Eureka!

I think I have finally found the magic key that leads to a healthy lifestyle. It's what I've known all alone and yet have been kicking and screaming and fighting every step of the way. So here it is:

   Live Healthy

It makes sense, doesn't it? If you want to be a healthy person, you will need to make healthy choices, which will lead to living a healthy lifestyle. While it sounds all too easy, in reality, if you have spent a good portion of your life making unhealthy choices, it may be a bit of a challenge to change your regular every day habits. That is the one thing about habits, they are automatic and require little or no thinking. You sit down in front of the TV, you feel hungry, so you get up and grab a bowl of salsa and sit back down with a bag of tortilla chips. Or it's the end of a stressful morning at work, and the first thing in your mouth at lunchtime is a doughnut or a chocolate brownie.

For the past year, I have been steadily working on learning how to be a healthier person. There have been setbacks, I have found myself binging on sweet and salty foods, holidays and birthdays have brought the usual excuse to overeat, I've slept in on mornings when I should have been pounding the cement and getting in my miles for the day, but through all the challenges, I have determined to get back up and keep on going. I'm pleased to report that though I haven't accomplished all I set out to do, I have been successful.

I've learned a few lessons along the way, and I know I will be learning many more as I continue. Here are a few tips I'd like to share that may be helpful:

• Have regular mealtimes, eat a good breakfast, don't snack, and drink two liters of water a day. Start your morning with a glass of water and drink a glass of water thirty minutes before lunch and supper.
• Eat as much soup and salads as you can. I just discovered salads for supper and I'm really excited about it.
• Indulge in fresh fruits and vegetables. Find out what you like to eat and stock up on those fruits and vegetables, instead of buying what you think you should eat out of duty and watching it turn limp and mouldy in the fridge and then throwing everything out. 
• Establish a regular exercise routine and find a buddy to exercise with. Try to exercise at least four times a week if possible.
• When eating out or on holiday, plan to keep your weight consistent (it isn't realistic to try to lose weight). Eat slowly, it really helps!

I'm now working on the whole "fruits, nuts, grains and vegetables" part of living healthy. Part of that is becoming aware of what is really in your food, the processed foods at least. Looking at the ingredients list of some items has me putting them back on the shelf at the grocery store in a hurry, after all, I don't want to be eating something that has about 30 ingredients in it, most of which are artificial or preservatives! One way I am trying to train my taste buds is by eating breakfast oatmeal without added sugar. I started by eating those instant oatmeal packets, two of them, with added nuts and things. But after a really high blood pressure reading at Walmart gave me a bit of a scare (okay, so it is an automated machine, it was the end of the day, and I had just finished eating at an Indian restaurant!), I decided I needed to take a very serious look at my eating habits. I started eating regular oatmeal for breakfast, and just yesterday I stocked up on cherries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries so I have plenty to make my oatmeal as tasty as possible.

You may think that it is too expensive to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, particularly the more exotic kinds. While I used to think so too, I also know that I have no problem buying a bag of chips for $2.99, a box of chocolate brownies for $5.99, and a handful of chocolate bars at the checkout, taking me well over the $10.99 I paid for three pounds of cherries at Costco the other day. It all depends on what my priorities are. Should I buy a candy bar or a green bell pepper for 50 cents? Should I put a can of soda or three bananas in my shopping cart?

Living healthy can be challenging at times, but I work at a place where I see on a daily basis what happens when people don't make wise decisions about their health. High blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, and the list goes on. It is one reason why I have been more serious about choosing to exercise and eat healthier. And I'm pleased to say that it is worth it.