2015 has arrived and is better than ever. This is your year to elevate your health to a whole new level.
Take charge, make changes, and live life to the fullest of ways and you will reap the benefits of longevity!
Every Year I highlight the latest and greatest, from research and more, to give you this Livet® (liv-e’t). Here are my favorites to create Longevity, Happiness, and Abundant Energy……Enjoy!!
Optimal Health is a balanced combination of :
Nutrition
Exercise and Movement
Downtime and Sleep
Happiness and Fulfillment
Nutrition:
Nutritional Density is the amount of nutrition each bite gives you, make each bite count! Choose foods that are in their natural state with little to any manufacturing. Go for the colors of the rainbow and aim to increase fruits and vegetables that are dark and rich in color.
Not all calories are created equal! How your body chooses to store your foods has to do directly with the types of foods you choose, so are they processed or not, are you exercising immediately or not. If your body can not identify the food or feels it has no real use for them….your body will store them all as fat! So the calories don’t really matter, 100 calories of cereal will be stored, as 100 calories of vegetables will be put to good use!
Are you starving shortly after a meal? Then you didn’t have enough fat and protein. Fat and protein take longer to breakdown, hence keeping calories in your system for a longer period of time. So for those days that you know a few hours will pass before your next meal, load up on the protein and fat, and for those days that your next meal will come quick, stick with more carbs from fruits or vegetables.
For permanent weight loss remember to increase your nutritional density while decreasing your calories. This will trick your body so that it doesn’t feel that it is in starvation mode. As long as your body is receiving all of the nutrients it need, it will easily drop the weight.
Want a great habit to add health and increased immunity….Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water every day. This will help you balance your alkalinity, keeping acid at bay. And remember…..disease loves acid.
Need Help with Your Nutrition, Click HERE to see how I can help
Exercise and Movement:
The New England Journal of Medicine recently published that the number one cause of mortality is……A Sedentary Lifestyle. So get your move on, exercise does not have to be limited to a 60 minute session, break it down. You can easily receive benefits from 6, 10 minute sessions, 4, 15 minute sessions, or 2, 30 minute sessions.
Movement is exercise, so gardening counts, housework does too and anything else that raises your heart rate. Take each day and incorporate activities that will enhance your fitness level, walk the stairs, carry the groceries, make every chore count and your body will love you for it!
Exercise boosts your metabolism, in other words when you exercise you burn extra calories doing ordinary things for an hour or more afterwards. With this said, you can break up your workout into small increments throughout the day so that your metabolism is constantly being turned on and calories are constantly being burned – “It’s a win-win!”
Your pelvis is the center of your body, it dictates your alignment from the pelvis to the tip of your head and from your pelvis to the tip of your toes. Any misalignment in the pelvis can cause misalignments and weaknesses in the rest of the body. With this said, to have a truly strong body, you need a strong core, one that hold your pelvis perfectly in place. The core is comprised of your abdomen, your hip flexors, your erectors (back muscles) and your glutes. So if your starting an exercise program make sure to make these areas your first priority and if your in the midst of your program, make sure to incorporate exercises for these muscles on an ongoing basis.
Are you pressed for time? No worries, simply add squats, lunges, push-ups, and crunches. Do about 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps and your set. This wouldn’t be your everyday workout but it sure works well when your in a pinch and limited with equipment.
Want some new exercise programs to do right at hope, CLICK HERE to check our some of my videos
Downtime and Sleep:
Your bedroom is your sanctuary, create an environment that welcomes sleep and relaxation – no TV’s, no small electronic lights. Simply dark, comfy, and cool, a place that you feel you can let go of your day and relish in physical and mental recuperation!
I hate to break it to you but computers, tablets, and even your smart phone can wake up your system and disrupt the night time ritual of rest and relaxation. In a perfect world we would turn these off as the moon rises and place our energies to reading books or magazines. The goal is to set the stage of sleep, to gradually take our mind and body to full, 100% relaxation for quality recovery and rest!
For those night owls, you know who you are, sleep is imperative for brain function, muscle recovery, weight loss, and general health. Without proper sleep our thinking becomes foggy and our motivation a bit weak, its time to let our thoughts rest. If your brain keeps you up, trying randomly writing everything you are thinking about before bed. They don’t have to be complete sentences or even make sense to anyone but YOU, its just a matter of getting them out of your head so that you can rest fully!
The number one thing I see with my weight-loss challenged clients is erratic sleep patterns! A lack of sleep WILL keep body fat happy and content living within you. Your body needs to recuperate fully for it to function at 100%, create rituals or routines to slow your day down and create the best environment for sleep you can have.
My favorite sleep ritual is drinking Kava tea, I get either pure kava (which is VERY strong) or kava tea bags from Yogi Teas, which are quite yummy.
Happiness and Fulfillment:
The best prescription for life is laughter, but I mean the type of laughter that makes your eyes water and the giggling endless!
No one can give you happiness, it can’t be bought, borrowed, or stolen. It is all, 100%, up to you. Its up to you to take care of yourself, surround yourself with great inspiration, and make each day the way you want it to be.
Many times we get stuck on the “hamster wheel” of life and find ourselves focusing on the negative instead of the positive. Its that old saying of the glass half full or half empty. For the next 21 days force yourself to focus on the glass half full, use post-its as reminders and anything else you need to bring you back to the positive. They say it takes 21 days to create a habit, so start your habit today and put a HUGE smile on your face.
This is your fourth component of health, without this the others cannot sustain your health, you need happiness and you deserve it! This is your life, criticisms, jealousies, and whatever other junk people throw at you is simply….JUNK. You don’t need to listen, accept, or allow it to enter your realm. Basically, it’s their problem not yours, so start to allow it to go in one ear and out the other and keep only the information that inspires, and elevates you to the next level!
LAUGH, DANCE, SING – Whichever chimes a smile, incorporate it into your daily routine, even if it is just for a few minutes. Those few minutes will release so many “happy hormones” that your day will go better than expected, and every once and a while you might have to LAUGH, SING, and DANCE one more time, but that is OK!
Your health is YOUR HEALTH, no one else can be responsible for keeping it strong and vibrant but YOU. Our lives are an incredible journey, don’t let a Twinkie, weak muscles, and a puss face take you down the wrong path – Change it, move forward smile bright, and shine!
In Peace, Love, and Health, Adita
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©Copyright 2016, Adita Lang Adita Lang works with individuals and groups to maximize their health through exercise and nutrition, both through Coaching and Public Speaking. Feel free to email me: Adita@NutritionalBrilliance.com