How to make the switch to a Healthy Lifestyle

I get dozens and dozens of emails and messages from you all every week - and many of those emails are asking questions about living a Healthy Lifestyle or tips on how to help family members live a healthier lifestyle. 

Firstly, there's no such thing as a guide on "How to be Healthy" as each and every one of our bodies is different. I'm not a health professional, but I am someone who lives and loves a healthy lifestyle and have helped many family members and friends to make that switch too. This is why I've decided to launch a series of posts where I'll be sharing some of my healthy living tips. Feel free to leave comments or send me an email with your own questions or suggestions for future posts.

I'm also thinking about starting a bit of a "Healthy Living Challenge" but I'm still figuring out just how I might go about doing that. If you're interested, let me know so I have to put on my thinking cap ;P 

To start with, I wanted to share some of my most asked for tips. Tips on how to make that switch to a healthier lifestyle from the lifestyle that yourself or one of your family members are living now - perhaps one that just isn't working for you. 

Living a Healthy Lifestyle is about more than just what you eat and what exercise you do - it's about having good allover health - that means physical, mental and emotional health.

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- Forget "Diets" and Discover Balance -

"There is no diet that will do what healthy eating living does" a quote by an anonymous other which is so very true with just one little adaption. 

Diets are temporary. They tend to send us into a yoyo - we diet, we get sick of the diet and return to our old ways - and before we know it, we're googling the latest diets and jumping back on the band wagon. I think I'm one of the few people I know who has never followed a "diet" and that's because my switch to healthy living came quite early in life. 

Healthy living is a way of life - it's enjoyable, it makes you happier and it makes you healthier. It's a lifestyle of balance - and the quote from Michelle Obama on the right perfectly sums this balance up.  

When Jesse first started making the change to a healthier lifestyle, he had the diet mentality and it caused problems. As soon as he started to realise that this wasn't a diet, but a lifestyle change - he began to make changes and love those changes. 

Jesse and I eat healthy food - but we never feel deprived. We eat chocolate cake, we eat pizza, we eat cookies - but we eat healthier versions. Luckily for Jesse, I'm quite the baker and our healthier versions taste even better than the originals. 

We also enjoy a balanced diet. I love fresh produce and have to watch that I don't eat too much - but I also love chocolate and gelato when I feel like a treat. I probably eat chocolate on a daily basis - but I know how to enjoy it in moderation. Rather than eat a whole block, I'm happy with one or two pieces - and Jesse has learnt the same. 

Learning to enjoy a balanced diet is key to enjoying a healthy lifestyle. One piece of birthday cake isn't going to kill you - nor is gelato with friends or a glass of wine. 

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- Stop Unhealthy Habits - 

Habits can be hard to break - but if your habits are impacting your health, you need to assess the pro's and con's and realise it's time to change.

For me, unhealthy habits which stand out are;

• Smoking - a habit that has absolutely no benefits and something we all know better than to do. Quite possibly one of the hardest legal addictions to give up, but one that can also give us the hardest health problems to deal with. 
• Excessive Drinking - there's nothing wrong with a social glass of wine or a beer with friends but when you drink to excess, you're not doing your body any favours. I don't drink alcohol at all personally, but Jesse likes a beer every now and again and there's nothing wrong with that. Also, remember that alcohol is incredibly high in empty calories - so if your healthy eating and exercise doesn't seem to be working for you, have a think about what you're drinking as that's often the problem.
• Artificial Sugars - a few years ago my Mum ended up in hospital, in so much pain she needed morphine and doctor's suspected she had instestinal cancer. She didn't have cancer, nor did she have any other medical issue - she was suffering the effects of aspartame. If you ask me, all artificial sugars should be a no-go - and that includes the "natural" artificial sugars like stevia (which has recently been found to cause quite a number of issues in studies). In addition to being artificial and under-studied, these artificial sweeteners can also cause an increased risk of obesity as it leaves us looking for more food to fill the "gaps" that artificial sugars leave as our body is tricked into thinking it's getting energy when indeed it's not. Artificial sugars, particularly stevia, has also been shown to decrease blood levels of the T3 Thyroid Hormone which is linked with weight gain and many other health problems.
• Stress - I know what you're thinking, stress in un-avoidable in our lives - and you are somewhat right. We all need to take time out to look after ourselves - read a book, talk a walk with your dog, play a board game with your family, take a bubble bath, watch a funny movie - whatever it is that destresses you and makes you happy, make time for that. You need to look after your mind so you can look after your body

- Drink Plenty of Water - 

Put down the soft drinks and skip the iced tea - water should be your primary drink. Our brains are 90% water and our bodies are made up of around 70% water - so water is vital for our bodies to function properly. As with most things, the amount of water you need is actually very different from your best friend and your neighbours - it all depends on your health, your activity, your height/weight and your individual needs.  

 Not only does it hydrate your body and help your body to function normally, drinking plenty of water actually works to: 

• Increase energy and relieve fatigue 
• Flush out toxins
• Improve skin complexion 
• Maintain regularity
• Boost your immune system
• Relieve headaches, migraines, cramps and aches and pains
• Prevent strains 
• Promote weight loss
• Improve digestion
• Save money!

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- Eat Regularly and Often - 

Our individual needs are different - and our schedules are different - however, it's important to eat regularly and often. Smaller more frequent meals are much more beneficial than larger less frequent meals. 

Do not skip breakfast - it's one of the things everyone tells you, but it's one of the most important. Breakfast wakes up your metabolism and gives you energy for the day. Even if you don't think you need it, you do. If you can't stomach too much in the morning - try something small but energy dense or have a larger mid-morning snack when you're feeling up to it. 

I eat 6 meals a day, whilst Jesse eats between 4-5 depending on his work day. I usually eat in this kind of a pattern: 

•  Breakfast (usually around 6/7am)
• Morning Tea (usually around 10am)
• Lunch (usually around 12/1pm)
• Afternoon Tea (usually around 3pm)
• Dinner (usually around 6pm) 
• Dessert (usually around 7/7:30pm) 

This works perfectly for me as I'm a grazer and tend to struggle with digestion if I eat larger meals - I also have blood sugar issues so eating regularly helps to maintain my blood sugar levels and avoid crashes and dizziness. Jesse tends to eat the same, minus morning or afternoon tea, depending on where he is and what he's doing during the day. That said - he will combine his snacks with his lunch if he doesn't have time to eat before/after. 

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- Get Enough Sleep - 

So you're eating well, you're exercising well - but if you're not sleeping well, I guarantee you're not happy. Studies show that we need about 8 hours sleep - but that number can vary from person to person. 

Depending on our individual needs, we may actually need more than the recommended 8 hours. You'll know what works best for your body as you'll feel best. Sleep is essential for concentration, productivity, memory and blood pressure and also reduces the risk of depression and heart attacks. 

- Move More - 

We need to be active on a daily basis - not just a couple of times a week. It's important to make time for exercise - but it's also important to realise that we all have different energy needs. I walk almost every day - Jesse will only walk with me on weekends - but that's perfect for each of us. 

Why? I have what is predominately a desk job. I'm a writer so when I'm working, I'm sitting at my computer. I clean the house and cook, but I spend most of my day sitting. Jesse has an active job where he is on the move most of the day.

As I don't need to lose weight and in fact need the opposite, I walk for around 20 minutes a day. In that short amount of time I walk a fair distance - and I walk fast. When I walk with Jesse, we walk for around 40 minutes and we walk a longer distance, but at a slower pace. 

You need to find what works for your body and what you love - not what's trendy or what so-and-so says you should do. If you're not enjoying it you're not going to do it - and what's the point of that?

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- Be Happy - 

Happiness works wonders for our overall wellbeing. Surround yourself with people who make you happy, laugh often and smile lots. Find what gives you joy in life and make time for it - it might be the simplest thing that brightens your day. 

- Treat Yourself - 

And treats don't always have to be food. Spoil yourself every now and again and see how it brightens your mood. It might be a new lipgloss or a new top that makes you feel gorgeous. 

- Think Positive and Be Thankful - 

Positive things come to positive people - focus on the good things that you have and always be thankful for them. Take a moment each day to be thankful for all that you have - and all that you're yet to have. 

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- Eat Good Food and Watch Your Portions -

Good food is food that's good for your body, your mind and your well being. I am passionate about creating healthy food that tastes incredible - and that's what all of the recipes on this blog are. I can't tell you how happy it makes me when I get an email from one of you, thanking me for changing your mind on healthy food as you realise that healthy food can taste INCREDIBLE. You just have to learn how to make it that way. 

Learn to love fresh produce and enjoy your meals. There's more to life than steamed veggies or raw carrot sticks - so experiment! Toss veggies through your pasta, roast them, grill them - grate them into muffins. If all else fails, try, try again.

Portion control is incredible important - you can eat all of the healthy food in the world, but if you're eating too much, you're still going to have a problem. Find what works for your body and realise that we all have different needs. You'll find more food on Jesse's plate than mine - simply because he's a man and he's also bigger than me - but by the same token, that doesn't mean Jesse can eat 24/7 just because "he's a boy". 

Most Importantly...

Find what works for you. 

We all have different needs, and likes and interests and looks - we have to find what works for our body. Stop worshipping celebrities or people who you feel have the "ultimate" this or that - because you're not them - nor will you ever be. 

We need to accept ourselves and we need to love ourselves. So I want you to stop what you're doing, click the comment box and tell me one thing you love about you. 

For me? I love my eyes - I think they're my best feature and there's nothing wrong with admitting that! Love yourself - that's the only way to love others. 

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