HEALTHY LIFESTYLE: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THRIVING IN BODY AND MIND

It says, A healthy lifestyle is not a quick solution or a temporary motivation blast of energy but taking care of your physical health, mental health as well well emotional wellbeing every single day. The secret is in daily choices and habits, as Graeme used to say — it's lifestyle. All too often, when you think of ‘being healthy,' it can come down to eating more vegetables or going the gym, but truly wellness is universal. A way of living that integrates a life based on nutritious (not perfect) meals, daily movement practices, restorative sleep, stress management strategies that work for you and consistent social connection into a structure so sustainable it can last you until the day this life ends. This is not about perfection or following rules, it is choosing a life where making healthy choices are second nature enabled by a healthy approach to living.

A positive and health life style is personal and I believe more effective than a standard that one tries to meet. Your way of living healthier might be completely different than your neighbor, and that is absolutely okay. There is no one size fits all with health. This is dependent on what your body needs, your goals, and more importantly environment. For others, it could entail runs before the sun even rises and preparing each meal from scratch. For others it could be yoga twice a week, mindful eating and long walks in nature. That was all good, but who cares if it works for you and is something you can see yourself doing for years — not just a month or two.

Why a Healthy Lifestyle Matters
How you live each day of your life has a cumulative and quantifiable impact on how good you feel in the short run, and what diseases you may suffer from or not decades down the road. The evidence-base from scientific research is pretty clear that the vast majority of chronic illnesses (cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and some cancers) have all been linked to unhealthy lifestyle choices. The good news is that, by eating balanced meals, engaging in regular physical activity, managing stress effectively, as well as getting enough quality sleep and avoiding harmful habits such as smoking or excessive drinking you can significantly reduce your risk of those conditions.

In addition to staving off disease, living a healthy life makes you feel better. It boosts your mood, sharpens your focus, and enhances your energy. You might feel stronger when dealing with adversity, more hope for the future and a greater sense of presence. You have better relationships—even that benefits as well, you feel good physically and mentally so you are more patient, engaged with your partner or friends and can actually contribute positively to their lives. The Net Effect Of All Of This Over Time Is, Then, Not Just A Longer Life, But One That Is Filled With More Vitality And Respect.

4 Basic Pillars to Long-lasting Wellness
Family Nutrition: Nutrition is the root of good health and an Ayurvedic diet plan for the whole family goes a long way in ensuring balanced nutrition. Most of the time, select whole, natural foods—eg fresh vegetables, fruits lean proteins, whole grains and healthy fats —for your body as it has the energy and building blocks required to operate at its best. I do not mean to never eat your favorite treats, however the exceptions should be few and far between. It turns out that a balanced diet is not only useful for the body but also benefits mental alertness and emotional mood.

Exercise: Moving helps protect muscles, keeps joints flexible, and raises bone density and cardiovascular health. Regular exercise also helps the release of endorphins and neurotransmitters, both of which have a positive impact on mood demographics. But it is important that you do some form of moving and find ways where you enjoy the movement, (it can be speed walking, swimming, cycling, dancing or just yoga and strength training) doing these things consistently. As such, health experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of intense-exercise a week to go with muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days every week.

Sleep is your bodies time to heal, repair, and regenerate. It's not a state of rest, but a period during which your brain consolidates memories, your muscles heal, and your hormones regulate. Regularly sleeping 7–9 hours of good-quality sleep can help support your immune system, mental functioning, and mood. This is a method known as good sleep hygiene, and it will help you feel more rested in tandem with practice of meditation. The other method is to make sure that where you are sleeping is as good an environment for sleep as possible — cool, dark, and (relatively) quiet.

Stress Management: Stress is a natural part of the human experience, but chronic stress can negatively impact both your mental and physical health. High levels of stress hormones raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, and increase risk for anxiety and depression. In addition to saving your long-term health, seeking coping devices such as meditation, breathing exercises mindfulness, physical activity and creative hobbies or just being in nature can help better your day-to-tsday.

Socialization: Humans are social animals, and healthy connections keep us emotionally and physically well. Life that is lived among all in a supportive environment weathers more stress better and increases its chances of lasting longer. Whether it be family dinners, coffee with friends or joining in a community group, fostering these relationships is just as vital as eating well or working out.

Simply put, water is life. It improves digestion, regulates temperature within our bodies, cushions internal body joints, helps to carry nutrients from the digestive system to other parts of the body and carries waste products out of the body. Just modest dehydration may significantly backlash mood, attention, and physical performance. Adults, in general, should drink a minimum of 6–8 cups of water every day although this varies depending on activity level, climate and individual requirements.

Practical Tips for Living Healthily
Begin the Day with a Sense of Purpose: The first steps you take in waking hours lay the foundations for the way your entire day will go. It can be as simple as drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning, and then gently stretching or going for a short walk. Protein, healthy fats and fiber from a well-rounded breakfast will provide long lasting energy and help to stave off those mid-morning cravings.

Schedule Movement: Put exercise on your calendar with ink as if it were the most important meeting of your week. Even only a 20 minute walk, the habit will form over time and built up.

Make Healthy Eating Convenient: Because it is much harder to eat well when healthy food is not the easiest choice. Store whole fruits where they can be on hand in plain sight, chop veggies for a quick act now snack, and cook up healthy options such as hard boiled eggs or roasted veggies or pre-cooked quinoa in advance.

Avoid Processed Foods: Processed foods are convenient, but typically contain a lot of sugar, sodium and unhealthy fats. Replace these, slowly but surely with whole, unmodified foods can affect your energy, weight and health very quickly.

Spend Time Outdoors Daily: Sunlight helps regulate the body's internal clock so it may help your sleep patterns and mood. Simply being outside for 15–20 minutes helps to re-align your energy and lower the f**k my life levels.

Mindfulness: Being completely focused in the here and now during typical activities like eating, walking and talking with a friend help you to be more intentional about life choices can decrease stress and increase overall life satisfaction.

Make it Fun: The best habits are the ones you enjoy doing. Swim or bike if you do not like running. If you don't like raw salads, roast or cook your vegetables to make them more taste-bud-pleasing.

Creating a Sustainable Routine
Lasting change happens gradually. The thought of revamping your whole life in a week is daunting and frankly, it is not sustainable. Begin with one or two — maybe drink more water throughout the day, add a 10-minute walk after dinner and work your way up from there. This will eventually give you momentum and soon you will be adding more changes without feeling deprived and or pressured.

Challenges are a natural part of the adventure. But if you go a week without working out, indulge every meal on vacation or have one of those months where everything is hard and routines are dropped, get back to it. Balance Shift! Your path to health must fit into your life, not the other way around.

A Sample Healthy Day
Mornings: Start every day with a glass of water, stretch or do 10-minute yoga exercise and have a healthy breakfast, like scrambled eggs with spinach and whole grain toast.
Mid-day:2nd 15 minute brisk walk after lunch quinoa salad, grilled chicken and lots of colorful veggie water all day
Midday: Break to use a 5-minute breathing technique or quick meditation to recharge and get you back on track, then enjoy Greek yogurt with fruit.
Night: Get in a light workout — could be strength training or even a relaxing walk — cook dinner with baked salmon and roasted vegetables on the menu, and socialize with family members or friends.
NightShift: No screens before bed, go to bed at the same time every night and keep your sleeping environment dark and cold for better sleep

The Bigger Picture
For what is a life well lived, if not running after the next wellness fad or an impossible image? It is about building a life full of habits that serve you physically, mentally, and emotionally for the rest of your days. Being good to our body (in general) makes our mind feel better. They say mental health reflects in your body.

Those choices you continue to make over weeks and months, that lead to years, turn you into a better version of yourself though—more indestructible; more hardcore; less pathetic. That you are not only lengthening your life, but increasing the quality of every single day that comes. Also, that is what a really healthy lifestyle is all about.