HOW TO GET HEALTHY!
In today’s world you can see how the trend of a healthy and fit lifestyle is taking off. Everyone is realizing that their health is a big priority. You can’t hope to improve your life without taking care of your health first. Even for some, after deciding to make the shift, they don’t know where to start.
Starting to live healthy has different aspects like, getting a good amount of sleep daily, eating good food and getting physical exercise. Easier said than done and I know that it can be hard to implement in real life. But there are people who are busier than you who accomplish all of these and so can you!
The secret is not really a secret, it just comes down to how you prioritize health in your life. And like my dad has always told me, “Nothing in life worth having is easy.” I follow a few lifestyle/health and fitness people on social media and only after starting my own blog around lifestyle, health and fitness, did I realize that all those constant posts of their smoothie bowls and fitness routines, how much of their time and energy they spent on accomplishing a healthy and fit lifestyle. It’s because they have made it a priority and they did it consistently! The more you do something, the more it becomes a habit.
Here are my top 4 tips on how to start a healthy lifestyle
- Change the way you eat and look at food
So, I had my rollercoaster with food and diets. I had done a few, which ever one was trending and promising the newest best results. But the truth is, and I’m sure you have also experienced this, after stopping you just gain it all back. But did you ever stop to think that this might have to do with us reacting to a diet and it’s restrictions by eventually cheating and then beating our self’s up about it and a few days later deciding to quit anyways. Because we never finished and went through a maintenance stage (which not all diet programs offer) to balance our new weight, after we just stop with a fad diet we obviously will gain it all back up. Now I’m not saying all diets are bad but I prefer to stick to a healthy and balanced diet all of the time and when I don’t, I don’t beat myself up about it. In the beginning I started with the 80/20 strategy, 80% of the time I ate healthy and the other 20%, I eat what I want (if I wanted)!!!
I have found that cleaning out my existing diet without compromising much of the food I love by just finding healthier alternatives, it already became easier to stick to a healthier lifestyle. Clean eating should be more of a lifestyle that a diet.
Let’s understand what healthy eating is.
Healthy eating is, becoming more conscious and being mindful of what you put into your body rather than just following your craving for instant gratification from sugary and processed foods, basically torturing your body with junk food. Eating a healthy diet is not about strict limitations, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, improving your health, and boosting your mood. Healthy eating means eating a variety of foods that give you the nutrients you need to maintain your health, resulting in feeling good, and then have that energy. These nutrients include protein, carbohydrates, fat, water, vitamins, and minerals.
Check out the list below to see what foods to avoid!
Foods to avoid/ reduce in your diet:
Junk foods that do not provide any nutritional value, like
- Processed foods
- Sugary drinks
- Foods that contain trans-fat (donuts, cakes, fried salty snacks etc.)
- Fast food
- Soda and carbonated drinks
- Packaged ready-to-eat food items (check the ingredients)
- Foods containing artificial flavours
Foods to add instead:
- Whole foods (foods that are unprocessed, unrefined and free from additives)
- Lots of vegetables and fruits
- Healthy fats (avocado, nuts, fatty fish etc.)
- Lean protein
- Move and be more active
The human body is designed to move constantly. Try something you love, could be dancing, doing yoga, swimming, walking or going for a run. If you are like me and you are already doing one or two of these activities but need something more challenging, invest in a workout program. Most are available so that you can do all the workouts at home and do not need a gym, if that’s an excuse you were thinking about.
I purchased the BBG (Bikini Body Guide) from Kayla Itsines a few years ago (when she still had Ebooks.) I completed the 12 weeks, feeling proud, stronger and more energized. I got some good results as well. Today her Ebooks are no longer available but it’s all in a form of a mobile app with way more workout content, recipies and collaboration with other influential personal trainers, known as the “Sweat” team. You can get a 7 day free trail if you are new and if you like what the app has to offer, you can continue to pay the monthly subscription. The app is called “Sweat” (Sweat with Kayla)
For me, although seeing great benefits in this app, and so very almosrt investing in a monthly subscription, my student budget gave me a quick reminder as to why it might not be such a good idea. But if you can afford it, I would say go for it!
After this journey (which was a few years ago already), I now wanted the next challenge. I’m already a big fan of Youtuber, health and fitness blogger, Sarah’s Day. A year or so ago she released her own workout Ebook called “Sweat it to Shred it”, not long after, she released her second Ebook called “Sweat it reload”. The first Ebook is weeks 1-8 and the second 9-16. I finally made the decision and purchased the first Ebook. Even with this workout program, no gym is needed but I find it more motivating and focusing when I do it in the gym. So once I’m back in Kazan I will be joining my gym again and start the 8 week program. I plan to go in the morning before my classes start for the day. (Pray that it will work like I planned…uni can be so unpredictable)
Doing physical exercise in the morning, sets you for the day and puts you in a better chance of actually getting your workout done because later on you’ll get more tired as the day goes by and then there is too much time for you to talk yourself out of it….I’m guilty of this. However, I know some people are just more “evening” people and prefer to do their workouts after work, and that’s okay too, but after my dance classes and other classes, I’m way too tired to do a workout when I get home. It’s all up to you, as long as you get it done….but have fun!!! 😀
- Improve the way you think. Mental health
In my first semester in Uni, we had a subject called Rhetoric and everyone had to choose a topic. I chose Mental health in the sense of how we talk to ourselves, the thinking we generate and how positive thoughts can lead you to success.
If a healthy lifestyle has never come easy for you and every time you start again but with thoughts of doubt and negativity, your results will prove you correct. People always say, what you put in your body shows on the outside, well the same goes for your thoughts. The thoughts you plant in your head, if repeated multiple times, will become your outcome. You are what you think you are.
Surround yourself with people who encourages you, who believes in you and will support you. If there isn’t a lot of these people in your life, or non, don’t stop there. On social media you might find the worst of things but you will also find the best people to motivate you and inspire you. That’s why I follow health and fitness, vloggers and bloggers. They have some of the best advice, they have been where I have been and are where I will be.
People like Sarah (Youtube: Sarahs_day, also same on Instagram), motivates me, give me inspiration, makes me laugh to my core sometimes and best of all, she has some damn good recipes. They look so good, you might even think it’s unhealthy. Who said healthy food has to be tasteless?? I already saved some of her recipes on my phone, so when I’m back in my own kitchen, I’m definitely trying them out.
Point is, change the way you think about health, fitness and how you see yourself. If you are positive, think positive, your results will be too and living a healthy lifestyle will come as second nature.
- Sleep, sleep and sleep some more
Getting adequate sleep is an important pillar when it comes to building a healthy lifestyle. But it is also something that we neglect most because of our busy lifestyle.
Getting in a good amount of sleep is absolutely necessary if you want to be at your best productivity level. We all know very well that sleep deprivation affects your brain’s ability to concentrate and perform at its best. I’m also guilty for not getting in the needed beauty sleep but poor sleep is also associated with reduced immunity and many diseases. Basically, no matter how busy we are, we need to try to get 7-8 hours of sleep daily.
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That concludes my top 4 tips!
Starting healthy habits to establish a healthy lifestyle involve making incremental changes in each area of your life. Start small, and make the changes you really want in life. Test these habits and feel free to nock those that’s not working for you. Remember it’s a journey, not a destination.
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Coming up next: Healthy hacks!!!
I really hope that this has been helpful! Please share this post on social media so that others can also benefit from it.
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Thank you for your support and talk soon!
To live is to Dance
xoxo
