We all look forward to celebrating the special events in our life. The birth of a baby, birthday, marriages, anniversary and so on. But why not just celebrate life. There is so much to be grateful for.
Our lives become so complex, but it is the simplest things that make our Life worth living. Our health is, without doubt, one of the most important. Without good health our power to enjoy our lives, to celebrate the love we share with others, to experience the pleasures in life, is seriously diminished.
The first step to good health has to be simply choosing to live healthy. What we choose to eat everyday, the environment we are in, the activity we choose all have an impact on our lives. This may sound simplistic, but do we make the right choices to be healthy? A healthy lifestyle brings the benefit of more energy, a clear mind, more positive outlook and the ability to cope with all the other things life throws at us. When you experience the natural high living can bring, with a healthy lifestyle, then you can truly appreciate the freedom you have to choose. When you make the unhealthy choices the body and mind have to compensate, leaving us drained and lacking vitality.
Once we have chosen a healthy lifestyle, we need to find the balance between all aspects of our lives, physical, spiritual, mental and emotional.
Let's start with physical. Exercise is an important part of our lives. There are many reasons and benefits to exercise, it keeps as flexible, gives us strength, endurance, firm body, glowing complexion, self-confidence and enhances our immunity. It also decreases the risk of many diseases, such as heart disease, anxiety, depression, hypertension and many, many more. Exercising can be simple. It doesn't have to involve heavy workouts at the gym, that's not for everyone. If you are not getting much exercise, start simple. Commit yourself to a walk everyday for a month. It doesn't have to be long to start with. Just make it a priority. Before breakfast, during your lunch break or before dinner. After a month, it will become a habit and you may want to extend the distance, or try another form of exercise. Make up your mind to take that first step to a healthy life.
Nutritional needs are always high on the list. Enjoying a variety of healthy foods is one of the most beneficial ways to stay healthy. You will be surprised at just how good you can feel when your diet is based of nutrient-rich foods. Try out the wonderful selection of grain breads available, or make your own! Make each meal a celebration of colour. When you choose a meal full of vibrant natural colours, you know that you are getting what you need. Select fresh organic fruits and vegies, where possible. Those who enjoy gardening get the extra benefit of tasty home grown vegies and time outdoors enjoying the fresh air. Nuts, legumes, grains, vegetable oils, fish, there are so many good foods out there to enjoy, why would we fill up with foods with no nutrients. A healthy diet will help prevent so many diseases I could go on forever. Do your body a favour and commit yourself to some good healthy foods.
Water is vital to our survival. We need water to cleanse our bodies, both inside and out. It helps to regulate our temperature, transport nutrients around the body, remove waste, cushion your joints and keep the blood flowing. We need it! Don't forget to drink plenty of it. Also enjoying time in water is healthy too. A nice relaxing bath or shower, a swim in the ocean.
Spirituality is an important aspect of good health that many people overlook. Believing in something can help bring you peace of mind and help you to reach your full potential. It involves taking time out, allowing yourself to be at one with the Universe. Searching and finding yourself, deep within. It gives one a purpose in life. Take time out, just to seek this inner guidance. Meditate. Reconnect with nature. Spirituality and belief sustains us through the tough times.
Taking time out is so vitally important. Working 7 days a week will soon run you down. Maybe you don't work 7 days, but on the weekends what do you do. Make sure that one day is for you, your family and friends. Rest, play and enjoy their company.
A good night's sleep is what we all need. Our bodies need to rest to be able to function correctly. Sleep rejuvenates our mind, body and soul for the next day. Make your bedtime peaceful; remember when you were a little child. You may have had a ritual that was followed every night to help prepare you for sleep. A bath, a story, your prayers. We seem to forget these, as we get older. But if you are having trouble sleeping maybe some new rituals will help.
Fresh Air and Sunshine and their importance may easily be overlooked in our society. Just think how wonderful it feels when you step outside, when you're feeling cold. You walk into the sunshine; breathe the fresh air and your whole body just soaks up the warmth. It's so calming and relaxing. You need the sunshine; it provides us with vitamin D. Also when people are deprived from sunshine, such as in the most Northern countries where the see little or no sunshine during winter, depression sets in. Oxygen, we know we need this to breath. Our whole body relies on this continuous supply of oxygen. Without it the body will quickly die, starting with the brain. We cannot underestimate its importance. We don't all have the luxury of good clean country air, but when you get a chance to really breathe it in, do it.
Living in a healthy environment is what we all need. Taking care of the earth is something we all must do. Reducing waste, and pollution has to become a priority in our lives. Without clean air, atmosphere, soil and water we cannot survive. Let's enjoy our environment and protect it, for ourselves and for future generations.
We talk about our physical environment, but what about our emotional environment. We need to surround ourselves and our children with a supportive, loving environment. Support for who we are and what we do is something we all need. Support can make the difference in whether we fulfil our potential in life or not. Having someone to stand by you in good times and bad really is an enormous benefit to us all. Being that person for our family and friends is rewarding experience. Friendships are important and needed. Take time out to spend with a friend. Call someone you haven't seen for a while. Have a cuppa with a friend. And don't forget the wonderful friendship, love and companionship you receive from your pets. It's been proven that pet owners have better health and deal with stress easier.
Having a positive attitude in life can get us so much further. Allow laughter and fun to penetrate your life and enjoy yourself. Encourage others to play and laugh. This is the best medicine.
Celebrate each day and enjoy life.
