and other ailments, and so are always in need of external help –

doctors, pills, powders, potions… Yet we were all created from one of the greatest

engineering feats in nature – the building of a complex animal organism from a microscopic

ovum. Make no mistake, the body has awesome healing powers; sometimes, we just need

to let it do its thing…

24. Having great physical health will only bring us great

benefits if we also have a positive mental

outlook. The two work hand-in-hand to create the

healthy lifestyle full of vitality and energy most of us are

looking for. Creating a positive mental attitude is possible

for everyone, as it is a skill, and like any skill, it can be

learned. Habits for a positive mental attitude include:

focusing on the future, positive thinking, reading and

listening to positive information, being around positive

people, planning ahead and remembering always to be

grateful for what you have.

25. Look to yourself first for health answers – looking outside the realm of your decisions

will often lead you looking in the wrong place. Attaining good health is not accidental.

Lasting health is more a result of informed, deliberate lifestyle decisions over the course of

your life aligned with nature’s principles of health, and less to do with the sometimes

distorted version of health promoted by mainstream medicine.

The information contained in this booklet is a compilation of health and lifestyle tips collected from many different healthcare providers for educational and entertainment

purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. OnlyensHealth.com its partners, clients, and associates assume no responsibility for the

use or misuse of this material. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information only. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based

upon your researchand in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

Copyright © 2015 OnlyMensHealth




25 easy life style choices

Lifestyle