Marie Rodriguez

Getting started on a healthy life

People often think that having a healthy lifestyle and losing weight are the same thing. They are not. Look at the bone-thin models and Hollywood stars. Starving the body to that type of skinny is not healthy.
     Having a healthy weight is important, but it is not everything. And, yes, for most of us that usually does mean losing weight. But having a healthy lifestyle is just that…a lifestyle.              
Having a healthy lifestyle means living an active life. It means maintaining a healthy weight. It includes a healthy diet. And it also should involve the often-overlooked mental wellbeing. That means learning to enjoy life and keep a positive attitude about things.
     So, how does one get started?
     Step one is to make the decision and then take charge. Be aware of yourself, your activities, your diet and choosing the healthy path.
     Once you decide to live an active life, you will make choices that allow you to be more active. You will take the stairs instead of the elevator, you’ll exercise regularly and park the truck away from the building so that you can enjoy a walk. After being active becomes a habit for you, you’ll discover that keeping your body moving is energizing and invigorating.
     There is no easy or magical way to it. But the experience does not have to be unpleasant. A balanced and nutritious diet plus exercise is the only healthy path to a healthy body.
     Educate yourself about the nutritional values of food. Don’t buy junk food snacks for your truck. Stock it instead with healthy snacks such as fresh fruit, nuts and vegetable sticks. Drink plenty of water. Stop drinking soda. Green tea and 100 percent juices are better choices. But do avoid weak teas that are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. Look for organic teas.
     Finding ways to exercise while on the road can take creativity. If you are a company driver, perhaps your terminals have a gym (mine does). Even working out at the gym a few times a month is better than none. When you go home, make it a point to work out at least an hour each day. One hour isn’t that long. There are plenty of exercises that can be done in the privacy of your sleeper. Resistance bands, yoga, and pilates are just a few options.
     Finally, it is vital to have a healthy outlook on life. Mental calmness and inner peace do so much to keep our bodies young and healthy. Eliminating stress helps lower blood pressure, get rid of tension and make headaches go away. Learn how to meditate and find time to do it every day, if possible. Meditation can help you find balance and embrace positive energy. It can help improve sleep as well.   
     A healthy lifestyle is not a cookie-cutter, one-size fits-all routine. Everyone’s life circumstances are different, so decide how to make it work for you.
     But the essential focus on eating healthy, being active, maintaining a healthy weight and keeping a positive outlook are where you need to start. And the rewards of treating your mind and body well are that you will begin to look better, feel better and enjoy life more.