ACTION PLAN TO BE YOUR BEST

"Healthy Habits and Healthy Diet Tips"

Action Plan to be MY BEST
Journal
2016



     We are fully moving ahead into 2016 as you can see February days are just flying.  Some of you have already started an action plan for 2016 on creating healthy habits and learning healthy diet tips to get yourself and family members at his or her best.  No action plan?  It's okay.  I have one for you in which you can use as a guide.

 

So, what are the healthy habits in which you can gradually get accustom to?

 

Stretch every day to increase your flexibility.  
Learning to do yoga is an excellent way to stretch those muscles and circulate the blood.  Yoga has healing powers that benefits the body, mind, and spirit.  Practicing the technique of yoga will help build strength in the muscles, perfects your posture, prevents cartilage and joint breakdown, protects the spine, improves bone health, lowers stress levels, increases blood flow, helps the lymphatic system fight infection boosting immunity, helps the heart rate, regulates adrenal glands, boost mood, encourages a healthy lifestyle, lowers blood sugar, boost HDL good cholesterol, helps you focus, calms the body, maintains the nervous system, helps breathing, and helps the digestive system.

 

Get a good night sleep.  
A restful night's sleep is very important for the body.  Drink a cup of lavender, chamomile, or lemon balm tea at night can help your body relax and prepare for sleep.  What's even better is taking a dose of magnesium before bed.  Magnesium reduces symptoms of chronic pain, fatigue, and insomnia.  It provides protection of numerous chronic diseases especially those associated with stress and aging.

 

Magnesium

1. bone health
2. plays a role in activating vitamin D in the kidneys
3. helps diabetes
4. heart friendly
5. premenstrual syndrome
6. cramps
7. asthma
8. relaxes the nervous system
9. bigger and stronger muscles
10. better flexibility
11. remineralizes teeth
12. alkalizes the body's pH balance
13. hydrates the body (electrolyte)
14. relieves constipation
15. enzyme function capability 

 According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) for infants up to 3 years of age 40-80 mg; adults males is 270-400 mg; for adult females is 280-300 mg, for pregnant females 320 mg daily; and for breastfeeding females 340-355 mg, for children between 4 and 6 years old 120 mg; children between 7 and 10 years old 170 mg; adolescent males 270-400 mg; and adolescent females 280-300 mg daily.  
 

Take a brisk 30 minute walk.  
Get up from your office desk or from the sofa to take a brisk walk.

 

Supplements.
Maximize your multivitamin with one that contains nutrients made from "real foods" not synthetic ingredients.  Read labels on the bottle to make sure you have the necessary Bs, amino acids, digestive enzymes, greens, and minerals.  No soy, no preservatives, no corn oil, no yeast, and no artificial colorings.

Restore, improve, and protect the digestive tract flora with probiotics.  Probiotics is key to having optimum good health.  The body needs the good bacteria flora to fend off the bad bacteria we have in our system on a daily basis.  As a reminder the digestive tract is 70% of our immune system.  Researchers have now come to realize probiotics (good bacteria) is a link to having good body functions with the heart, brain, immune system, and especially the gastrointestinal tract. 

Recommend probiotics that have multi-strains of good bacteria and delivers billions CFU.  Read labels to make sure it's dairy free, soy free, yeast free, no preservatives, no artificial coloring, and no corn.

 

Protect your skin from the inside out.

Vitamin C (plays an important role in the formation of collagen), biotin, flax seed oil, black currant oil, evening primrose oil, wild salmon oils (omega 3 fatty acids) helps with your skin, hair, and nails.  Omega 3 fatty acids fights inflammation and pain.  Recommend 500mg - 1000mg for adults.  As for kids look for kid friendly brands.  Read labels to make sure it's dairy free, soy free, yeast free, no preservatives, no artificial coloring, no high fructose corn syrup, and no corn. 

 

Tame inflammation.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is known as the most versatile healing spice in the world.  The chemical compound, curcumin, found in the turmeric root gives its richly golden hue and the powerful healing we receive from it.  Turmeric has anti-inflammatory action found to help prevent or alleviate some of the following diseases we are now facing in many people all over the world: 

• Alzheimer's disease
• Arthritis
• Cancer

How can you get more turmeric in your health diet?

 

There are three ways to incorporate the healing spice:

1. Turmeric tea (boiling/steeping ground turmeric in purified water).  Drink at least 3 cups a day.
2. Turmeric extract supplement capsules dosages of 400-600 mg and make sure black pepper is listed as one of the ingredients.  Black pepper helps the turmeric (curcumin) absorb in the body.  You can take three times daily but read the directions on the bottle.  Read labels to make sure it's dairy free, soy free, yeast free, no preservatives, no artificial coloring, and no corn. 
3. Cook with the spice.  You can make curry dishes, sprinkle on your meats, extract the liquid from the root with a juicer or blend the root in your blender for smoothies, cook in rice, pasta, and quinoa.  Be creative when making your meals.

Protect your heart.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is beneficial for heart health.  It assists in maintaining the normal oxidative state of LDL cholesterol, helps assure circulatory health, supports optimal functioning of the heart muscle, and vessel walls.  Coenzyme is made naturally in the body but as we get older or plague with diseases it decreases.  The standard dose is 90 mg and a high dose is 200 mg.  Read labels to make sure it's dairy free, soy free, yeast free, no preservatives, no artificial coloring, and no corn.    

 Healthy diet tips

• Drink a lot of water throughout the day.  Stay hydrated, avoid sugary drinks, and artificial sweeteners.
• Eat a variety of wholesome fresh fruits and vegetables.  "Rainbow colors of vegetables."  Get in the habit of cooking.
• Maintain a healthy body weight and feel good.
• Eat moderate portions.  Do not over eat.  Do not full up your plate.  "Portion control."
• Snack smartly. "Protein snacks."  Opt for nutrient dense fruits and nuts or veggies and hummus instead of cookies or chips.  
• At least 50% of your foods should be organic.
• Eat a well balanced breakfast - protein, nutritious carbs, vegetable, and fruit.  Do not skip breakfast!
• Eat at a slow pace and be mindful.
• Eat smaller meals throughout the day.
• Reduce your sugar intake.  Substitute sugar with stevia, pure maple syrup, cinnamon, raw honey, or coconut nectar.  What's even better pureeing sweet fruits, such as, bananas, mangoes, and apples can help sweeten things. 
• Eat foods high in fiber (beans, sweet potatoes, dark leafy greens).
• Eat 100% whole grains.  Avoid refined foods, such as, breads, pastas, and cereals that are not whole grain.
• Avoid processed foods. "Pre-made meals."  Ready to eat foods, deli meats, frozen pizza, microwavable foods, foods with added ingredients for flavor and texture are heavily processed foods.
• Include extra serving of vegetables at each meal.  For example, add some spinach or mushrooms into your eggs, opt for a salad filled with different dark leafy greens at lunch or dinner, and serve two different vegetables for dinner.
• Add 3 to 4 ounces of high quality protein to each meal.  Opt for wild caught salmon, eggs, poultry, or grass fed meats (organic).

     There you have it - a complete guideline to help you create healthy habits for days, weeks, months, and years to come. 




                                                                                            Namaste