banner
alive logo
FoodFamilyLifestyleBeautySustainabilityHealthImmunity

Five Steps from Fine to Fabulous

Share

We all have the power to influence our health and well-being through the choices we make every day.

We all have the power to influence our health and well-being through the choices we make every day.

By following these five easy steps, you will not only protect your body against disease and slow the aging process, but you will also enjoy the healthiest, most vibrant, and energetic daily life you deserve.

1. Give Thanks

A simple reflection before your meal helps to generate a feeling of healthy cohesiveness which often lasts the rest of your day.

2. Eat as if Your Life Depended upon it

Consider each food for its nutritional value before you eat it. Also, try to eat a diet that contains 75 percent alkalizing foods (such as leafy green vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, peas, all berries, and tofu) and 25 percent acidifying foods (including animal proteins, peanuts, white-flour products, milk, butter, and cheese). Have a green drink daily; these are convenient alkalizing superfoods containing a variety of phytonutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins.

Eat organically grown fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Include sea vegetables and supplements. Try to purchase foods that have not been exposed to pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and ripening-retardant chemicals. Be alert to the new wave of bioengineered foods, and foods that have been irradiated. Avoid chemical-laden and overly processed foods containing MSG, sugar, and hydrogenated oils.

3. Balance Your Foods

Eat low-fat proteins, quality fats, and low-glycemic, complex carbohydrates at every meal. Eat lean cuts of meats and remove all visible fat before cooking. Try to eat salmon, mackerel, sardines, and trout two to three times a week. Only consume fat-free dairy products and eat free-range eggs when possible.

If you are vegan or vegetarian, try to incorporate nutritional yeast, spirulina, chlorella, and soy isolate protein powder. If you find it hard to eat three balanced meals and two nutritional snacks each day, look for a healthy, natural meal replacement formula.

4. Remember Your Good Fats

Take fish oils: Best known for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, skin conditions and arthritis, there is now exciting research showing the positive impact of omega-3s on brain health and function. There’s been a radical shift in the Western diet over the last half-century, leaving a nutritional void that can easily be filled through proper supplementation. Look for fish oils derived from small, wild, and clean sources such as anchovy, sardines, and mackerel.

5. Reduce Stress–Naturally

Breathe deeply to reduce stress naturally: Conscientious breathing revitalizes the body with both oxygen and energy. Each morning and each evening take five minutes to breathe calmly and perform relaxing breathing exercises.

Exercise daily. Exercise is life supporting; our bodies were meant to move in a natural, neurologically coordinated way. Walking is a high-quality locomotive movement we should engage in each day. It has a harmonizing effect on the entire central nervous system.

Eye exercises should be done daily to strengthen optic responses. Exercise your skin by using a natural, dry, soft-bristle brush or washcloth to rub and exfoliate your skin prior to your daily shower or bath.

Remember, your health is won or lost each day at the cellular level, and only you have the power to make the right choices. Eat wisely, feel healthy, live long, and be happy–naturally!

Advertisement
Advertisement

READ THIS NEXT

More than Skin Deep
Beauty

More than Skin Deep

The psychology under the surface of skin care

Michelle Schoffro Cook, PhD, DNMMichelle Schoffro Cook, PhD, DNM