Our bodies go through a whole lot of wear and tear as we go about our daily lives, which leads to some challenging conditions during our golden years. We’re already predisposed to ailments thanks to genetics and our environment, but poor nutrition takes those risks even higher. The common diseases that come with age have some debilitating symptoms that nobody wants to encounter, so nutrition isn’t something we can afford to put off. Start reducing your risks for common aging problems today.

Arthritis

Our joints have a soft cushion of fluid and cartilage that keeps them moving smoothly and painlessly, but this cushion can be compromised by injuries, infections, and extra weight. As time adds to the wear and tear of our joints, the damage can grow and lead to the painful inflammation we call arthritis. There’s no known cure for the pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduction in strength and motion, so prevention is the way to go.

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: These critical fats offer your joints important lubrication that will keep them moving smoothly. Fry up your omega’s with some fatty cold water fish like mackerel, wild salmon, and sardines.
• Antioxidants: Vitamins A, C, and E and phytochemicals like ellagic acid, lutein and anthocyanin all serve as antioxidants. Meet your needs with colorful foods like berries, grapes, greens, sweet potatoes, and wash it down with some green tea.
• Sulforaphane: This compound acts as an anti-inflammatory, and it’s showing big potential in the prevention and slowing of osteoarthritis. You can work the benefits of sulforaphane into your diet by eating cruciferous greens like broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cabbage.
• Oleocanthal: This compound has shown to be a powerful anti-inflammatory that can actually help treat arthritic conditions. Get a spoonful from a bottle of extra virgin olive oil.

Osteoporosis

Our blood requires a constant level of calcium to keep clotting, pH, and muscle function where they need to be. The good news is that we have a supply of calcium our body can always rely on. The bad news? Those calcium withdrawals are coming straight from our bones. The worst news? Millions of people don’t even have a clue they’re at risk of osteoporosis until they’re suffering a broken bone. Rebuilding weak and porous bones is too little too late, so learn the basics of bone health.

• Vitamin D: Calcium has gotten all the credit for bone health, but it’s thanks to Vitamin D that our bodies can absorb it. This is one vitamin you can’t source from food, so get yourself a supplement or a dose of sunlight.  
• Vitamin K: Studies are showing that Vitamin K can help regulate calcium and form bones, and research in Japan suggests that it can increase bone mass and reverse bone loss. Get your Vitamin K from dark leafy greens like kale, spinach, collards, and broccoli.
• Omega-3’s: On top of fighting the inflammation of arthritis, omega-3’s show promise in maintaining bone mass and helping us absorb calcium. Get a fish-free serving from walnuts, or hemp, flax, and chia seeds.

Dementia

When brain cells are damaged, the communication of neural networks are impaired. As this degradation spreads, regions of the brain responsible for things like memory, speech, and visual perception are no longer able to function properly. This degeneration of the brain produces the challenges of memory loss, hallucinations, and communication faced by dementia sufferers everywhere. The brain is the control center of our entire body, so there’s two dietary needs that shouldn’t be skimped on.

• Omega-3’s: If there’s anything we’ve learned today, it’s that omega-3 fatty acids are a critical part of a healthy diet. Studies and stats show 3’s playing an important role in healthy, functioning, and developing brains, so grab a handful of walnuts (their shape says it all) for a quick fix of brain benefits.  
• B-Vitamins: Science shows a strong connection between high levels of homocysteine and Alzheimer’s. B12 deficiency is another common factor in Alzheimer’s risk, making this a worthy dietary addition, but B-vitamins are also showing they can drop the levels of this concerning neurotoxin. B’s are mostly found in meat and fish, but nutritional yeast offers an astounding (and quick) B-fix.

 Eat Well and Live Long!

There are a lot of important factors contributing to disease, but now you have some easy and simple aids for prevention. Do you have your own tricks and tips for longevity and vitality? Share in the comments below!

Recommended Reading:

• Cherries – The Superfood You Should Know About
• Health Benefits of Avocados
• 80% Raw Food Diet
• Tips to Look Younger, Feel Younger, Be Younger, and Live Longer
• Beat Alzheimer’s Disease Naturally

Sources:

• Dementia – Mayo Clinic
• Homocysteine and B Vitamins – Food For The Brain
• 12 Best Foods for Arthritis – Arthritis Foundation
• Osteoporosis – A Degenerative Disease Effecting the Elderly – Senior Care
• Oleocanthal: A Naturally Occurring Anti-Inflammatory Agent in Virgin Olive Oil – InTech
• Antioxidant Micronutrients and Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis in a Cohort of Older Women – American Journal of Epidemiology
• Relation of Dietary Intake and Serum Levels of Vitamin D to Progression of Osteoarthritis of the Knee Among Participants in the Framingham Study – NCBI
• 12 Best Foods For Arthritis – Arthritis Foundation
• Reducing Inflammation – The Natural Approach – Woman to Woman 
• Antioxidants: Beyond The Hype – Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids Increase Brain Volume – Life Extension Magazine

Depression. You’d think we all have the same definition for this word, but we don’t. Misery, the blues… Many people think a sad emotional state is equivalent to clinical depression. It is not.

To meet the diagnosis of a depressive episode the following criteria listed in the DSM-V must be met:

Five (or more) of the following symptoms have been present during the same 2-week period and represent a change from previous functioning; at least one of the symptoms is either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure. Note: Do not include symptoms that are clearly due to a general medical condition, or mood-incongruent delusions or hallucinations.

1. Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feels sad or empty) or observation made by others (e.g., appears tearful). Note: In children and adolescents, can be irritable mood.
2. Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day (as indicated by either subjective account or observation made by others).
3. Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (e.g., a change of more than 5 percent of body weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day. Note: In children, consider failure to make expected weight gains.
4. Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day.
5. Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down).
6. Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
7. Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt (which may be delusional) nearly every day (not merely self-reproach or guilt about being sick).
8. Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day (either by subjective account or as observed by others).
9. Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.
10. The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning.
11. The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition (e.g., hypothyroidism).

All, or nearly all, of the symptoms people experience during depression or any other mental disorder, are symptoms every person experiences at one time or another. The difference between normal experience and a disorder is the constancy, severity, and combination of symptoms.

Normal experience does not include two straight weeks of sadness so intense it results in an inability to function at work while it is impossible to sleep (or to get out of bed). In addition there is a sudden dramatic loss of weight, movements become slow and deliberate, and thoughts of death or suicide crowd out every thought not associated with self-loathing. (This is an example of five symptoms from the list).

Depression is associated with low serotonin levels and high cortisol levels. Serotonin is known as the feel-good neurotransmitter while cortisol is a hormone known as the stress hormone.

Conventional Treatment for Depression

Since depressed feeling and depression are not always one in the same, what we call depression can be viewed on a continuum. Severe symptoms meeting the criteria for clinical depression would be on one end of that scale while sadness or the blues while general dissatisfaction with life would be at the other. And yet, regardless of where a person is on that scale, there is a high probability that a doctor will prescribe anti-depressants if the patient requests them. Hopefully, psychiatrists would not be as quick to prescribe them.

Generally, any good doctor will at least mention eating a healthy diet, getting exercise, and sleeping 8 hours a night. But too often that prescription pad is pulled out to “help.” Anti-depressants, taken to decrease suicidal thoughts and feelings, can increase suicidal and homicidal thinking and have been linked to both suicides and to most of the mass murder incidents that have occurred in the last few decades.

Alternative Treatment for Depression

As with all aspects of physical and mental health, healing begins with a truly healthy, nutrition-packed diet and exercise.

Diet

A truly healthy diet consists of 80% fresh, raw, organic produce, more vegetables than fruit, a wide variety of foods, healthy fats, and pure water. (Check out the 80% Raw Food Diet for more information).

When any body system is not working properly, increase nutrition and detox. A great way to increase nutrition is to add nutritional powder to your daily routine in juice or a smoothie. To learn how to make your own Total Nutrition Powder, check out Total Nutrition, Make Your Own Multivitamin and Mineral Formula.

More of Shillington’s Recipes:

Menu

When you are eating an organic 80% raw diet that includes plenty of clean water, and foods like onions, garlic, turmeric, and cilantro, you are detoxing on an ongoing basis. But a thorough bi-annual detox is extremely beneficial.

Eating right is more than adding the right foods to your diet. It is just as important, if not more important, to remove the food from your diet that you should not eat. Avoid all artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives, MSG, trans fats, and GMOs. Do not eat corn syrup. Unless it is organic, it’s genetically modified. Avoid or seriously restrict caffeine. Avoid sugar. Conventional sugar has no nutritive value. It harms the body and the immune system in a number of ways and chances are it is genetically modified, as most of the conventional sugar made nowadays comes from sugar beets, a crop that is generally GMO. The easiest way to deal with all of the issues of what not to eat is to eat real food, whole food, and avoid processed packaged foods.

By eating a truly healthy diet, you will be well on your way toward healing your gut. If you have an overgrowth of Candida you will benefit from supplementation and some additional dietary additions and restrictions until you have that overgrowth in check.

Gut health is vital in alleviating depression because the beneficial bacteria in the gut manufacture 80% of our serotonin. When the gut is out of balance due to Candida, parasites, and bad bacteria, serotonin levels suffer, as does the body’s entire hormonal system.

To learn more about how to heal the gut, read How To Kill Candida and Balance Your Inner Ecosystem.

Exercise

Exercise is essential for several reasons. First, exercise produces endorphins that elevate your mood. Studies comparing exercise to pharmaceuticals have proven that exercise is more beneficial than drugs.

Exercise improves overall health by moving blood and lymph throughout the tissues. This process helps bring nutrients into individual cells while removing waste from the body. The immune system is strengthened and the body and its organs, including the brain, receive the cleansing and the nourishment needed to attain peak performance.

Vitamin D

The link between vitamin D deficiency and depression is well documented and even carries its own diagnosis- Seasonal Affective Disorder. Unless you live in the lower portion of the U.S. (draw a line from Los Angeles, CA to Atlanta, GA to mark the line), chances are you do not get enough sun to make adequate amounts of vitamin D. Vitamin D supplementation should always be considered as a first line of defense when symptoms of depression are present. To learn more about Vitamin D, read Sunlight and Vitamin D.

B Vitamins

B vitamins are best taken together in the form of B complex vitamins. Never take just one B vitamin alone for any length of time.

B vitamins are essential for many functions in the body. Deficiencies in B5, B6, B7, or B12 cause depression. Daily supplementation will elevate mood, decrease irritability, and improve sleep. To learn more about B vitamins read Mental Health, Physical Health & B Vitamins – Nature’s Valium.

Conclusion

With the right diet, exercise, detoxification, and supplementation, the body is given the resources to heal itself. If loss, abuse, or other life events are contributing to sadness, low self-esteem, or other symptoms, therapy can be an invaluable aid in healing.

Recommended Supplements:

• B Vitamins
• Probiotics
• Vitamin D
• Healthy Fats

Further Reading:

• How Candida Leads to Depression, Anxiety, ADHD, and Other Mental Disorders
• How I Overcame Depression Naturally
• Natural Remedies for Depression

The gluten free household faces unique challenges. Even though gluten-free products have become more mainstream, they still cost between 2 to 10 times more than conventional alternatives. And even at those hefty prices, gluten free products like pancake mixes are rarely organic.

Until recently, cooking was all but a lost art. For those who wish to take back our health and save money on eating out, cooking from scratch is becoming more popular than ever.

A truly healthy diet consists of 80% or more fresh, raw, organic produce – more vegetables than fruits. (Check out the 80% Raw Food Diet for more information.) But for those of us who are foodies, this still leaves a little wiggle room for variety. Although anything made with sugar should not be a staple in our diet, no one should be forced to live life without pancakes. Even if gluten doesn’t bother you, this recipe should prove far superior to any other pancake recipe, and it even forms a complete protein!

Whenever possible, buy organic. In the case of cornstarch, always buy organic to avoid GMO corn products.

You Will Need

• Organic Rice Flour (brown or white)
• Organic Corn Starch
• Tapioca Flour
• Garbanzo Bean Flour (aka Chickpea Flour)
• Aluminum Free Baking Soda
• Aluminum Free Baking Powder
• Gelatin or Organic Xanthan Gum
• Sea Salt
• Organic Maple Sugar
• Fruit (optional)
• Eggs or Egg Replacer
• Butter or Spread (Cow, Goat, or Earth Balance)
• Buttermilk, Kefir or Yogurt (Cow, Goat, or Coconut)
• Honey or Maple Syrup
• Organic Vanilla Extract
• Optional toppings include up to 2 Cups Fresh Fruit (Blueberries, Strawberries, Bananas and Cherries are all popular choices, but any fruit you like will do) and Whipped Cream.

Dry Pancake Mix (Makes 3 Batches)

First mix up a batch of dry pancake mix. Feel free to double or triple this recipe. Keep what is left over in a closed jar in your pantry for later use. The mix tastes best when used within 3-6 months.

• 3 ½ Cups of Rice Flour
• ½ Cup of Corn Starch
• 1 Cup Garbanzo Bean Flour
• 1 Cup Tapioca Flour
• 1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Soda
• 3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Xanthun Gum or Gelatin
• 3 Tablespoons Maple Sugar

Pancakes (Yields about 12 pancakes)

• 2 Cups of Dry Pancake Mix (see above)
• 2 Eggs or Egg Replacer
• 2 Cups Milk
• 4 Tablespoons Melted Butter (or Spread)
• 1Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir with a whisk, or you can put the dry ingredients in a closed container and shake a few times.

Preheat your pan or griddle (we prefer cast-iron, and we advise against Teflon).

Whisk the eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients and mix until well combined. (It can still have some lumps).

Add a small amount of butter, or cooking oil to the pan. If it sizzles, it’s ready. We like avocado oil, rice bran oil, peanut oil, or coconut oil. (For this purpose olive oil is a poor choice due to its low smoke point; it burns too easily)

Using a ladle, pour the pancake batter onto the griddle or large pan. Within 2-3 minutes, bubbles will form around the edges of the pancake. Gently slide a spatula beneath the pancake and carefully flip. (The cooked side should be golden brown.) After another minute or two your pancakes will be ready. If not served immediately, pancakes can be kept warm for up to 30 minutes when covered and held in a 200-degree, preheated oven.

Recommended Reading:

• Powerfully Healing Raspberry Cream Smoothie Recipe
• No More Gluten – How I Found Health After MS
• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases

There was a time when coffee, tea, soda, juice, sugary lemonade, and milk seemed to be the only beverages anyone drank if they weren’t drinking beer, wine, or some other kind of alcohol. No one drank water. Not if they could help it, anyway.

Then bottled water came on the scene and water became more popular. Of course, food companies wanted to cash in so they made flavored bottled water and vitamin water. If you think they couldn’t mess up water, think again. If you need proof, read the labels.

Lately, infused water is all the craze. If you’ve never heard of it, infused water is simply water that contains fruit, vegetables, herbs, or spices. Whatever you put in it will infuse the water with its flavor.

The most interesting aspect to water infusions, is the many choices and combinations to be made. You can use anything from sweet fruits to hot peppers.

There are three ways to make water infusions:

1. Simply add ingredients to a pitcher of clean, pure, water (preferably filtered) with ice. Slice fruits and veggies so they are very thin to increase surface area and increase flavor. When using herbs, squeeze or crush them to release the oils (and flavor).
2. You can make an infusion in a jar and refrigerate it for use days later.
3. Make ice cubes out of the ingredients you want to add to the water. Use the ice with water.

Here are some popular combinations. (Note: Basil is often used and it tastes great!)

• Cucumber
  • With basil
  • With kiwi
  • With citrus fruits and mint
• Honeydew melon
  • With basil! Seriously!
• Watermelon
  • With berries
  • With mint or rosemary
• Pineapple
  • With strawberries
  • With mango
  • With mint
• Berries
  • With any other fruit
  • With mint
• Citrus – oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, tangerines, etc.
  • Combine or use alone with mint
  • With melon
  • Note: You might want to peel citrus fruits to avoid their bitter flavor.
• Jalapeño
  • With cucumbers and mint
  • With strawberries
• Tomato
  • With celery and bell pepper

Try new and outlandish combinations. You never know what amazing flavors you will create! The best thing about homemade infusions is that you know what is in them. Why not drink flavored water full of nutrients and antioxidants? They are an excellent addition to a healthy diet. To learn more about a truly healthy diet check out the 80% Raw Diet. And if you’ve never tried cranberry lemonade, check out The One Gallon Challenge.

Recommended Reading:

• Symptoms of Dehydration & Benefits of Proper Hydration – Are you Getting Enough Water?
• What’s the Best Water for Detoxifying and For Drinking?
• Eat More Fiber, Drink More Water For Naturally Glowing Skin – Here’s Why

Fiber is such an important nutrient for your body in so many ways, but did you know that it is also crucial for beautiful, healthy skin?

A diet rich in high-fiber foods such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains can have many benefits to your body. It can give you more energy, improve brain health, and reduce the risk of a whole range of diseases including heart disease and diabetes. But did you know that fiber is also really crucial for super healthy skin and hair?

So how exactly does the fiber from your diet improve the health of your skin?

Consuming foods high in fiber along with drinking an adequate amount of clean, pure water helps your body flush out toxins. Without fiber, these toxins can lead to clogged pores, acne, and dry listless looking skin.

Fiber generally comes from plant-based foods. It is a part of the plant that your body can’t digest. Therefore, as it passes through the intestinal tract, it acts like a broom, sweeping out toxins, excess fats, and waste. Fiber is also great for improving your circulation, which is vital for making sure your skin cells get enough oxygen and nutrients. This means softer, more youthful looking skin.

If you eat processed foods, such as white bread, pizza, and other junk food, you are eating food that has been stripped of its fiber. These foods can actually have the opposite effect on your skin; they can cause acne breakouts and other skin problems.

Make sure you are eating organic foods whenever possible and try adding some of these to your diet to bump up your intake of fiber and help your skin to be healthy and look amazing.

• Whole grains such as barley, millet, brown rice, buckwheat, and steel cut oats
• Lentils, chickpeas, and beans
• Brussel sprouts, broccoli, and leafy greens
• Chia seeds and almonds
• Berries such as raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries

Along with having enough fiber in your diet, it is really important to be drinking enough water to keep your skin healthy. The benefits of drinking enough water are often underrated; however, it is very important for your body and your skin! Water helps your body regulate its metabolism, aids in your body’s digestion, and provides the skin with buoyancy and elasticity, which helps to keep you looking great.

Skin cells are predominantly made up of water and as a result, when your skin isn’t hydrated, your skin will appear dry, tight, flaky, and more prone to wrinkling. Drinking water is also a great detoxing agent, which removes toxins out of your body and will have a dramatic effect on the appearance of your skin.

So exactly how much water should you be drinking each day?

Well, it depends on a number of factors such as your body weight, where you are located (hot/cold, dry/humid climate) and your activity level. Generally, you want to drink around half your body weight in ounces of water. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, then you want to be drinking 80 ounces of water per day. Try and spread out drinking the water throughout the day as the body can only absorb so much water at a time.

Have you noticed the effect of fiber in combination with water on your skin? Let us know how you will incorporate more fiber into your diet. Information is nothing without action, so try adding just one high fiber food into your diet today and build from there to transform your skin!

Sources:

• What’s the Best Water for Detoxifying and For Drinking?
• Inexpensive, Easy Detox – The One Gallon Challenge
• 80% Raw Food Diet
• Natural Remedies for Constipation

I always think of Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham when I am sharing the benefits of vegetables with clients and friends. There is often so much resistance. Can’t you just see it? “Could you, would you?” and the famous reply…“But I do not like them, …”

On my personal journey, the most difficult emotional shift I needed to make around food was to move meat from the center of my plate and replace it with amazing, nutrient dense vegetables. It was difficult only because of the mindset I’d had my entire life. When it came to considering what to make for dinner, I always started with the meat. My thoughts went something like, “What am I going to make for dinner? Well, chicken and potatoes and green beans.” I needed to shift this habit to be, “What am I going to make for dinner? Roots and shoots with a side of quinoa topped with a small slice of chicken breast.” You see, the meat became the optional side. It felt difficult only because of the thought pattern. Once I made the shift in my mind, the rest was easy.

We are just beginning to understand the role vegetables can play in our well-being. Nutrition is a young, complex, and ever evolving science. What we do know is that plant foods offer a diverse and deep well of nutrition that supports our body in creating energy, fighting off cancer, preventing early aging, and aiding our digestive tract. Vegetables also help us to have clear skin and sleep better, and they seem to prevent a myriad of diseases. Every vegetable offers something slightly different, but the nutrients in each plant work together synergistically in a way we cannot yet recreate in a lab. What does this mean? There is really no substitute for the real thing.

As an example, a single cup of spinach holds 888.5 mcg (micrograms) of vitamin K, 14742.0 IU of vitamin A, 1.7 mg of manganese, and 262.4 mcg of folate. It also contains amazing amounts of magnesium, iron, vitamin C, riboflavin, calcium, (where do you think elephants get their calcium from anyway?), potassium, B6, tryptophan, fiber, copper, B1, protein, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin E, omega 3 fatty acids, niacin, selenium, beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.  (Mateljan, 2007)

Adding vegetables to your diet can make a huge impact on how you feel and on your ability to reach your health and wellness goals. If you would like to focus on nutrient density, the ANDI food scoring guide will help you to choose foods with an amazing nutrient power pack. The trick here is diversity. Try mixing up your vegetables and changing up how you prepare them. In the beginning, you might feel resistant, the flavors and textures might be different than what you are used to, but by sticking with it, you and your taste buds will adapt. Whole, natural, foods have flavors that vary as widely as their colors – sometimes it’s in the preparation and sometimes it’s in the season and growing location.

Try this exercise:

Adding vegetables to your plate at every meal can be incredibly impactful. This will be a trial to identify what it feels like to have them more often and in greater amounts. As you work through the vegetables, if after a few tries you absolutely do not like a certain one, don’t force yourself to eat it. We don’t have to like all foods and by pushing ourselves to eat foods we dislike, we are trying to create an unsustainable habit. (I know I can’t stick with eating things I don’t like for very long so it’s okay if you can’t either.)

Begin by visiting the ANDI food scoring guide and choose a vegetable or two that you’d like to add to your plate over the next two weeks.

Take Action & Schedule It!

1. What food(s) did you choose?
2. Where will you get it?
3. When will you get it?
4. How will you prepare it?
5. How many times will you have it?

Write your plans for your meals and track your food in a personal journal.

At the end of 14 days, come back and answer these questions:

1. What did you try?
2. How did you prepare it?
3. What was your favorite way of having it?
4. How often did you eat it?
5. How do you feel?

Bringing awareness to your experience allows you to practice listening to your body and what’s working and what’s not. Watch for subtle shifts, greater energy, reduction of mind fog, and less bloating.

This article is an excerpt from Lessons for MomPositive Living, Attainable Wellness for Modern Moms written by Tammi Hoerner, INHC. This book is available for purchase here.

Recommended Reading:

• 80% Raw Food Diet

We all know at least one or two people who are super fit and never seem to get sick. They always seem to be really happy, too. But how do they do it? Were they born that way?

The short answer is no! Healthy people have some rules they live by, even if they don’t consciously follow them. So what are these rules?

They Enjoy Exercising

Healthy people love to exercise and have exercises or sports that they really enjoy doing. As a result, they keep doing exercises because they like to, not because they have to. When we try to do exercises we don’t like doing, the lifestyle change never lasts long term. Try to find an exercise or sport that you actually enjoy. That way you will look forward to it rather than dread it.

They Eat Bad Foods In Moderation

Many people think healthy people never eat any “bad” food. While this may be true for some, it’s not true for everyone. But healthy people have a different definition of “bad” food. They don’t drink conventional sodas and eat GMO corn chips, but they may have a sweet snack or a dessert once or twice a week, compared to others who eat junk food or sugary snacks once or twice a day. Try to make sure your meals and your snacks are healthy. Over time, you’ll elevate your definition of junk food, too.

They Eat Healthy Snacks

Snacking on junk food can cause all sorts of damage and contributes to weight gain. Healthy people make sure they eat healthy snacks and prepare them ahead of time. They eat snacks such as raw nuts (unsalted and unroasted), fresh fruit, and cut up vegetables (eg. celery and carrots). Try and plan ahead when it comes to snacks, and the next time you are at the grocery store, shop accordingly.

They Drink Plenty Of Water

Water does so many good things for your body. Keeping hydrated helps your skin and hair look great. It’s no wonder healthy people always seem to look great. They drink plenty of water and don’t drink sodas. Sodas are full of sugar, and don’t think diet sodas are any better. Diet sodas are filled with extra chemicals and terrible artificial sweeteners. Don’t be drinking plenty of fruit drinks such as orange juice either. Why? Have you ever thought of eating 30 oranges in a row? No? Well that’s pretty much what you’re doing when you drink a glass or two of orange juice. It’s a lot of sugar! Some fruit drinks are also full of other nasty ingredients. Try drinking water and herbal teas. Or check out this recipe for cranberry lemonade with stevia.

They Go To Bed Early and Are Early Risers

We all know that sleep is an important part of life. But healthy people know just how important it is to get at very least 7 hours of consistent sleep every night. They go to sleep earlier and get up much earlier even on their days off. And then, they tend to exercise first thing in the morning. Exercising in the morning has great benefits and can make us far more productive during the day.

Have you changed anything in your life that has made you healthier? Whether it is your diet or exercise regime, or a sport you love. Post your changes in the comments below.