Do you want to live a more healthy lifestyle? Have you tried to lose weight only to find yourself getting frustrated? Do you get confused by all the fad diets. Do you wonder what kind of exercise program is best for you? Today, I’d like to help clear a few things up about simple healthy living.
Last summer, I read a great article by Leo Babauta, called The Simple Health Plan. It’s actually quite humorous. I recommend you read it! He basically breaks his simple health plan into two main points:
1. Eat a crapton of vegetables.
2. Do something active and fun every day.
It’s hard to expand on that, so I’m not going to try. I’ll simply agree that a simple healthy living plan does not have to be complicated. Eating right and generally staying active goes a long way. I think your spiritual health is important, too.
Stick To A Simple Healthy Diet
I’ve discussed healthy living, diet, and staying active in previous posts. Sometimes, I think people try too hard to find a simple healthy living plan. People go to extremes. They become vegans, cut out all carbs, go on juice diets, and eat nothing but protein in an attempt to lose weight and get more healthy. My mom and stepdad once went on a diet that consisted only of black beans. It doesn’t have to be so complicated. You can get started today at simple healthy living today. Check out these two posts:
And yes, like Leo at Zen Habits, I also recommend eating a crapton of vegetables. But you can still eat a variety of other foods, even pizza and ice cream on occasion. The key is to know your limitations and stick to healthy eating the majority of the time.
Stay Active On A Regular Basis
You don’t have to become a marathon runner or climb Mt. Everest. You don’t need to spend 20 hours a week in the gym. Simply stay active 30-60 minutes a day. Try to increase your heart rate to 110 or 120 beats per minute once or twice a week. That’s all you need to do to get exercise as part of your simple healthy living plan. I’ve posted about this in the past, too. I’m especially an advocate for walking. Walking is easy and takes no special equipment. Check out these posts:
Include A Spiritual Plan
Relaxation is actually good for you. If you’re always running, you’re stressing yourself out more than you should be. Find time to relax, breathe, and pray if you like. Here are some links to help you get started:
I hope you’ve found this simple healthy living plan something you can use. I encourage you to get started today. Eat the right foods, exercise regularly, and take some downtime for yourself. You’ll discover you’ll feel better, and if you stick with it, you might lose those extra pounds you’ve been wanting to shed.
