Nov 13 2008
Small Steps Towards Health …
When Craig and I met as teenagers, we were both very athletic. He was an avid weightlifter. I was into working out and teaching aerobics. (When I was even younger - I taught Karate classes.) This was a huge part of our identities. It was also something we let careers, children, and middle age, steal from us.
During Craig’s rehab and recovery, we prioritized improving our health habits. Exercise and healthier eating had to become a consistent part of our everyday life. This was something that would end up being huge in Craig’s success!
With our backgrounds, you’d think it would have been easy to incorporate healthier habits, into our new beginning lifestyle. Well you’d be wrong - it wasn’t easy. Even in recovery life has a way of making change hard. At first I was all gung ho. Then I’d start to lose steam & he’d get into it. We kind of did this flip flop thing for quite a few months, then one day, we were finally on the same page. We were doing daily walks through George Wyth State park (3-miles). We cut out the fast food, completely. The sporadic use of our treadmill, turned into daily use by both of us. Small changes, that started to yield big results.
Here are some other small steps towards health & happiness:
- Eat an apple before lunch. It will fill you up with healthy & tasty fiber, helping you to eat less calories.
- Brush your teeth with your other hand. Using your non-dominant hand can improve you mood & memory.
- Drink filtered coffee. Unfiltered coffee is linked to higher levels of cholesterol.
- Have a few walnuts. Try eating an ounce a day. They contain liver healthy omega -3s.
- Wake up with a plan. Jump in the shower & try to remember yesterday’s headlines. Physical and mental activity will activate your brain!
- Practice the phrase “I forgive you.” Choosing to forgive helps us see a situation through understanding and compassion. By making a problem yours to forgive, regardless of the behavior of the other person, you’re giving yourself a profound degree of control.
- Purge toxic possessions. Peter Walsh, from TLC’s Clean Sweep, says, “Dwelling on regrets and negative memories fuels depression, which is why clearing out the tangible reminders can give you a lift.”
- Stand on the balls of your feet. Simply shifting your weight to the balls of your feet will help you feel more grounded, if your having a tough conversation.
- Take ten minutes for daydreaming. When your stumped on a problem, the best way to solve it is to let your mind wander.
(This list was excerpted from Sara Reistad-Long’s article in the November issue of O magazine, titled Small Changes, Big Results .)
~ by dawn (a.k.a. iowahippiechick)
