Because I believe diet and exercise are so important, I'm often
frustrated with the recommendations I receive. Nutrition and natural
health ideas are often so negative (don't eat this, watch out for that)
or so rigorous (be sure to eat some raw, natural, organically grown
vegetable I've never heard of) or so complicated, I end up ignoring
them. And yet, I know diet is critical to my health and well-being, so I
made up my own rules. My objective was simplicity, so all of you with
greater will-power and more discipline, cut me some slack, OK? For the
rest of us, I hope you find them useful.
1. Eat less. I used to
eat until I was full, and then snack as a hobby. And, sometimes I still
do. But, more and more, I decide when I've eaten enough, leave room for a
treat later, and simply choose to eat a little less. I think it helps.
2.
Drink more water. I used to try to drink 8 glasses a day, but I
usually ended up either losing count...or just going to the bathroom a
lot. Now, on my way to the table I stop by the sink and grab a glass of
water. I figure that's more water than most people drink, it probably
helps me eat less (see Rule #1), and sometimes it reminds me to drink
even more. Close enough.
3. Eat more fruit. Benjamin Franklin
said, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." I just know apples, a
banana, some grapes or something "exotic" like a mango or a kiwi tastes
good, and it's the fastest, most portable and convenient food I've
found. A handful of those little baby carrots beats a sandwich by a good
90 seconds!
4. Eat your vegetables. Yeah, still listening to my
mother. But on the positive side, they're so easy! No sauces, no mixing
or blending or nothing! Raw, steamed or microwaved, they're great for
adding color to a meal (greens, yellows, and beans in all sorts of
colors). I know fresh and organically grown is best, and sometimes I buy
them that way....
5. Eat more rice and baked potatoes. I score
points with my doctor, my "significant other" and again, it's about the
easiest cooking I've figured out.
6. Stretch when you feel like
it. I used to follow a routine that recommended stretching and yoga for
about 30 minutes every morning. Wonderful stuff! Very healthy. And
someday I'm going to give it another try! For now, every morning, and
several times during the day, I stand up and try to reach the ceiling. I
bend, twist, shake my shoulders, breath deep, whatever seems to feel
good at the moment. Then I get back to work.
7. Avoid exercise
and elevators. OK, I believe jogging and sweating and lifting weights
are good for me. And I do some of it. But I also find it useful to walk
around the block to get the mail (the box is across the street) or take
the stairs instead of the elevator. I walk the dog, push the lawnmower
and play tennis and golf with my friends. That way I figure I'm
exercising and leaving the gyms open for the rest of you.
8.
Spend time with friends. Talking, sharing dreams, giving and receiving
support, solving life's great mysteries and debating politics or
religion with a friend does wonders for the soul. And, hugs are good.
And if you have a life-partner, I find talking regularly seems to avoid a
number of other problems, as well!
9. Laugh every day. Tell a joke, wrestle with your dog or play with the kids next door, but have some fun! Life's short.
10.
Plan for dessert! At the end of the day, I really like something
special to top it all off. So, I plan for a bite of chocolate or a cup
of low-fat pudding or yogurt or a handful of fresh grapes. It sure seems
to beat restlessly searching the cupboards and refrigerator for
"something" and ending up with a big bowl of ice cream!
Finally, a
few words of experience. It's OK to "slip" once in a while. At least it
better be OK...I seem to do it periodically. Just get up again
tomorrow, make the rules simpler, more fun or more appropriate for your
situation and get right back on! I don't think the objective is
perfection -- there's no point in having a heart attack getting all
stressed out about the rules! Just go have some fun!
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