Saturday, April 30, 2016

What do you do each day to be Healthy?

I was asked this question recently by a Personal Trainer. "What do you do each day to be healthy?" The good news is that I was prepared with a list. It is almost embarrassing how many things I do each day to achieve or maintain my health (I will get to these later). I wondered if my parents ever even had these thoughts "Hmm what will I do today to be healthy?" My parent's generation had a very different hierarchy of needs: food, clothes, shelter, gas money. Aren't we blessed to not have to worry about where our next meal is coming from? We don't wonder if we will eat, we dwell on what the perfect meals will be. This makes me step back with gratitude for all I have, how about you?

I recently had the chance to visit friends in Florida where I did not have control over the meals. This is always hard for me, as I love telling people what to eat or at least forcing them to eat my healthy food. Guess what? I lost weight and food become secondary to enjoying and living each day to the fullest with exercise, relaxation, reading, boating. The lesson, which I have already learned (because I am a health coach): when you fill your life with good things in balance and live it, you don't really need as much food on your plate.

So back to my daily healthy habits. Here goes:
  1. Sleep at least 7 hours
  2. Drink Reverse Osmosis water with trace minerals added
  3. Take Armour Thyroid meds for hypo-hashi
  4. Take a pro-biotic
  5. Take supplements: curcumin, fermented cod liver oil, homocystein supreme, CoQ10, magnesium
  6. Exercise: yoga, run, walk, weight train, bike
  7. Spend time outside: hammock or bike rides
  8. Find additional ways to move my body naturally: gardening, biking for errands
  9. Make sure to have contact with real people
  10. Eat whole,clean, highly nutrient dense foods
  11. Take my morning blood sugar
  12. Massage at least 1x/month
  13. Pray
  14. Practice Gratitude
  15. Practice Kindness
  16. Practice Forgiveness
Well that seems overwhelming, but I am in the groove on these habits and it does not seem that hard. I encourage you to write down the things you do each day to be healthy. If your list is empty, make one change and over time, you will have a routine to follow to be your best self.

To Your Best Health

Denise Lovat, CHC, AADP
248-330-6189