Five Steps to Beginning Your Journey to a Healthy Lifestyle RIGHT NOW
It’s a popular idea that resolutions to lead a healthier lifestyle should have a familiar starting point, like on a Monday or in the New Year. The truth is, your resolutions should begin the moment you realize a change needs to be made. It doesn’t matter if it’s the middle of the work week or the middle of the day, or if you’ve just spent the last three hours in bed eating Oreos and ice cream straight from the tub.
You don’t have to wait to start fresh. You can turn your health around starting from this very moment.
Step One: Make Yourself a Cocktail
Out of warm water and lemon, that is. Lemon juice is high in Vitamin C and immune-boosting antioxidants. According to Health, lemon juice also contains bioflavonoids that attack harmful free radicals in the body, and has detoxifying properties that will cleanse your liver and brighten your skin.
To make this wonderful drink, squeeze the juice of one-half to one whole lemon into an 8 ounce glass and fill with warm, filtered water. If you’re worried about enamel erosion – a completely justified concern – simply rinse your mouth with plain water once you’ve finished your drink.
Step Two: Clean House
Remember the Oreos and ice cream? It’s time to kick them to the curb, along with the rest of the junk lurking in your kitchen. Poor eating habits are often the result of taking the path of least resistance; if you’ve got easily edible junk food to hand, you’re more likely to eat it than take the time to cook yourself a proper meal, especially if you’re tired or stressed.
Grab yourself a trash bag (or two) and clean your house of sodas, chips, cookies, candies, desserts and salty snacks. If you can, eliminate as much of the processed food in your house as possible, like canned soups, microwaveable meals, lunch meat, crackers and boxed mashed potatoes. Processed food is loaded with salt, sugar and preservatives.
Step Three: Create a Meal Plan
Your body needs lean proteins, fresh vegetables and fruits, grains, unsaturated fats and water to perform at its best. Ideally, you should be able to buy nearly everything you need from the outer aisles of the grocery store: the produce section, the meat section and the dairy section. Forays into the center of the store should be for things like oils, seasonings, flours, nuts and dried fruits. Create a realistic menu based on these principles. Plan to have a few ready-cooked items on hand, like grilled chicken, for those moments when you’re hungry enough to reach for the wrong thing.
Step Four: Go Shopping
The grocery store is a good place to start, but don’t forget about valuable resources like farmers markets, seafood markets, produce stands and local butcher shops. Ask questions, too; you’d be surprised how many produce stands are getting their fruits and vegetables shipped in from another state. The more locally grown, the fresher and less adulterated the food will be.
Step Five: Get Moving
Exercise is an integral element of becoming healthy. It isn’t just about losing weight and looking better, although those are both excellent benefits; according to the Mayo Clinic, exercise also lifts your mood, relieves pains and improves the quality of your sleep. Plus, it will reaffirm the change you’re making.
What sort of exercise you do today depends on you. Experts agree that combining cardio and weight training is best for getting in shape and losing weight, according to Shape. Cardio is good for calorie burning, endurance and cardiovascular health, while weight training builds strength, boosts your metabolism and helps you burn calories even during down time. You can hit up the local gym or work out at home, or take a long, leisurely walk or bike ride in your neighborhood. Whatever you do, get your body moving.
Seize This Moment
You’re fed up with the way you’re living, so do something about it right now. Don’t get suckered into the idea that you’ve already eaten something you shouldn’t have so the whole day is a waste. Not even a minute needs to be wasted. You hold the power to change your life at this very moment. When Monday or the New Year comes around, let it be just another day to celebrate living the life you want to live.