More and more research is showing that
the key to lifelong good health is what experts call “lifestyle medicine” —
making simple changes in diet, exercise and stress management. To help you turn
that knowledge into results, we’ve put together this manageable list of health
and wellness action steps.
We asked three experts — a naturopathic
physician, a nutritionist, and a personal trainer — to tell us the top five
simple-but-significant lifestyle-medicine changes they recommend.
Besides giving you three different takes
on how to pick your health battles, this list gives you choices you can make
without being whisked off to a reality-show fat farm — or buying a second
freezer for those calorie-controlled, pre-portioned frozen meals.
James
Rouse, N.D.
Naturopathic
physician, triathlete, chef, author and host of TV’s “Optimum Wellness,”
health-tip segments featured on NBC affiliates in several major cities.
1.
Think positive and focus on gratitude
Research shows a healthy positive
attitude helps build a healthier immune system and boosts overall health. Your
body believes what you think, so focus on the positive.
2.
Eat your vegetables
Shoot for five servings of vegetables a
day — raw, steamed, or stir-fried. A diet high in vegetables is associated with
a reduced risk of developing cancers of the lung, colon, breast, cervix,
esophagus, stomach, bladder, pancreas and ovary. And many of the most powerful
phytonutrients are the ones with the boldest colors — such as broccoli,
cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, grapes and leafy greens.
3.
Set a “5-meal ideal”
What, when and how much you eat can keep
both your metabolism and your energy levels steadily elevated, so you’ll have
more all-day energy. A "5 meal ideal" will help you manage your
weight, keep your cool, maintain your focus and avoid cravings.
4.
Exercise daily
Did you know that daily exercise can
reduce all of the biomarkers of aging? This includes improving eyesight,
normalizing blood pressure, improving lean muscle, lowering cholesterol and
improving bone density. If you want to live well and live longer, you must
exercise! Studies show that even 10 minutes of exercise makes a difference — so
do something! Crank the stereo and dance in your living room. Sign up for swing
dancing or ballroom-dancing lessons. Walk to the park with your kids or a
neighbor you’d like to catch up with. Jump rope or play hopscotch. Spin a hula
hoop. Play water volleyball. Bike to work. Jump on a trampoline. Go for a hike.
5.
Get at good night's sleep
If you have trouble sleeping, try
relaxation techniques such as meditation and yoga. Or eat a small bedtime snack
of foods shown to help shift the body and mind into sleep mode: whole grain
cereal with milk, oatmeal, cherries or chamomile tea. Darken your room more and
turn your clock away from you. Write down worries or stressful thoughts to get
them out of your head and onto the page. This will help you put them into
perspective so you can quit worrying about them.
Christina
Reiter, M.S., R.D.
Resident
consulting dietitian at the University of Colorado–Boulder Wardenburg Health
Center for Nutrition Education and Therapies and former director of the
nutrition program at Metropolitan State College of Denver.
1.
Check your food ’tude
What we eat and how we feel are linked
in very complex ways. A healthy approach to eating is centered on savoring
flavor, eating to satisfaction and increasing energy, rather than focusing on
weight. Check your balance of low-calorie foods, nutrient-dense foods
(providing many nutrients per calorie), and foods that are calorie dense but
nutrient poor. Most Americans need to eat more fresh whole foods (in contrast
to processed, highly refined foods). Try to add more whole grains, fresh fruits
and vegetables, and legumes into your meals. Pair these carbohydrate-rich foods
with a healthy fat or lean protein to extend satisfaction.
2.
Eat like a kid
If adding more fruits and vegetables
sounds ominous, look to “finger food” versions that preschool kids love —
carrot and celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, broccoli florets, grapes, berries
and dried fruits. All are nutritional powerhouses packed with antioxidants.
3.
Be a picky eater
Limit saturated fats and trans fats, and
aim to eat more foods rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids to cut your
risk of cardiovascular disease and maybe even improve depressed moods. The
equivalent of just 1 gram of EPA/DHA (eicosapentaenoic acid/docosahexaenoic
acid) daily is recommended. Eating cold-water oily fish (wild salmon, herring,
sardines, trout) two to three times per week will provide both EPA and DHA.
Adding up to 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed and eating meat, milk and cheese
from grass-fed animals will provide you with a healthy dose of omega-3s.
4.
Use foods over supplements
Supplements are not a substitute for a
good diet. Although many health experts recommend taking a multivitamin and
mineral supplement that provides 100 to 200 percent of your recommended daily
value, each and every supplement should be carefully evaluated for purity and
safety. Specific supplements have been associated with toxicity, reactions with
medications, competition with other nutrients, and even increased risk of
diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
5.
Get satisfaction
Both eating and physical activity are
fun, sensory experiences! In both, aim for pleasure — not pain. Pay attention
to the nutritional value of the foods you choose to eat, as well as your sense
of satisfaction, relaxation, tension, exhilaration and fatigue when you sit
down to eat. Check in with yourself as you eat, rekindling your recognition of
hunger, fullness and satisfaction when considering when and how much to eat.
Rick
Olderman, M.S., P.T.
A
physical therapist and owner of Z-Line Training in Denver, Colo., offering
rehabilitation, personal training, Pilates instruction, motivational
injury-prevention seminars, employee fitness program development and custom
foot orthotics casting.
1.
Give yourself a break
“I spend countless hours doing cardio
and never seem to lose that last 10 pounds!” is a common complaint I hear from
clients. Give yourself permission to shorten your workout. Believe it or not,
overtraining could be the problem. Your body can plateau if not given adequate
rest to restore itself, ultimately leading to a decline in performance.
Fatigue, moodiness, lack of enthusiasm, depression and increased cortisol (the
“stress” hormone) are some hallmarks of overtraining syndrome. Creating a
periodization program — breaking up your routine into various training modes —
can help prevent overtraining by building rest phases into your regimen. For
example, you might weight train on Monday and Wednesday, cycle on Tuesday and
Thursday, run on Friday and rest on Saturday and Sunday. You can also help
balance your program by simply incorporating more variety.
2.
Think small
Often the biggest deterrent to improving
health is feeling overwhelmed by all the available advice and research. Try to
focus first on one small, seemingly inconsequential, unhealthy habit and turn
it into a healthy, positive habit. If you’re in the habit of eating as soon as
you get home at night, instead keep walking shoes in the garage or entryway and
take a quick spin around the block before going inside. If you have a can of
soda at lunchtime every day, have a glass of water two days a week instead.
Starting with small, painless changes helps establish the mentality that
healthy change is not necessarily painful change. It’s easy to build from here
by adding more healthy substitutions.
3.
Keep good company
You can do all the right things — but if
you have personal relationships with people who have unhealthy habits, it is
often an uphill battle. The healthiest people are those who have relationships
with other healthy people. Get your family or friends involved with you when
you walk or plan healthier meals. Making healthy changes with a loved one can
bring you closer together as well as motivate you.
4.
Make a list … and check it twice
Take a few minutes and write down all
the reasons you can’t begin an exercise program. Then look at the basis of each
reason. For instance, if you wrote, “No time” as one of your reasons, then
perhaps that’s based on a belief that an exercise program takes a lot of time.
Starting with even five minutes a day will have a positive effect because you
will have created a healthy habit where one didn’t exist before, and that’s a
powerful mental adjustment. A closer look at your list will expose those false
beliefs hiding behind each excuse.
5.
Sign up for an event
Let’s face it, exercising just for the
sake of exercising or losing weight can get boring. Spice things up by signing
up for an event like a run/walk race or a cycling ride where you can be part of
a team. Doing so gives your workouts a new purpose, and it’s fun to be around
others who are exercising just like you — not to mention that most events
benefit nonprofit organizations, which doubles your feel-good high.
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