Enjoyment over perfection

Enjoy your time while being healthy

When we aim for a certain goal we often forget why we are going for it. Trying to achieve a healthy lifestyle isn’t a reason to scare us from enjoying life. If we think we are perfect we aim for always being on point and refusing anything that isn’t in line with our goals.

Allthough picking the healthy option all the time may bring you faster to your goal, your enjoyment will decrease and the possibility of achieving your end goal may be at risk. In a perfect world you would never take a step back. However taking two steps forward, one backwards is still progress. No one is perfect and aiming for it is impossible. You are allowed to refuse that one ice cream, but what about the next one? If you still enjoy life this way it’s fine, however if you are sacrificing your enjoyment you might want to rethink what to refuse and how often.

Without the element of enjoyment, it is not worth trying to excel at anything. – Magnus Carlsen

Like world’s best chest player Magnus Carlsen claims trying to be your best in something is only feasable if you enjoy it. The same thing goes for becoming healthy. If you want to become healthy the best way to achieve is to enjoy the path you are taking. Agreed if you are just starting out and have to come from far you might not enjoy the start. The art is to experiment with activities and posibilities to start implementing joy on the way. This can be to search for food you enjoy, a pleasant sport or finding someone to join you on your path. If you choose the last option remember to not solely focus on them. If they quit there should be some motivation left to continue.

When people say it’s very hard to impossible to become healthy the reasoning behind this is that they, or their peers, try to force them to take a different path. For becoming healthy you have to be ready to do what is needed, yet without forgetting to live and to enjoy life. To enjoy life doesn’t mean to eat fast food 5 times a week, neither does it mean to sit in front of the television every day for 6 hours at a time. Enjoying life means to not sacrifice that much that you are no longer willing to continue your path. Find something that is enjoyable for you, yet will start to bring you to your goal.

Let health become your second nature

What do you think if you see this image? 

Many things are important in life, but something that is difficult to live without is health. A healthy life consists of many aspects, the more of these aspects that come easy to you the easier it will be to maintain it for a long time.

Think about the last time you went to a restaurant. All your friends are ordering what their heart desires, they fulfill their pleasures. Imagine sitting with them and instantly choosing a healthy meal and looking forward to it. You will not ditch your desires but they have changed. You will no longer desire that fastfood but want to taste that very healthy meal instead. If it becomes your second nature neither you, your friends or family will question your choice anymore. It will be a streamlined process that doesn’t require any willpower anymore. Instead of your friends waiting for you to see what beverage you would drink they can instantly order your healthy drink that you always pick. They will know not to buy a certain snack for you, neither will they be obliged to keep that last unhealthy snack in the bag.

I believe that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you. – Joyce Meyer

Despite the initial thought of your family and friends they will no longer dislike that healthy lifestyle of yours. They can learn from and if they want to improve their health they know who they can ask for advice. If they even copy a couple of your habits their life will become so much healthier. At first they will hate the change you are implementing in your life, and undoubtly changing a part of them as well. They can choose to remain the same or try to head the same direction you are going. Change is never easy especially for friends or family who don’t want “their ways” to be changed.

In the long run the best thing your family can have is a healthy version of yourself. Instead of a short lifed sprint of pleasure you can enjoy the good things in life together. Your family will not have to battle poverty after your death but you can comfortably stay together and enjoy the company of each other. Besides food, movement is a second important part of a healthy life. Instead of forcing yourself to move find something that you can enjoy. Even just a 20 minute walk is a lot better than forcing yourself to do a hated workout for an hour. You can only force yourself to do certain things for a short time. Loving what you do will get you much further and you will continue on the same path for so much longer.

 

Enjoying healthy food

Tasty healthy food

Last articles were written about the healthy components of life.

The three components are:

1. Sleeping
2. Movement
3. Food

What do you think if you look at the image above?

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be annoying or boring. There are so many options out there to eat healthy and enjoying it at the same time. You don’t have to do it the way people describe the “perfect meal plan”. Try out different things and find things you love to eat which is healthy at the same time.

There are many possibilities out there. Some people prefer to eat a low amount of carbs or fats, to be able to stay on a stable weight. Personally that is not the way I would choose to eat, but it can may just be the method you prefer and that you feel good doing so.

Sometimes a little comfort food can go a long way. – Benjamin Bratt

The most comfortable way to appraoch a healthy lifestyle change is by not depriving yourself too much. It’s great if you are able to choose some healthier options from time to time, but don’t ban all slightly unhealthier foods for your entire life. This is a recipe for disaster. You will be able to maintain a healthy looking “diet”. But if you are going on a diet means that someday you will get off the diet again. Instead of focussing so much on what not to eat you better focus on what you can eat.

Sometimes eating a piece of comfort food will get you further on your route than strictly avoiding them. When you are enjoying the healthy life you sometimes just need a small moment of mental recovery. Eating that portion of ice cream or enjoying that pizza is the thing you need to keep yourself on your healthy lifestyle. When eating that meal actually enjoy it, instead of mentally punishing yourself for eating out of your mealplan.

 

Movement can be completely free

Moving doesn’t have to be expensive

Yesterday we talked about how eating healthy can be cheaper. Today we are talking about how playing sports does not have to cost money.

When you want to become the best out there in a sport on the highest level there is no way of denying it. If you want to become the best of the best and earning the most money you will have to invest towards that goal. But for us who like to move to stay healthy and to enjoy ourselves, we don’t have to dig deep in our finances.

Getting some movement in can be as easy as going for a bike ride, going for a walk, using the stairs or entering a free outdoor fitness class. Keeping up with local initiatives can give you a lot of options and often times they will be free. The government also want their citizens to be healthy. If you look for movement while not spending much time and it being free. Consider taking your bike to work. Save on your car expenses and get moving at the same time.

There is one thing you learn in sports. You don’t give up; you fight to the finish. – Louis Zamperini

Once you have found your free (or cheap) sport, make sure to never give up. Having movement in your life is a easy way to improve your life immensly. It can even save you time and money in the long run. You will be getting less sick, meaning you will have less time needed to recover. When you are doing something physically demanding your body will be ready for what is coming.

It is highly advisable to be looking for that one sport that you really enjoy and will remain consistent with. Keep moving and keep enjoying. In the long way your finances will indirectly be thanking you for it, besides your life will feel more fulfilling and enjoyable.

Your body is a strong tool

Your body is incredible

Changing our body takes hard work and dedication. But do you realize how much your body can aid you on you road to changing? As long as we respect our body and fill it with the much needed nutritional food, we get a long way.

If the doctor tells us that we need to change our lifestyle we already know they are telling us the truth. We know which things we need to change, but don’t always feel like growing towards it. If we are honest with ourselves we already know what needs changing. It’s is not for the doctor or even for your family and friends that we need to adjust. It is for respect for our own body that we need to change. We only get one body in our lifetime.

Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live. – Jim Rohn 

In our life we go from one workplace to another one, we get new friends, we move out our houses and choose other hobbies. There is one thing that always stays with you, that is your body. No matter where you live, no matter how your life is, maintain respect for your body. When you take care of it as good as you can, it will thank you for it and give you the extra push you need.

If you temporary can’t afford the healthiest food you can, keep your body moving. So your body can perform at almost maximum capacity everyday. Together with this your mind will increase and you will feel better. Before you know it you can spare some money to get some food that is more nutritious.

Can’t spend some extra money on the healthiest food? Read next monday’s article about how to improve your health without spending too much money.

 

Night out with friends

Enjoy your night out

Planning your night out on friday evening? Leaving to meet up with friends is always fun. But when we prioritise both our friends and our health, these two might get into conflict with each other.

Being able to meet up with friends while feeling good about your food and drink choices is a form of art. Started changing your life very recently? The worst you can do is to refuse going out because of the potential effects on your health.

There are three ways you can handle invitations. You can either stay home and avoiding any social contact. Secondly you can accept any invitation, while eating and drinking the same as before.

The third and best option is a compromise. You can propose events yourself that you know will give you better food choices. Look for a healthy eating place to invite your friends to. Don’t want to be the one to steer the evening out? No problem, there are always solutions. One of them is to do simply ad some small adjustments. When someone offers to get you a drink, ask for a water or more party-friendly a soda.

It is sad but true, when asking for a non-alcoholic drink some friends will give you looks. This is a first reaction you have to get through. Be prepared for it, but don’t overcomplicate it. It is just a water you are ordering, there is nothing wrong with it. If you are consistently taking a water once in a while your friends will appreciate your social courage. In the long run your friends might even join you on the new path.

If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun. – Katharine Hepburn

That being said it is not needed to abolige alcohol out of your life completely. Removing all alchoholic drinks has it benefits, but not removing them completely has some two. For example you can still enjoy a carefree night out with friends and have some drinks once in a while. There is nothing wrong with it, as long as it doesn’t become a weekly habit of binch drinking.

Don’t refuse all the invitations to go out with friends. Still going out, with adjustments, shows your dedication to your new lifestyle. If you can still enjoy nights out your new lifestyle wont feel as a punishment. Permanently changing your life should never feel as a heavy burden. If it does, it is not sustainable. It is crucial that you keep enjoying your life.

Love the taste of healthy fruit

Enjoy fruits you way

There are so many different tips out there to help us eat healthier. Most of them have a truth in them and can help us to improve our life. Articles about certain super fruits are great to show you specific advantages and to attract your attention to fruits in general. However before you eat a specific fruit, try out every piece of fruit you already tried and those that you only heard of.

Experiment with new fruit to find the ones you like the most. Starting of your day with your favorite piece of food is a sure way to start of great. It will not only improve your health but it also makes it easier to be consistent with improving your health. As long as you make your road an enjoyable one it will be much easier.

We are eating too much of the wrong thing, and not enough of the right thing. – David Wolfe

Ideally you would want to attempt to eat about 3 pieces a day at average. However this is not a diehard recommendation. If you come from eating no daily fruit, adding one piece a day can be rewarding. Bringing fruit into your life can be done in different ways. There is no right or wrong way to do so. To eat more of them it is great to make a habit of eating them. Consider the following times to eat a piece: when you wake up, after a meal or before if you are trying to lose some weight.

When you succesfully turn eating fruit in a habit you can start adding variety into your eating habit. Don’t stick only with your favorite fruits. Once in a while pick up a different piece of fruit in your store. If you aren’t feeling the need to change it up, then keep your favorites in their for a while. Eating some fruit is always better than stopping.

 

Lemon power

A lemon is a super fruit

Do you like eating a fresh lemon? If you do, you are the exception to the rule. Without training to get used to it eating lemons feels like a chore. Just like anything worth doing it takes some time to get used to.

Why would you want to eat lemons? 95% of people drink coffee daily, multiple times, to increase their energy. Eating lemons is a healthier option to give you a really quick burst of energy. This without the huge drop in energy after the caffeine has stopped working. If you have problems with your skin, eating lemons will help you clean your skin from the inside out.

If life gives you lemons, make some kind of fruity Juice. – Conan O’Brien

The lemons contain a huge amount of vitamine C that will improve your immune system greatly. Be sure to add some lemons in your meal plan before the winter starts. You will be protected against the winter diseases a lot better. Drinking lemon juice will clear your throat, heal your cough and even prevent it. There are so much more advantages to be gained from lemons. If this article makes you aware of the real potential of lemons you can research the extra benefits.

To get the advantages you can chose to eat lemons pure. This can be done by slowly getting into it. You can start by cutting a lemon and a orange in two. Eat one half of the lemon and then a piece of the orange. By switching between different fruits it feels better. Alternatively you can make some lemon juice, you can combine it with other fruits. The last option it to squeeze some lemon over your fish.

The first times you eat them it is more a test of your willpower. Keep the benefits in mind and don’t quit. To get the best effects from them it is advised to cycle the use of lemons. Use them before winter starts untill the winter is completely over. After winter you can reduce your lemon use for a bit. This way your body will consider the lemon use as a way to supplement your immune system to get through the winter.

 

Healthy eating at work

Healthy food choices at work. 

If we can choose we would prefer to be healthier. The hardest thing might be what food to go for during our busy days that we spend at work. Many of us sit a lot during our day, hopefully yesterday’s article has motivated you to get moving more. To get healthier all-around we should also focus on our food.

In our day to day slumber we often pick the things that are easy. Have a meal preparing service at your company? It is the first place to look at for some (easy) food options. A while ago the only advise that could be usefull on company meals is to avoid them completely. They were often filled with a lot of salt and sometimes even weren’t so nutritious. Companies around the world have realised that they should spend some thought in the nutrition value of their prepared meals. If they do their employees will be healthier and more productive. Before going all out on these meals talk to some of your co-workers about the meals and think about preparing food at home to bring with you.

The easiest diet is, you know, eat vegetables, eat fresh food. Just a really sensible healthy diet like you read about all the time. – Drew Carey

We often forget how important it is to eat real foods and avoid flavour enhancers. In small amounts salt is not so bad for us. But in every meal we eat these days there is a lot of added salt. Preparing at least some meals yourself can do wonders for your health. Are you not that keen of cooking your food to warm up at work? No problem eat some alternatives at work like a salad, bread, oats, fruit or a combination of them. When you get home you can start cooking some food, after eating another piece of fruit.

Getting a healthy meal out at work is, with some practice, doable. The more challenge thing is your work snacks and your beverages. What most people can’t miss in the morning is that nice cup of coffee or tea. However with a healthy lifestyle you can even out your energy levels without the need of coffee. This way you can avoid the afternoon dip. A healthy alternative is water, it will not give you the instant energy boost. But in the long rung it keeps your energy levels higher. As a snack consider taking some nuts, fruit or vegetables into the office. You will not just feel better, but you will stimulate your co-workers to do the same.

Try out some of these food tips. But above all make sure that you don’t overdo it. Get started small and keep it consistent. Better to start small and continue to do it instead of going all out for one month.

Going out with friends?

Choose the place to eat.

 

Be honest, how often have you declined a night out with your besties because of the food?

It is not a shame to admit that this has happened before, let’s make sure that you never have to decline them for this reason anymore. Before you even get invited it is advised to take a look at places to eat in your area. (or the area where you meet) When you check out the possibilities you can take control of the situation and guide your friends to a healthier spot. Have your best options already lined up. Take the lead and wait for the response, your friends might not even know the healthy place. You will get the credit for the healthy night out and you will feel great on the in- and outside.

If you maintain a healthy diet, or at least are smart about your food choices, you’ll still see the pounds come off. – Misty May-Treanor

 

Your friends have the tendency of going to eat, for the lack of alternatives, but you hate being the odd one out? There is nothing wrong whatsoever for choosing a healthier option. However if you don’t feel like doing it, or doing it all the time, propose a new activity. Find out any events happening in your city. A festival, an animal happening, going for a walk. This can open te door for a whole new life and a more interesting one.

At first the change in your lifestyle will influence your friends massively. They will be surprised about what you can do, unfortunately not everyone is open for a change. Make sure to not crumble under their pressure of having to eat the same way as they do.

Keep persistent with your lifestyle and let them know that your new lifestyle is here to stay! The more they realise you have changed they will turn around and respect your choice and support you. Be warned this change will not always be so easily accepted by friends and/or families. Let this not discourage you and eat how you like. Consider taking cooking classes to create easy, but healthy and tasty food. Your passion will surely spread around and will invite new people into your life.

By changing your life you give an incentive to your friends and family to follow your path. Be the one who shows the way, stop following the path of everyone. One day the people around you will complement you for your change and even thank you for changing their lifes!

Read tomorrow’s article about how you can change the people around you and how they can change your life!