A Healthier Lifestyle - Ten Steps to Success

Before we look at the ten steps to a healthier lifestyle, the obvious should be noted: one should not abuse his body with drugs, too much alcohol, sleep deprivation, too much sun, recklessness of lifestyle, and the other obvious health- and life-destroying habits. That having been said, let's see what we can do to achieve optimal health.
Where to Begin
The key is to incorporate changes slowly, one or two at a time, until they become habit. It is said that for an action to become a habit takes about 21 days of repetition. Our bodies need time to adjust too, so do not be in too big of a hurry.
First and foremost, it is important to change your way of thinking. That might be easier said than done, but until a person makes up his mind that he wants to change, change probably will not happen. However, once a person has made a firm commitment to change, it is as good as done. How does one achieve such a change in thinking? One thing that is extremely helpful is to keep the goal always in front of you.
For instance, one of the things network marketers tell their people is to put pictures that represent their goals (new cars, bigger homes, vacations, etc.) in a prominent place in their home or office where they will be constantly reminded. of those goals. In the field of health and nutrition, a person could do a similar thing, but really, what is more helpful is to continually read and be reminded of what things are health promoting and what are not. It is not just a matter of knowing these things, but it is also important to be reminded so that one's resolve does not fade.
So then here are ten simple steps you can take to get started on your path to a healthier lifestyle.
Feed Your Spirit
Spiritual health is by far the most important aspect of total health. For spiritual health it is important to cultivate a relationship one's Creator, the One Who created the universe and all things in it. People who seek spirituality seem to get along better in life than those who do not.
Feed Your Body
Eating food and feeling full is not the same thing as feeding your body! It needs good nutrition, not just filler! Eat a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. The guideline here is to try to eat the fruits and vegetables that are grown locally as opposed to those that come from faraway places. Organic is best, and raw is far preferable to cooked. Heating any food above 118 degrees Fahrenheit destroys all enzymes in the food. Because the body needs enzymes for digestion, if the enzymes in the food are destroyed by cooking, the body must get enzymes from its own stores. This will cause you to age more quickly. If you are past age 40, you might also consider taking enzymes.
Chew Food Well
This may seem like an odd thing, but chewing one's food thoroughly (25-50 times) is important. Here is why. Chewing causes the digestive juices to begin to flow. Digestion begins in the mouth. Chewing also creates more surface area on the food so that the digestive juices and enzymes can do a better job. If you want to melt a stick of butter, it will melt more quickly if you cut it into smaller chunks.
Food should be chewed until it is in a liquid or near-liquid state. Fresh fruit and vegetable juices should also be "chewed." In other words, not gulped down, but swished in the mouth first so that the saliva is mixed in with it to begin the digestive process.
Drink Enough Water
Drink plenty of pure water. Water is the most abundant molecule on the planet. Every living thing needs water. Our bodies are composed mostly of water, and every cell in our body needs water and cannot function without it.
A rule of thumb is 1/2 ounce of water for every pound of your weight every day. A person weighing 128 lbs. would need 64 oz. of water per day. Does that mean you have to carry your water bottle everywhere you go and make sure you drink the exact amount of water from the bottle each day? Not necessarily. Fruits and vegetables all contain water, and it is the most healthful water you can get because it has been purified by the plant itself. It is what we call "structured" water. If you are eating lots of raw fruits and vegetables every day, you probably will not need to drink as much water from your water bottle. That ten-glass-a-day figure is more likely for the folks who live on the Standard American Diet (SAD) who are not getting much in the way of raw fruits and vegetables.
You can tell if you are getting enough water by the color of your urine. It should be clear (like water). A darker yellow color indicates a need for more water. The darker yellow, the more water needed. Of course, some foods and/or supplements can also affect the color of the urine.
The water you drink should be pure. Tap water should be avoided at all costs due to the chlorine and fluoride that has been added. Both are poisons and should not be ingested. Many people believe distilled water is best. It is important to know, however, that distilled water is empty water, that is, totally free of minerals. Distilled water is useful in helping the body to detoxify from heavy metals involvement in the cells. Distilled water also eliminates fluoride, which is a real plus. Water (as well as other beverages) should not be taken with meals as it tends to dilute the digestive juices.
Avoid Junk Food
Eliminate processed foods as much as possible. If you must eat them, read the labels to try to make the healthiest choices. Processed foods are foods that have been heated or that have had things added or removed from them.
White flour is a processed food that has no nutritional value whatsoever, since the germ (the life) has been removed. It also clogs up the intestines. Think about the gummy substance you get when you mix flour and water.
Other processed foods have artificial (translated "chemical") ingredients, such as food colors and flavors, added. Our bodies were not designed to assimilate chemicals. That is why drugs and anything artificial is not good for you.
Many companies that claim to be manufacturing "health" products are including artificial ingredients into their products. So always read the label. Unfortunately, when ordering things on the internet, there is usually no ingredients label posted so you do not know until the product arrives what it contains. Even then, you still may not know. The term "Natural Flavors" for example, can hide ingredients you would not want to ingest if you knew what they were. The best bet is to contact the manufacturer of the product and find out what those ingredients are. If they won't tell you, you may want to consider not buying their product! Some manufacturers will not tell you because it's "proprietary information." In other words, if they tell you, someone else will then steal their trade secret. That may be, but if they are not willing to tell you what you would be consuming, then it is probably safer not to consume it. Be discriminating!
Animal and Dairy Products
Many of the illnesses and diseases people face can be traced to cow's milk. Babies should be nursed by their mothers to get their best start in life. It helps their immune system get off to the right start.
There is great debate about whether meat should be eaten. A case can be made that animal protein is harmful to human beings and should be avoided. However, that topic is not without debate and if a person decides to ingest meat, organic is best. Organic would mean range fed and no hormones or antibiotics. Of course, this is much more expensive. But remember, you get what you pay for. You only have one body, so take good care of it.
Why organic? Consider chickens. A lot more space is needed for free-range chickens (which cost would be passed on to the consumer) versus packing them into cages so tightly that their beaks have to be removed so they do not peck each other to death. It may be less expensive for the chicken farmers, but the tight quarters leads to infections, which means antibiotics must be used to keep the chickens alive. Those antibiotics get passed on to you if you eat the chickens.
The best beef is that that is fed grass, not cement dust (yes, you read that right) and some of the other additives that are (or have been) used by those looking to make the most money from their products. When it comes to making money, some people simply do not care about the quality (or lack thereof) of their product.
The other big problem with animal products is the tremendous amounts of antibiotics and hormones that have been added just to keep the sick creatures alive while they are being readied for market.
Another factor is that fear releases certain hormones into the body. Think about the fear the animals must feel on the slaughter house floor. They know what is happening. By eating their flesh, in essence you will be ingesting their fear.
For these and other reasons, a lot can perhaps be said for eating kosher meats, if one chooses to keep meat in his diet.
Incidentally, If you've ever noticed that young people seem to be maturing a much younger age than in the past, you are quite correct in your observation. One of the reasons for this may be the growth and other hormones that are fed to the animals and that are then ingested by humans. It does have its consequences.
Exercise
It is recommended that a person should exercise at least three to five times per week. There are three types of exercise that are important: stretching, strength training, and aerobic. Aerobic exercise should be performed for a minimum of 40 minutes three to five times per week. One of the best exercises is bouncing on a mini-trampoline. This exercise moves the lymph in the lymphatic system. The lymph is what moves toxins out of the body, but unlike the circulatory system, the lymphatic system has no pump, so it relies upon movement. The mini-trampoline is easy on the joints. When done to music, it can be a lot more like fun and a lot less like exercise. Massage is also helpful for moving the lymph. Exercising must be enjoyable; otherwise a person will never stick with it.
Get Enough Sleep
Here is an activity most people enjoy but probably do not do enough of! Sleep is important so that the body can rest and have time to repair itself. If a person goes non-stop for very long, his health will certainly suffer.
It is said that the best sleep is that which comes before midnight. It is also very important to have uninterrupted sleep. The best way to wake up in the morning is naturally, and this usually occurs when the lights come on. Light stimulates a gland in the body which signals the body that it is time to wake up. For this reason, when a person is sleeping in a room, the lights should never be turned on by someone else, especially if they have been sleeping long and are close to waking up anyway.
If an alarm clock is needed, the clock, if electric, should be placed at a distance from the head because of the electrical field it generates, which over time could possibly cause harm. Instead of being jarred out of a sound sleep in the morning by a loud, buzzing clock, a clock radio tuned to a soothing FM station or a "sun alarm" might be just the ticket. It's certainly preferable to being blasted out of bed in the morning.
Avoid Stress
Try to keep stress to a minimum. It can be a killer; especially prolonged stress. Some kinds of stress are good but prolonged stress is the worst kind. Many of us have experienced long-term stress and know the health problems it can cause. Not all stress can be avoided, but there are ways of dealing with it when it has encroached upon one's peace and tranquility. Sometimes stress is nature's way of telling us it is time to make a change.
It has been proven that laughter can heal a person. If nothing else has helped you, why not treat yourself to several doses every day and see if it makes a difference?
Pets can also be helpful when it comes to reducing stress levels, especially dogs. The healing power of love is one of the greatest healing powers on earth and dogs are the epitome of love. They love unconditionally. They listen when you pour out your heart to them, they give you their full attention, and they do not repeat a word of it to anyone. But there are other pets that may fill the bill for you as well. Whatever pet you choose, caring for a pet has rewards of its own. If you are missing some love in your live, consider caring for one of these lesser creatures. It will be a mutual admiration society and do wonders for your own health and stress level.
Remove Clutter in Your Life
Clutter can add to stress whereas orderliness can help relieve it, so remove as much "clutter" from your life as possible. Consider the difference between walking into a stuffy or foul-smelling room with junk piled high, things strewn all over the place, and things in such disarray that there is no place to even sit versus walking into a room where everything is in its place, you hear the soothing sound of a miniature water fountain next to the sofa, a fresh breeze is coming in through an open window, there is a slight fragrance coming from flowers on the table, and perhaps there is some relaxing music playing in the background. Even the color of the paint on the walls can make a difference.
If your life is full of clutter, it will increase your stress level for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that if you cannot find something you need when you need it, your stress level will shoot through the roof! So why not take some time out to get rid of that clutter and begin to organize your life? You'll be surprised at what it will do for you.
If you keep these ten things in mind and act upon them, you cannot help but be pleasantly surprised by the changes that will start to take place in your life and health. It is certainly a good place to start.