Tools for Healthy Living
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In this book I will share practical tools and tips for living a healthy life. I am not a medical doctor or a nutritional expert. I am an ordinary consumer like most of us but have made these changes and am experiencing better quality of life.
Contents |
[edit] Healthy Diet
"We are what we eat" says the ancient Indian system of health and well being called Ayurveda. In our modern day and age, we don't seem to be paying very much attention to our foods (how they are made) and our body (what we eat). I find that schools and homes both encourage poor choice of foods. Follow these simple steps to get you and your family back to healthy eating. Healthy Eating can protect your body from a variety of diseases including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
[edit] Simple Dos and Don'ts
- 5 Simple Dos
- Eat a balanced diet (US Food pyramid) consisting of 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables and small portions.
- Buy Organic Foods (Fruits, Vegetables, Milk) (Pesticides in Fruits/Veggies) with USDA Seal in your Saturday markets or elsewhere.
- Read Ingredients and choose whole grain products (whole wheat bread over white bread or brown rice over white rice) and high GI (Glycemic Index) foods
- Increase the consumption of Omega Fatty Acids (found naturally in fish, walnuts, flax seed)
- Drink Plenty of Fluids (Filtered Water, Green or Herbal Tea) and Take Supplements
- 5 Simple Don'ts
- Don't Buy products that use partially hydrogenated oils (a.k.a. Trans Fat) and high fructose corn syrup (a.k.a. HFCS)
- Don't eat a lot of High GI foods
- Don't drink several glasses of fluids that are not healthy (coffee, coke, etc.)
- Don't Eat when you are not hungry
[edit] More Do's
- Utilize Green Leafy Vegetables
- Go with high fiber foods (fruits/vegetables over highly processed foods).
- Switch to Green or White Tea instead of Coffee/Tea.
- Using Olive Oil instead of Corn/Sunflower oil in your foods
- Use Flax oil
- What about coconut oil? Coconut Oil Research suggests that Coconut oil has health benefits.
- Incorporate Anti Inflammatory foods (ginger, turmeric, broccoli, garlic) into your diet.
- Use brown rice instead of white rice.
[edit] More Don'ts
- Dont buy berries (blueberries, strawberries) or other thin skinned fruit's non-organic. They contain the highest residue of pesticides.
- Don't consume foods that are deep fried on a regular basis.
- Don't Buy products that have high fructose corn syrup (a.k.a. HFCS)
[edit] Shopping
Find a grocery store that stocks natural and organic food. Whole Foods is one of them.
[edit] Costco Shopping
In the US Costco has started to carry numerous organic and healthy choices. If you are a Costco shopper in the US, look for the following items (Organic Brown Basmati Rice, Organic Flaxseed, Organic Oatmeal, Organic Cereal, Organic Soymilk). There are produce such as Bananas that I have found that are Organic.
[edit] Diets
[edit] Special Needs
[edit] Recipes
- A 52 week plan
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Snack
- Dinner
[edit] Health/Food/Case Studies
- A friend reduces his triglycerides by reducing his rice consumption and increasing his Omega-3's
- I lost 9 lbs over 6 weeks by incorporating healthy foods into my diet.
- Your own case study.
[edit] Resources
[edit] Exercise
Moving and physical exertion are good for you. Exercise can help reduce your weight, can prevent diseases (such as heart attack). You can get by with as little as 15 mins a day of good physical activity. However I have come up with a rule which is to exercise as many times as you eat (on most days I exercise 2-3 times a day). While aerobic exercises are a great start, building strength through weights and ab exercises go a long way in burning fat.
[edit] Simple Dos and Don'ts
- 5 Simple Dos
- Walk at least 30 mins every day
- Learn Stretching or Yoga Postures and practice them
- Build core strength through ab exercises (pilates), weights
- Do it in a team setting as often as you can. Involve your family or friends or co-workers.
- Do it in everyday activities (take the stairs instead of elevator, walk to the end of the parking lot, gardening, Saturday market shopping etc.)
- 5 Simple Don'ts
- Don't start an exercise regime without talking to your doctor.
- Don't Keep the same regimen every day Mix it up.
- Don't do it alone. Don't procrastinate, and don't buy expensive equipment.
- Don't make it boring. Keep it fun. Watch your favorite show on TV while working out, or listen to some great music or enjoy the out doors.
- Don't over exert (e.g. keep heart rate in the zone, or increase weights gradually)
[edit] Aerobic
[edit] Core Strength
[edit] Stretching/Yoga
[edit] Health/Exercise/Case Studies
[edit] Stress Relief
[edit] Simple Dos and Don'ts
- Practice Breathing
- Practice Meditation
- Practice TV Turn Off Weeks or TV Turn Off Days
- Practice News/Internet Turn Off
- Find Quiet Contemplative Time
[edit] Healthy Well Being
[edit] Guide to Health Books
- Eight Weeks to Optimum Health, Revised Edition
- A Proven Program for Taking Full Advantage of Your Body's Natural Healing Power by Andrew Weil (Hardcover - Sep 12, 2006). In this book Dr Weil provides a practical week-by-week, step-by-step plan to improve your health and he covers diet, exercise etc.
- Healthy to 100
- Aging with Vigor and Grace (Own Your Health) (Paperback)
- by Alexa Fleckenstein (Author), Roanne Weisman (Author). In this "Own your Health" series book Alexa and Roanne takes us on a journey of combining alternative medicine with conventional medicine to help the body heal.
Guide to Stress Relief Books
- Five Good Minutes
- 100 Morning Practices To Help You Stay Calm & Focused All Day Long
- by Jeffrey, M.D. Brantley, Wendy Millstine, and Wendy-O Matik (Paperback - April 15, 2005)
- Five Good Minutes in the Evening
- 100 Mindful Practices to Help You Unwind from the Day & Make the Most of Your Night (Five Good Minutes)
- by Jeffrey, M.D. Brantley, Wendy Millstine, and Wendy-O Matik (Paperback - Aug 3, 2006)
