The reality is…these diets are unnecessary. Healthy living is available to everyone, and it does NOT depend on buying the latest diet book or “designer vitamins”. What it really boils down to is making healthy decisions.

EATING HEALTHY

One of the most important facets of a healthy life is eating nutritious foods. Don’t try to follow a trendy diet… just eat a balanced diet of nutritious foods. Eating healthy is not a diet anyway…it MUST BE a way of life. When you eat well, you lower your risk of many health problems such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain kinds of cancer and osteoporosis. You will also find yourself with more energy, allowing you to enjoy life in ways you weren’t when you were less healthy.

The most consistently-ignored groups of foods, and the one that is most often the cause of poor diets, is fruit and vegetables. There is nothing particularly innovative about this advice… everyone knows that “you need to eat your fruits and vegetables”. The main problem is that so few people actually consume the seven to ten daily servings of fruits and vegetables that they’re supposed to have each day. And when they do eat fruit and vegetables, it is too often in forms that include added sugar, salt or fat.

The food group that we all eat too much of is meat. Try to limit your meat intake, and emphasize meat alternatives for your protein needs. While you definitely need meat (or an alternative) for protein, most people eat far too much from this food group. You’ll be surprised at how little is actually required to get you through the day.

GET ACTIVE

Once you’ve started eating well, it’s time to go out and get some physical activity! Now… this DOESN’T mean you have to incorporate a rigorous physical workout into your daily routine (although some people may need this…it depends on where you start, and your personal metabolism). For the most part, however… just including small amounts of physical activity in your life can make a significant difference. So… take the stairs instead of the escalator. Walk to the corner store instead of driving a few blocks. Start slowly and incorporate more physical activity into your life. You’ll be amazed at how quickly the results will add up!

HAVE FUN

The final component of healthy living is to have a healthy mind. Build up a strong peer group who will give you the social support you need to be truly happy. Find activities that you enjoy and make time for them. Don’t live to work…work to eat. That’s easy to forget! People need other people…and they need to find meaning in the things they do. If you like animals, get a pet. The right pet can be an amazingly therapeutic influence. Give of yourself. Volunteer a couple hours a week to help those less fortunate. It’s amazing how much better your life can look when you’ve seen how other people are living! All these things will help reduce your stress, which will only lead to a healthier body.

There’s good news, though. It’s never too late to change the way you eat…and, by doing so, you’ll find that you can undo much of the damage you did to your body in your earlier years. The real culprit with poor eating habits is FAST FOOD. And, on the flip side, then… the key to healthy living is to make your own meals. When you prepare your meals, you can truly control what goes into them. It’s wise, when possible, to avoid processed foods such as; crackers, chips, cereals, and snack foods. Instead, look to build your diet around organic produce and meats. If you don’t go organic, then you’re consuming a lot of pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. Vegetables, meats and dairy products all contain these if they’re not organically grown. Fortunately it’s rather easy these days to attain the right information…and more importantly, to buy organic. Farmer’s markets and large national chains like Whole Foods can be a great help in this regard.

You can also help yourself by eating more fiber…as it fills you up in a healthy way and eases gastro-intestinal problems. Your stomach and bowels will function better and with less strain, and can help reduce disease. Insoluble fiber works by sucking water into the intestines, and it eases passing stools. Soluble fiber in a healthy breakfast plays an important role, too… because the stomach contents won’t empty too fast. Other studies have shown that this cuts down on the incident of diabetes, and clogged arteries of heart disease. The Dietary Fiber Guide is a great source for more information.

Healthy meals go easy on fats, salts, sugars, and cholesterol… but don’t skimp on water, vitamins, and minerals. These are nutrients you can acquire from fresh organic fruits, vegetables, and meats. You need all these for truly healthy eating plans. Avoid processed foods such as chips, cookies, and crackers… all of which commonly contain preservatives and additives which can be harmful to our bodies.

It’s not easy to change lifetime habits. We all love junk food, but too much of it is a bad thing. You can enjoy ice cream or a brownie once in a while, but go easy. Those fatty, sugar-infused foods will hurt you if you overdo it. Use common sense. If you need to change habits, make small goals and take them one at a time. It’s not important to do it all at once. Changing one healthy thing at a time can add up to significant life-living a healthy life.

When we get older, especially after age 50, our bodies slowly start to fall apart. Often, you’ll find that it is much easier to put on weight now, than when you were younger…whether or not you WANT to do so.

There are, however, a number of things you can do to help keep that weight off and look younger:

First, it’s important to exercise every day. Your exercise program should be well-rounded and should include some sort of cardiovascular activity. Before starting your routine you should stretch and flex to avoid any injury. Otherwise, your muscles are tight and subject to injury.

Remember that as you get older, grayer, more wrinkled, and you start to sag…your muscles are not as elastic as they used to be. You can save money on “extreme makeovers” at the Beverly Hills plastic surgeon’s office by doing “preventative maintenance” through aerobic activity. And, just to be clear…aerobic activity does NOT include moving your arm up and down, scooping up food and putting it in your mouth.

Good exercises include walking, running, swimming, biking, or a gym workout. A nice mile-long walk at a decent pace can work wonders. For those who are bored easily, you might want to mix your routines…bike one day, walk the next, go to the gym the next day. In addition, instead of hiring someone to do your gardening, do it yourself. Do the same with home maintenance. You can burn off a lot of calories climbing a ladder, digging, raking etc.

As you age, your diet is of utmost importance. Not only WHAT you eat but HOW MUCH you eat. No matter your style of eating, it’s important to pay attention to the type of foods you’re eating as well as the quantity. Look for foods that are rich in fiber and low in fat. Fiber gives you that full feeling without eating a lot of food.

Try to avoid eating refined carbs which include: enriched white bread, pasta, and rice. Instead choose whole grain and wheat products. Also, consider eating leaner proteins such as fish and poultry.

Get exercise, eat less and eat right. These simple, base steps lead to living a healthy life…and can help you make the most of your senior (seasoned) years!

It is important to be wary of the amount of starch and sugars in processed and fresh foods. Carbohydrates are starches and sugars that quickly raise the blood glucose level after consumption. Fats are also converted to blood glucose, but the process of conversion in the body can take between six and eight hours. With carbohydrates, it can be as little as half an hour.

DO’S & DONT’S FOR DIABETICS
DO:

• Check your blood glucose levels as instructed by your doctor
• Follow a healthy diet in moderation
• Eat a variety fresh fruits and vegetables
• Check the labels of foods for fat content
• Check the labels for sugar content, and carbohydrate content
• Use moderation and variation in foods and exercise
• Keep good, open lines of communication with your physician’s office
• Be aware of what foods you are eating and their effect on your blood glucose levels
• Do your research! Know what foods contain carbohydrates and fats

DON’T:

• Eat foods that are high in starch and sugars often
• Forget to check your blood glucose levels
• Consume frozen, canned, or bottled juices or nectars… these are nearly always high in sugar
• Starve yourself to ‘lose weight’… this can be very damaging, and in some cases requires hospitalization
• Eat fast food frequently… these are almost always high in fat and carbohydrates
• Eat foods (of any kind) to excess, instead, monitor your meals carefully
• Buy processed grain
• Forget that these are simple and do-able dietary changes
• Exercise to excess or beyond your doctor’s recommendations… this can cause more problems that it will solve

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the dietary lifestyle of a diabetic can have a profound impact on their health status. It is important as a diabetic to eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. If you are not able to get fresh fruits and vegetables, look for canned or jarred foods with no sugar added in your grocer’s aisle. A wide range of fruits and vegetables is important to maintain a healthy diet. Select fruits and vegetables with a wide range of colors. Choose greens such as spinach, broccoli and green beans. Carrots, tomatoes, and cauliflower are also colorful additions to your diet. Include whole-grain rather than processed wheat in your diet. Dried beans like kidney, pinto, and lentils are good additions as well. Fish should be eaten two to three times per week. Lean meats suck as pork loin, sirloin, chicken, and turkey (remove the skins) are healthy additions. Use liquid cooking oils rather than shortening or lard. It is recommended by the ADA to check the labels and look for oils with low saturated and trans-fats. Non-fat dairy foods will add calcium to the diet. This includes skim milk, non-fat and sugar free yogurt, and non- or low-fat cheeses. It is strongly recommended to cut soda, juice, fruit punch and sweetened tea drinks out of the diet. Sugar-free sodas will still have carbohydrates in them, so this is a precaution. Water, calorie-free and sugar-free drinks are good additions.

RECOMMENDED EXERCISES FOR DIABETICS

Exercising is good for the body. Depending on your physical condition and age, you should discuss all exercise regimens with your doctor, dietician, or other medical professional BEFORE you begin. The ADA comments that children’s play should be monitored to balance the glycemic control, especially during the teenage years when hormones can also alter blood glucose, energy levels, and so forth. Good communication with educators and doctors will help the person with juvenile diabetes to monitor both exercises and blood glucose levels. For the older diabetic person, low-impact exercises are recommended. This includes walking and in-chair exercises such as arm and leg strengthening. Activities in this area are motion-based, such as stretching the arms over the head.

POPULAR PRODUCTS FOR DIABETICS

Please check labels as many brands have multiple-product lines as sugar free and not sugar free. Also, remember that sugar free does NOT mean that a food is starch-free. Diabetics and other healthy-living enthusiasts have used many of these products… but these are only suggested products. There is no affiliation between the writer or web-master directly with these companies. Please, check the labels and monitor your blood glucose! Remember to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean meats as often as possible.

• Crystal Light
• Natural Fruit Teas by Celestial Seasonings (this is a good processed juice replacement)
• Asher’s Sugar Free Deserts
• Low-Calorie Sweeteners with Aspartame: NutraSweet, Equal and Sugar Twin
• Log Cabin Syrups
• Smuckers Jams and Jellies
• Van Holten Pickles
• Trident, Monin
• IBC Rootbeer, Ice Breakers, Landies, Mentos, Novartis, Protria, Nestle, Sans Sucre, Torani, Georgies,
• Doctor’s CarbRite, Halter Bonbons, Judy’s Candy,
• Ross Chocolates,
• Novartis - DietSOURCE
• Heavenly Dessert’s
• Diabeti Brand Sweeteners & Health Care Products
• James Salt Water Taffy
• Diabetic Tussin (cough syrup)

These tasty replacement foods can help diabetics as they make their own individual plans for living a healthy life.

Living a healthy life means you are making choices daily that effect your health in positive ways.

EAT HEALTHY

Eating is one the most-loved experiences of human existence. We live to eat and eat to live. But watching what you put in your body is important. Eating healthy is easier when you plan your meals and chose the right food groups. Don’t avoid the vegetables! They are an important part of keeping you healthy. If you need help planning healthy meals, you can find plenty of healthy recipes on many different websites.

MANAGE YOUR WEIGHT

Be in control of your weight. Make conscious decisions on whether to lose or gain weight. It’s not healthy to look like a twig, but being just 20 pounds overweight places your body in a position where it asks you to shed those pounds. If your body could talk, it would explain that you need to choose how much you will weigh and for that choice to be healthy.

MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!

Get up and move! Get off the couch, away from the computer, game console or any other electronic “toys” that hold your attention… and GET ACTIVE. But… it’s not enough to move… you need to exercise daily: take walks, run, jog, bicycle, etc. Exercise is often easier to do when you have a friend willing to do it with you… even if that only means taking a daily walk together.

1. Plan your eating ahead of time - Eating without a plan in mind is like driving without a map. Create eating strategies for home, work, traveling, or dining out. Fill your refrigerator with fresh produce….that way, they are RIGHT THERE staring you in the face every time you open the fridge! Put the foods with high fat and sugar up on the top shelf of the pantry (or, better yet… in the trash!) so you can’t get to them easily. Buy lean protein, low-fat, high-fiber cereals. Purchase frozen dinners that are low in sodium and fat so that you always have a healthy choice available when you’re hungry.

2. Eat more portions, but make them smaller - This area is crucial to any lifestyle diet. It’s easy to tire of “rabbit food” and fall into the trap of eating whatever is available socially, and of course, most of the food is not conducive for weight loss. Reduce portions significantly by leaving a third of what you would normally eat on your plate.

3. Increase fiber intake - Added fiber will help you lose weight because it makes you feel full. It also aids in digestion and excretion of food. Always look for 5 grams or more of fiber per serving when purchasing cereals. Fruits and vegetables also are an excellent source of fiber.

4. Breathe deeply and hydrate - Most of the time, binge eating comes from emotion rather than hunger. If you feel this temptation coming on, stop and take 3 long, slow, deep breaths… exhaling as slowly as possible. Drink a big glass of water and wait 10 minutes before you give into the impulse to binge. You might be surprised… the impulse may go away!

5. Make balanced food choices - Have some protein and carbohydrates with every meal. This will keep blood sugar levels under control and make sure that you get the nutrients you need.

6. Control the splurge - Every now and then, we ALL need a break. If you NEVER eat the foods you enjoy, your eating habits will make you rebel, and you’ll go crazy and binge. Give yourself free meal passes one day each week, so you won’t let the binge get out of control and undo days of hard “work”.

For most people, eating is a source of great pleasure and an environment for great relational communiction. But for those intent on living a healthy life, it’s also important to make wise choices about eating… to eat in moderation, and to give your body the nutrition it needs to survive and even to thrive!

REASON #5. STRESS RELIEVER

Healthy active living will relieve stress and allow you to handle problems better. Stress can be brought on by many things: work, diet, family, friends, holidays, too much caffeine, not enough sleep, kids, parents… the list goes on and on. Healthy living is a great way to help you deal with day-to-day problems. After working out, your body releases endorphins that give you a sense of euphoria, accomplishment, and satisfaction. Just 30 minutes a day will change the rest of your life. When you embrace a healthy lifestyle, you start becoming more efficient and focused at whatever you do. If you say you don’t have time to work out, what you’re really saying is that you’d prefer to be stressed out.

REASON #4. FAT BURNER

In addition to being a fat burner, healthy living relieves you of the slavery to another diet. Forget about dieting. Instead, make small changes in the way you eat… with the intention of changing the way you eat FOREVER. But, be realistic… have balance and allow for slippage. It takes self-control and self-discipline, but you can eat a lot of foods that other people can’t eat if you change your overall lifestyle. Why? Healthy living involves exercising… which burns off lots of calories, meaning you can spoil yourself every now and then.

REASON #3. INCREASED ENERGY

A healthy lifestyle raises the maximum amount of oxygen your muscles can use by almost 50%. This means more energy and less dependency on caffeine, just in case you’re a heavy coffee drinker. It also means you will have to drink more water which is good for all systems in the body and improves memory.

REASON #2. INCREASED CONFIDENCE

Even if you only begin your exercise routine with 5 minutes and you build from there… you will still experience a great degree more confidence in everything you say and do. Afraid to tell a girl you like her? Start working out you will notice your body and mind improving together. You’ll notice your poor self-esteem being replaced by a new sense of self-assurance. And you’ll find that confidence can make a huge difference in virtually EVERY area of your life.

REASON #1. YOU!

YOU are the most important reason to embrace a healthy lifestyle. All other reasons stem from you, because you are the root. If you love yourself (and you should), then a healthy active lifestyle is a good way to express it. It allows you to prove what your body and mind are truly capable of. Ask around…virtually NO ONE has ever felt worse about themselves after starting a workout routine. It may be difficult at first, but after you get over the 3-day hump you will start to build a passion for it (or at least some tolerance!) and you will look at yourself in a whole new light. Your entire perspective can change… as you begin to see the world as full of opportunities instead of obligations.

You can still be a good person and not have a reason for living a healthy life, but if you understand the reasons for healthy active living than you can still become a BETTER person. Healthy living is about always trying to improve one’s life. It’s a journey not a destination. Enjoy the journey!

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