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A tall, cool drink of cucumber water
No matter your lifestyle—fast-paced go-getter or easy-going soul, junk-food hound or health-food nut—you can benefit from a few healthy-living tips. Just consider these points gentle reminders that life is, indeed, good:
• Drink your fluids. More than half of a person's body weight (lean muscle tissue, blood, fat, bone and skin) consists of water. It makes sense to keep all the parts hydrated. While caffeinated drinks do add water to your system, the caffeine acts as a diuretic, which is counterproductive to the hydration process.
Water also acts as a filler, making you feel full; you won't tend to snack as often when you're taking in enough fluids. Those first hunger pangs are usually just your body's way of telling you that you need to rehydrate. When you first feel hungry, drink a glass of ice water.
Aim for eight to 12 (8 oz.) glasses of water per day. Flavor your water with lemon or lime juice or cucumber slices for a refreshing, calorie-free (and chemical-free) beverage. Drink water with ice, as your body must work to heat up the cold water, thereby slightly increasing your metabolism.
• Watch your portions. In the age of super-sizing, portion control can eliminate many unwanted calories. Protein, such as a piece of chicken, beef, pork or fish, should be no larger than your fist. If given the choice of two sizes (e.g., 6 oz. or 9 oz.), always choose the smaller amount. Try using a smaller plate to fool your eye; you'll see a full plate, but with less food on it than a regular-size dinner plate. Once your body acclimates itself to smaller portions, you will wonder how you ever managed to eat so much.
• Eat more fiber. Beans, legumes and whole grains are low in fat while filling you up and keeping you satisfied longer. Fiber-rich foods also act as your body's internal broom, sweeping the colon clean and helping you stay regulated.
• Sweat it out. Don't fool yourself into thinking that gardening or vacuuming is enough exercise to keep you optimally healthy. While household chores benefit your health by keeping you active and burning some calories, they usually are not aerobic and do not provide the more vigorous workout that your heart and lungs need. A good aerobic workout that induces plenty of sweat also helps your body rid itself of toxins. And the endorphin high that comes after a 30-minute or longer workout is an emotional perk.
Talk with your physician before starting any exercise routine; once you have the OK, start slow and watch how quickly you are able to work out for longer periods and at more intense levels. What may have seemed insurmountable at first—perhaps running a mile or completing an entire step class—quickly becomes the first of many triumphs on your workout journey to a healthier you.
• Focus on you. Multitasking, family obligations and so-called time-saving gadgets somehow eat up all your time. It's hard to remember that you must take care of yourself, as well as taking care of everything and everyone else. Scheduie even an hour alone just for you each week. A manicure, a massage, time spent reading, working out or sitting in a garden or even a long soak in the tub all work to rejuvenate the soul and give you time to think. Whatever makes you feel rested and refreshed is the stress reliever you need.
• Laugh out loud. Perhaps one of the best medicines is, after all, laughter. Determine what—or who—makes you laugh, and then make sure to incorporate that thing or person into your life as often as you can. See a light-hearted movie, hang out with great friends, visit the zoo; whatever or whoever makes you smile and chuckle is absolutely worth the time.
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