5 steps to a balanced healthy lifestyle for 2010

STEP 1: Adopt a balanced diet

An essential part of a healthy lifestyle is a balanced diet, which contrary to what some may think is not hard to maintain:

Indulge in healthy fat sources (like avocados, natural peanut butter and olive oil) and try, as much as possible, to avoid trans fats or saturated fats (butter, cakes and chocolate)

Protein in a must because it is an essential building block for strong, functioning muscles. Good sources include chicken, eggs, fish, turkey and the occasional steak!

Eat quality carbohydrates with a low glycemic index, such as whole wheat bread, brown rice and sweet potatoes.

When it comes to veggies, go crazy! No one has ever blown the scales because they ate too much broccoli! Vegetables are a key source of vitamins and minerals that the body needs. But be careful: vitamins and minerals deplete in high temperature, so don’t overcook them!

When it comes to fruits, you should get creative. An apple a day will keep the doctor away but it can get pretty dry after a week. Why not spice things up with fruits like blueberries, blackberries and cherries. And how about a touch of the exotic with pineapples, guava and star fruit. Variety, they say, is the spice of life – so mix it up!

Water is the most important element. It keeps all the good stuff you’ve been eating moving to where it’s needed most – aiding digestion and absorption. Make sure you drink lots of it; and I mean a couple litres a day.

Always remember that you are only one meal away from a balanced diet. Just keep it up and you will enjoy reaping the benefits.

STEP 2: Reduce the stress

 Stress is a scourge that only negatively affects our health. Like the song says: “Don’t worry, be happy”.  In today’s 100mph lifestyle, our emotions hang on moments and situations that we often have little control over. When things go wrong, we get angry, frustrated and unhappy – a recipe for stress-related illness.

Let’s focus on ourselves a little bit more, slow down when we can, and make sure we take care of ourselves and those closest to us. In time, this will allow us to have greater control over our lives while having a positive impact on those around us. As this increases, situations and issues that once caused stress will be more easily overcome – resulting in happier people. Remember feeling great is infectious, so pass it on!

STEP 3: Build lasting relationships

This is one of the cornerstones of living healthily. It’s also something that we all need to work on improving. We need to be more open and develop our listening and communication skills. It is human nature to love and be loved, so we should strive to include this in all aspects of our lives: with our spouses, partners, children, friends, work colleagues and associates.

Even the attractive man or woman you see every day at the train station on your way to work. Oddly enough, we tend to overlook our relationships with the people we spend most of our day with – our work colleagues.

Why not look at improving these interactions? It can start with something as simple as holding the elevator for a colleague who works on a different floor or genuinely praising a team mate when they have excelled. And remember, you are not doing it for a ‘thank you’ but for the positive impact it will have on someone else’s life; and on your life too!

STEP 4: Exercise regularly

I can hear the collective groan because many of us loathe exercising in gyms; especially if our bodies are less than ‘perfect’. But using gym equipment is not the only way to achieve the health and body you desire. Regular exercise comes in many guises and ultimately it’s down to what you think is balanced and what fits in with your personal schedule. Exercise is for life! Not just for Christmas or before you go on your summer holidays.

There are activities like yoga, Pilates or power plates; others prefer cycling, rock climbing or boxercise. And if you rather not leave your house, there are home workout videos or even your Nintendo Wii fit. As long as you get your heart rate pumping for 15-20 minutes, you’re on your way. No matter what you do, be consistent. Take it slow at first, and build up to the frequency that you feel comfortable with. Eventually, it will become as integral a part of your routine as brushing your teeth!

STEP 5: Learn more about whom and what you love

This should be the most obvious and simplest step but it is all too easily forgotten. Learning more about everything you love will fill your life with happiness and improve its quality. This applies to everything: from your matchbox cars collection to your career, and right back round to your spouse and children.

Try not to pick on your children too much. Instead, learn more about their likes and dislikes; their feelings, desires and emotions, and even what they want for their next Christmas or birthday present.

Take the time to learn more about your spouse/partner – their inner most fears, difficult times that they experienced, what makes them happy... even the name of their childhood imaginary friend! Whatever you get passionate about; it can be used to enrich your life. Whether it’s Liverpool FC, your wife and daughter, your qualifications, your best friends or even the car you adore!

These guidelines will help to empower you, and promote inner health and harmony. You will become more confident in your abilities and in your relationships with others, and you will have more zeal to achieve your goals. If you put these steps into action, you will develop a balanced healthy lifestyle that you love and want to thrive.

Stay Healthy,
DenYen