We live in an age of information overload.
Technology has us more connected than ever and also more bombarded than ever. When it comes to our health, we can easily become paralyzed by all the advice.
When in reality, healthy living is pretty simple.
Here are 5 techniques I live by to ensure a healthy mind, body, and spirit:
1. Listen to your body
Above all diet advice, detox trends, and even doctors' advice, listen to what your body is telling you.
No one else knows your body better than you do. Take charge of your body by taking the time to notice its patterns.
What makes it feel good? What gives you energy? What makes you come alive?
When do you feel your best? Your worst?
Take the time to observe what’s happening internally and then make changes.
Try different things and notice what happens. Try everything from changing what you eat, to noticing how your energy is affected by the people around you, to observing how your thought patterns influence your actions.
It won’t be long before you start to have an understanding of what nourishes you and more importantly, what doesn’t.
2. Eat From the Earth
It’s really as simple as that.
It’s easy to get caught up in all the diet trends and feel completely paralyzed by all the conflicting advice. Forget it all and do your best to eat from the earth as much as possible.
Try to make the majority of your food be organic local fruits and vegetables and the rest will fall into place.
Nature literally provides us with everything we need not only to survive, but to thrive. There are so many tastes, textures, and spices provided to us in nature. We don’t need processed or packaged foods in our diet.
Count chemicals not calories.
Especially when your caloric intake is from all natural plant- based sources, there really is no limit.
Eat from that which you came from, avoid processed foods and you will be well on your way.
3. Filter your water
We all know how important drinking plenty of water is for our health. But the truth is, water can actually be harmful when it's sourced improperly.
Many times tap water contains a multitude of hidden and unwanted substances from sewage, urban run-off, industrial wastewater, and chemicals used in the water treatment process such as chlorine, and/or fluoride. And that doesn't even account for the piping or hardware used to transport the water.
In today’s ever growing population and decreasing natural land resources, clean and pure water is becoming scarcer. Know where your water source is coming from. If you are drinking tap water, invest a quality water filter.
Better yet, drink natural spring water. There are increasingly more advocates coming together as a community to source local & pure spring water. The best part is that it’s free.
Check out this amazing website that will help you find a natural spring in your area. Once you locate one you can fill up as much as you want. You will save money, reduce plastic waste, and be consuming a clean, healthy source of water.
Or, get filtered water systems delivered straight to your house at an affordable cost. Clean water- our life force- is an important investment for your health
4. Move your body
We know how damaging sitting or stagnation can be over prolonged periods of time. Some studies even found it to be more dangerous than smoking.
In our increasingly technological world there is little need for movement beyond moving our fingers at a keyboard. If you are working a 9-5 job in front of a computer, coming home exhausted to sit on the couch and watch television, your health is at risk.
Our bodies build up toxins when we don’t use them. Everything becomes stuck and stagnate: physically, emotionally, and mentally. One of the best things you can do to feel better is to move.
Move how? Any way that feels good to you. Whether it’s dancing like a crazy person in your kitchen or joining a gym.
Try to find time every day to move. Go outside, take a walk, swim, run...PLAY!
Our bodies are designed to move and to be challenged. The more we move, the more we want to move and the easier it becomes to build a healthy, active lifestyle.
5. Get Uncomfortable
Humans needs change and challenge to improve. Routine can be lethal to our health.
The best way to break out of routine is to get uncomfortable.
When we are always in the same patterns and routines, we stop progressing and become stunted by even the smallest of challenges or changes. We overreact to things, people, or situations that do not go the way we are used to.
When we purposefully put ourselves in unknown or uncomfortable situations we are contributing to our growth. Overcoming uncomfortable situations expands our circle of comfort. This helps us to become more adaptable, confident, and open-minded in any situation.
There are many ways to get uncomfortable...from taking on a passion project, facing your fears, or learning a new language.
However, the best and most powerful, fun, and transforming way to extend your comfort zone is to TRAVEL.
Traveling literally forces us into novel, exciting, and often uncomfortable situations. Sometimes not knowing the language, the city, or where to get food can be overwhelming but this is where the growth starts. We learn to let go, become self-reliant, and to trust.
With travel more accessible than ever before, and awesome companies like Under30Experiences to keep you safe along the journey, more and more people are choosing lasting travel experiences over impermanent material wealth.
Choose travel. Choose health. And remember to keep it simple.
