The ABCs of Healthier Living
In a room full of doctors, the best advice comes from within.
With so many healing modalities, getting to the root cause of an illness or pain can be overwhelming without costing a fortune. Before racking up a bill and driving yourself crazy, I offer you the practical ABCs of healthcare to incorporate daily. If you follow these valuable rules and still have ailments, find a couple of health practitioners with whom you are comfortable sharing your concerns. Always do your research and trust yourself. Hold nothing back. No one knows your body better than you.
Healthy living can be simple. This practical guide will give you an easy-to-follow A-Z breakdown of the most important things to do regularly to live a healthy, full life! Most of them, you know, but sometimes a gentle reminder can be a motivator to stick with the program.
A – Appetite should be your barometer for eating. Eating for emotional reasons rarely ends well. Listen to your body; it will tell you when it needs to eat! In other words, we should only eat when hungry and need food, not out of boredom, stress, or depression.
Appreciate: Appreciate what you have and always share the abundance with others.
B – Boxed food is rarely good for you, as are most packaged and processed foods. Stick with fresh vegetables and fruits, meats, and other non-processed foods as much as possible.
Do not box yourself into circumstances that stifle your creativity.
Breathe: Remember to breathe while you eat.
C – Carbs should always be taken in moderation, especially simple carbohydrates like white bread, white rice, pasta, and baked goods. These foods negatively affect the glycemic index and provide cheap, immediate energy but tend to make us sick and fat. Stick with whole foods if you need an energy boost!
Care about what you are doing rather than just going through the motions.
D – Dates, raisins, and other nuts and seeds are great snacks for most of us. Limit the chips, candy bars, and junk food and replace them with healthy alternatives that work for you!
Make dates with those special people and have fun often.
E – Exercise every day! We are what we repeatedly do! Find the exercise you enjoy. It might be ballroom dancing, hiking, swimming, or rock climbing, and you have something to look forward to doing. Even if it is a simple short workout, cultivate the habit of consistently exercising as part of your daily routine and habits.
Expand: Expand your creativity, outreach, and horizons. Why limit yourself when there is so much potential.
F – Fitness is better with friends! Group accountability and support are some of the greatest motivators we have. Find a workout partner, train with a group of people you enjoy, and make fitness a fun part of your life!
Friendship: Having a friend you can depend on is not only healthy but comforting.
G – Gut health is vital to a healthy life and may be one of the most overlooked aspects of building a healthy diet. Make sure to include probiotics and foods that are great for gut health in your diet plan.
Giving is healthy. Give from your heart, and feel the difference.
H – Hearts are muscles, too; they need to be worked just as much as our biceps. Keep your cardio consistent, and always maintain a robust cardiovascular system.
Happiness is vital to health. Listen to your heart.
I – Interval training – Mix cardiovascular, aerobic, and strength in one shot. Moreover, this can be done almost anywhere under almost any time constraint. Make sure you are working some intervals into your training at least once a week to build up your metabolism.
Intuition: Paying close attention to your instincts is essential to all aspects of your health. Never to be ignored.
Intermittent Fasting: Do your research and find out if this is beneficial for your body type. There are many health benefits.
J – Jump whenever possible! Plyometrics and jumping are great exercises to build up our anaerobic power and strength. Jumping rope, bouncing on a trampoline, and skipping-style exercises help with our lymphatic system.
Juicing is a healthy way to get powerful nutrients, but you can overdo it. To get maximum benefits and fiber, use a heavy-duty blender and the whole food.
Joy: Choose joy and be happy, it’s the most effective way to boost our health.
K – Vitamin K is one of the most essential and overlooked vitamins. Vitamin K can be found in most green, leafy vegetables like spinach and helps with protein synthesis and growing our hair and nails. The bottom line, eat more spinach and leafy greens.
Kindness: Be kind to yourself and others; your life and health will improve.
L – Lungs need to be worked like the muscles and heart. More importantly, spending time on breathing practices has various health benefits ranging from improved lung capacity to lower heart rates and improved use of our parasympathetic nervous system.
Love: Love is the answer to everything and proven to improve our health.
M – Meditation is one of the most common practices of successful people, and for a good reason. Even two minutes a day can go a long way! Meditation has been scientifically shown to improve brain function and, in some cases, be as beneficial as sleep.
Mindfulness: When we are mindful, we pay attention to the details that support our well-being.
N – Nutrition is possibly the most essential aspect of health we interact with daily. Keep it simple and eat whole food; lots of vegetables, fruit, and quality protein, and you'll be doing great! With all the crazy diets and recommendations, from vegan to carnivore diets, find the one that works best for your body type, and consider regional organic food whenever possible.
Nature is a great healer. The closer we get to Nature, the closer we get to our true nature.
O – Osteoporosis is a common issue, especially for women. However, it is best fought and dealt with by increasing bone density through regular strength training.
Ownership: Take responsibility for your actions. Holding grudges deteriorates your health. Know when it's time to apologize and own up to your mistakes.
P – Protein is the king of macronutrients. In addition, research has shown that consuming protein first thing in the morning can be essential in fat loss and helps build muscle! Make sure you are getting enough protein every day.
Power: Use your strengths to excel without an inflated or deflated ego.
Q – Quinoa is a grain crop rising in popularity, and its benefits include being one of the only grains that also deliver protein. Thats because, technically, the quinoa we all know and love is actually a seed from the chenopodium quinoa plant. So no, it is not a grain. Cash in your rice, pasta, and bread, and get some quinoa!
Quiet Time: Take the time daily for quiet moments. Your nervous system will replenish, and your energy will multiply.
R – REM (rapid eye motion) sleep, or deep sleep, is our best recovery tool for our bodies and brains. 8 hours of sleep is excellent, 6 is good. Getting under 6 hours of sleep is unhealthy. Take control of your sleep hygiene, and you will see remarkable health benefits.
Relax: Find the things that help you relax and unwind. Listen to relaxing music, stretch, enjoy time in Nature, etc.
S – Strength and power are vital human skills; more importantly, the denser our muscles, the greater our physical and mental capacity. Not to mention the aesthetic appeal and self-esteem you get from being toned and active.
Sunshine: Somewhere around 15 to 20 minutes a day, exposing your arms would be a reasonable estimate for most people. Our bodies produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.
T – Tender. Be compassionate with yourself. Meet yourself where you are and take sequential steps to reach your goal rather than conquer everything at once. Beating yourself up will only bruise you mentally and physically.
Touch: Physical affection stimulates touch receptors under your skin and causes the production of a hormone called “oxytocin.” Oxytocin, also known as the “love hormone” or “cuddle hormone,” has been credited for a wide range of health benefits, as well as increasing the bond and trust in a relationship.
U – Understand nutrition's do's and don'ts, especially when ordering at restaurants or drive-thrus. Many menu options may look healthy or even claim to be. Make sure you understand your nutrition fundamentals to make good choices! There are plenty of apps you can download to help you navigate on the fly.
V – Vocalize your fitness, diet, and health goals with your friends and loved ones. A sincere support system will help you to overcome temptation and depression and keep you on track for a healthy and full life!
Value: Value the things that make you feel good. Treasure them and see how your mental state improves.
W – Water should be the number one liquid we consume, yet often, it isn't. Pure, filter-quality water, not carbonated or flavored. The recommended 8 glasses are essential, always stay hydrated and drink plenty of water daily. While sipping your water, be grateful and imagine where the source of that water comes from.
Wish: Wishes come true when you put your intention behind what you desire. Wish for good health, and believe it, and it just might come true if you apply the other ABCs.
X – X-rays are one example of early detection and diagnosis. If you suspect something is wrong and can not get to the bottom of your pain or discomfort, modern imaging can diagnose so you can adopt the suitable protocol to heal. Get routine screenings appropriate for your conditions and be proactive.
Y – YOU. Get to know you from the inside out. Take time for YOU every day. You might find things you disagree with and things you love about yourself. Bring out the best in you and compost what does not serve you.
Yoga and other flexibility training prevent potential injuries, improve range of motion and decrease stress. 10-15 minutes a day will make a big difference in how you move and feel throughout the day!
Z – Zest. Feel good and have a zest for life. Focus on what you enjoy and are passionate about, and go for it! What we focus on grows. Do the things you love to do with the people you enjoy and see your overall health improve. Live life every day, like the future matters! Through your zest for life, you will live with more energy and encourage everyone around you!
So there you have it. Now it's up to you to incorporate these healthy habits and mindsets. Find what works for you and find caring health practitioners.
🥰 A Dose of Positivity
See you all this Thursday for another supreme Dose of Positivity with my special guest, Permelia Parham who will talk about how to be well and stay well on our health journey ✨
Need some Mama Donna love? 🥰
