10 Simple Steps to a Healthy Lifestyle

We all yearn for great health to keep us fit and extend our lives. However, getting a very healthy lifestyle does not depend purely on the physical aspects of living, but engaging both mind and body to achieve the best state of wellbeing.

These 10 very useful and simple steps begin with the mind:

1. Have positive thoughts about being healthy. It is pointless doing everything right to your body if you do not start with positive thoughts like, “I am gorgeous and beautiful,” or “I have a great physique”. If you begin with your mind, you will bring those thoughts into being as you work steadily towards your goal. You won’t be trying to keep healthy while thinking negatively about it, or doing things that work against it. Affirming what you’re doing makes it much easier to achieve and maintain.

2. Exercise the brain: If you do not use anything in life, you will lose its function, especially your brain. We have the most powerful learning tool on Earth and we are only using a fraction of its capabilities. For example, get on the Internet and find your own little library of information activities, like joining a hobby club or learning a new language. People who use their brain daily stay much healthier than those who just passively watch television, scrolling their phone, don’t read, or sit around doing nothing.

3. Learn something new often: Make a point to learn at least ONE new thing each week and gradually increase your knowledge, while you’re also improving your capacity to learn and absorb information. If you consistently do that, by the end of the year you would have learned at least 50 new things you didn’t know before the year started. A simple way of doing this is to regularly test yourself on some trivia quizzes that are bound to have questions to which you don’t know the answers!

4. Exercise those muscles: Just running on the spot for two minutes and dancing vigorously to two favourite records, daily, will help tremendously to keep you healthy. Simple things you can do in your home every day, would make a huge difference over time to the state of your health. It means that there is no need to feel anxious because you cannot get to a gym. In fact when it comes to exercises, consistency and intensity of action are keys to a fitter body than any sporadic action in a gym.

5. A Good Diet: Cut down dramatically on fatty foods and sugar. Once those twin evils are reduced, you can eat more of what you like, especially with vegetables, fruits and nuts. Eat in moderation and regularly - like three medium sized meals each day and drink at least 4 glasses of water with them. By keeping away from these two types of foods, you lessen the risk of obesity and diabetes.

6. Ensure you have adequate sleep: Your body is a finely tuned human machine, and the only time it gets to do its ‘repairs’, and regenerate itself, is when you are asleep. A lack of adequate sleep (at least 6-8 hours) is likely to lower your performance threshold and reduces the power of your immune system, making you more prone to lethargy and illnesses.

7. Social networking: Having a social life keeps us connected to others and enable greater contentment within the self through a feeling of being valued. Reach out to others whenever you can. Social interaction reinforces and affirms us. It gives us a great sense of belonging and worth, and helps us to make a difference to others, too.

8. Have a life purpose: Having something you really want to do each day will keep you much healthier. It will give you a deep sense of satisfaction, achievement and wellbeing simply because it gives you that extra motivation to get out of bed each day. It also establishes your presence, your value and your legacy.

9. Be more adventurous: Try something new whenever you can. Test your boundaries and your limits. Learn a new task, or challenge yourself in something you fear. It helps to build your competence, confidence and knowledge, and also widens your horizon considerably.

10. This one is very easy: Smile a lot: This is the biggest asset we have, because when we smile, our body smiles too from the sheer joy of it, and our inner beauty shines out. Being happy makes us more attractive to others, as we tend to look amazing, and it even keeps us living longer because of our positivity.

Living a healthy lifestyle according to this blend of simple activities should make a huge difference to your quality of life, in a wholesome way, while naturally embedding themselves into your daily routine. It means that with the minimum of effort, you can develop a lifestyle that will strengthen your mind and body while increasing your enjoyment and longevity..

Speaking personally, these simple steps to good health have been part of my life for years, and I couldn’t feel better. I have the lowest cholesterol, a very low blood pressure, and I don’t put on weight anymore, which is excellent for my diabetes. I am very, very happy with that!