There is NO magic formula for staying healthy. But there is a magic formula to health and energy. And the first part of that formula is the burning desire to be fit!
You can’t kid yourself into eating right or getting your body moving. It is a total commitment. And guess what the big payoff is—-YOU!
So let’s begin and see how you measure up.
PREVENTION: You won’t get where you want to go if you don’t monitor your health care. Be sure you take every preventive screening you can. It is easier to prevent something at the beginning than after it has spread.
MONITOR YOUR BODY CLOCK: Everyone has a different pace. Some are up all night, falling asleep only when the dawn breaks. Others are out like a light by 9 p.m. and are awake, moving and doing by 6 a.m. The only thing that makes it right or wrong is what works for you, and if there are any obligations you have to meet at certain hours. Remember to do your worst tasks at your best time and your best tasks at your worst time.
LIVE A STRUCTURE: Even though it might seem boring, the more you structure your day, the more you’ll get done, the easier it will become, and the less stress will result. The whole point of structure and planning is to include the things that are important to you. It gives you the time to eat right, get your exercise in, and do the deeds that are important to you. You begin to sail through each day, accomplishing more and more, and having the energy to do it.
MOVE: Whether that’s yoga or pilates, kick-boxing, stretching, walking/hiking, biking, weight training or anything else. You must do it every day. Some people say 30 minutes a day, three times a week, but that just doesn’t cut it. You need to do something each and every day, especially at this point in your life. The intensity depends on your fitness goals, but you need cardio for your heart, stretching for flexibility and weight training for bone density.
DIET: An ugly word and one that doesn’t really work or we wouldn’t have 137 different ones! What I mean here is a way of eating to make you feel good, keep you at your desired weight and know that you will always fit your clothes. You need to be aware of how many calories you should eat on a daily basis that will be burned up (3500 calories equal one pound) and that may vary on how active you are. Of course, the food must be healthy, can be vegan, can be ethnic, can be anything, as long as it isn’t loaded with sugar, fat and worthless calories.
BE HAPPY: Health has a lot to do with being happy. If you laugh a lot, have a wonderful attitude towards life, enjoy your friends and family and have a positive impact on something or someone every day, you will find yourself smiling a majority of the time. When you smile, you can’t grit your teeth, and if you can’t grit your teeth, you won’t get mad.
DON’T SMOKE, DRINK OR TAKE DRUGS: What? I know you aren’t a teenager, but you still may be doing these bad habits. You and your clothes smell and repel. It’s hard to make friends when you reek of smoke. A glass of wine every day is fine and may even be recommended by your doctor, but if you become addicted and need that “drink,” it’s time to stop. The only drugs you should take are by prescription, and then every doctor and your pharmacist should be aware of all of them so there is no interaction.
Well, there you are. The magic formula for staying healthy and energizing your life. Nothing super duper or fancy, but it all works.
My wish for you is a fantastic long happy and healthy life. Only you can make it happen and I want to be there to help you.
Winner of the Best Seller Quill Award, Dr. Gayle Carson CSP CMC was inducted into the National Academy of Best Selling Authors. Selected as a Legend of the Speaking Profession, she hosted Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Women in Business” radio show, wrote for them and had articles in More Magazine. Seen on NBC, CBS, Fox and ABC, she has been featured in USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and is considered the premier expert for women over 50 and the general boomer population. She can be reached at gayle@gaylecarson.com or www.livingregretfree.com. .