7 Rules For A Happier,
Healthier Life
Sometimes, when you're looking to make some new healthy changes
to your life, the last thing you want is another calorie-counting food journal
or specific list of exercises that tone each troublesome body part. Instead, a
simple mantra or two will do.
That's the premise behind The New Health Rules, the latest book on living well from Frank Lipman, M.D. and
Danielle Claro. Their combination of single-page yet comprehensive health tips
and photography that would inspire anyone to get moving with the coordinating
rules create a new kind of health guide that focuses on sustainable healthy
living instead of short-term (and overly specific) solutions. For those who
know they want to lead a healthier life but don't know where to start, any page
of this book offers an entry point.
From nutrition and exercise to mental health and
lifestyle, The New Health Rules provides a variety of tips for
leading a better life that begin with small steps rather than big (and
typically more difficult) changes. Rarely do we find one-size-fits-all methods
for achieving personal health and wellness, but these broader strategies can
apply to everyone -- as well as remind us of life's beautiful truths we often
forget.
If you're ready for a little positive change in your life, here
are seven health rules to live by that are as simple as they are effective.
Eat the colors of the rainbow.
Vegetables (and some fruits) in a wide range of deep colors
should make up most of your diet. Intense color indicates loads of
phytonutrients, biologically active substances that protect plants from viruses
and bacteria—and offer similar benefits to humans.
Exercise like kids play.
.
Our bodies are not built to run long distances for no reason at
all. We’re built to chase down prey and then stop. To run from danger and then
stop. That’s what feels best and works best to keep us in shape—short bursts of
intense exertion interspersed with periods of leisurely movement. The long-held
belief that we need to elevate the heart rate with 30 minutes of sustained
activity is being replaced by this plan—often referred to as interval training.
You don’t need a specially designed workout or a personal trainer to apply
this. When you’re running, sprint for a minute, then walk or trot for five. In
the pool, swim one fast lap, then do three at a leisurely pace. This system is
organic to many yoga classes (you practice kicking up into handstand for two
minutes, then you follow up with a restorative child’s pose). But with some
workouts it’s up to you to adjust. Worried you won’t burn enough calories? With
interval training, you’ll actually burn more.
Spend lots of time with people you love.
It’s a health factor, yes—a boost for your immune system. You
need to be around those who really get you, to laugh, talk unguardedly about
your problems, and listen deeply. You need hugs and smiles and belly laughs.
You need to be able to be your true self. If you’re lucky, this stuff is built
into your day. But even if it requires an effort, make it happen. Don’t assume
e-mail or Facebook or even the phone is going to do—physical, as well as
emotional, closeness is a big deal.
Buy these every week.
·
Dark Leafy Greens:
More nutritious, calorie for calorie, than any other food
·
Cruciferous Veggies:
Lower the risk of cancer
·
Avocados: Help protect
your body from heart disease, cancer, and certain degenerative diseases
·
Blueberries:Help
prevent cancer, diabetes, heart disease, ulcers, and high blood pressure
·
Eggs: Full of protein
and good fats
·
Walnuts: Packed with
omega-3s and other nutrients that help protect your heart
Wander barefoot.
Kick off your shoes and walk on grass, earth, or sand whenever
you have the chance. Not only will this boost your immune system by exposing
you to unfamiliar microbes, but it will also give you a little
charge—literally. Believe it or not, just as we get vitamin D from the sun and
oxygen from the air, we get electrons from the earth, which have calming and
healing benefits for the whole body.
Do something you love for at least 10 minutes a day.
It’s incredibly powerful and healing. We all think we don’t have
time, but most of us can find it somewhere (maybe in the time we spend
online—just a guess). It doesn’t have to be a big deal: Shoot hoops in the
driveway. Sketch something on the bus home. Blast music and dance around the
living room. Pick up an instrument and play three pieces. Do it on purpose,
like taking a supplement.
Look up.
Be present in your surroundings. Looking up and out—and making
eye contact with others—is a form of nourishment that the age of smartphones
has seriously messed with. See the sky, look at the ticket collector on the
commuter train, take note of the people nearby when you’re eating lunch.
Instead of burying your face in your phone—which takes you out of the moment
and often into a sort of junk-food-for-the-eye place—lift your head and be part
of your environment.
The
Huffington Post | By Alena Hall
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/22/the-new-health-rules_n_6839054.html?ncid=newsltushpmg00000003&ir=Indi
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