There's no doubt about it, once you start to incorporate a better diet and exercise routine, your life just gets better and better.

The question is why don't we start when we know we need to? Changing our health is at the top of the list for most people.

The challenge of making these changes is it disrupts our comfort zone. When we've had a bad day it seems so much more comforting to dig into that pint of Ben And Jerry's than munch on a carrot or jump on the treadmill.

The benefits of diet and exercise changes can be enormous. The only true and lasting way to get these benefits, however, is to slowly make lifestyle changes. This includes eating healthy foods, thinking healthy, and exercising.

Let's look at these strategies a little more in depth.

Eating Healthy Foods

Our outer appearance usually reflects the foods we put into our bodies. The old adage, "You are what you eat", couldn't be more true. However, you don't need to eat like a rabbit to enjoy good, clean, healthy foods. Choosing wisely is an essential part of a good diet and exercise routine.

It's important to develop our own healthy eating plan, one that is tailored to fit our individual body. We are all different. What foods may work for one person, another may not be able to handle. The trick is to listen to your body as you eat. Good-for-you foods should:

• Give you energy
• Satisfy you
• Support your health
• Taste good to you
• Keep your blood sugar stable
• Make you feel healthy and happy

One of the main mistakes many people make when trying to implement good diet and exercise habits is going to the extreme.

For example: Many quick-fix diets promise big results in little time, but they are not healthy. When you shock your body by making extreme changes, it actually goes into starvation mode, which means it will hold onto fats. This is actually hard-wired into our anatomy so our bodies can cope in times of famine. After you're done with the diet, the weight will just creep back on.

For the average person, a diet of whole grains, lean meats, low-fat dairy and lots of fruits and vegetables is ideal. To super-charge the nutrition you're getting you can always add super foods (foods that are incredibly high in vitamins, minerals and good bacteria).

The following is a list of foods that are exceptional sources of nutrition:

• Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. Consuming this oil is like feeding your body high-octane fuel. Besides being perfect for cooking, (due to it's high heat-resistant capacity), this oil is easily absorbed by the body, making it good for digestion and overall health. Numerous other benefits include anti-aging properties, helps speed metabolism, promotes healthy weight, balances blood sugar, improves immune function, balances cholesterol levels, fabulous for skin care, increases energy, has antiviral and antifungal properties and protects against many degenerative diseases.
• Acai Berry.This little purple berry, taken from the palm trees of South America, has been touted as one of nature's most healthful and nutrient-rich fruits. It contains powerful antioxidants that assist in the neutralizing of harmful free radicals. In addition to this, studies have shown acai berry suppresses appetite, assists in weight loss, promotes healthy digestion, and is chock-full of amino acids, phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, fiber and healthy fats. Click here for more information regarding the health benefits of acai berry!
• Kefir. This healthful food is described as any milk that has undergone a process of fermentation. It is enzyme-rich and boasts millions of friendly bacteria and microorganisms to help balance your 'inner ecosystem'. The health benefits are enormous. Kefir, which in Turkish means 'feel good', has a tart taste that resembles buttermilk or sugar-free yogurt. It has been proven to boost immunity, improve digestive health, calm nerves (due to its high vitamin-B content), and contribute to good overall health.
Want to produce kefir right from your own home? Click here to find out how.

• Chia seeds. Chia, (also known as salvia hispanica), comes from a plant native to Mexico. It was cultivated in pre-Columbian times by the ancient Aztecs. Their warriors were known to subsist on chia during their conquests. It is claimed that just 1 tablespoon packs enough punch to be able to sustain the body for 24 hours. Full of nutrients, this food source is still commonly used in Mexico and South America. Chia provides a boost of energy and helps curb hunger, making it perfect for weight control. These seeds are also rich in calcium, protein, fiber, antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids. They can easily be added to juice or water, sprinkled over food or used in cooking.
Click here to purchase Chia seeds online!


• Spelt. Spelt is a high-protein grain originating from Iran and southeastern Europe. Its husk protects it from insects and pesticides making it more difficult and tedious to process, which in turn makes it more expensive than traditional flour. However, it is much more healthy. Although spelt does have some gluten, it does not seem to cause the severe sensitivities that those who are intolerant to wheat experience, making it a perfect alternative. Spelt has a nutlike flavor and is rich in nutrients, including vitamin B, niacin, zinc and dietary fiber.
Click here for some valuable cooking tips and to purchase spelt online.

• Apple cider vinegar. Here is another fermented product that has so many benefits, they couldn't possibly all be listed here. This product can be used for anything from weight loss to improving your health to cleaning your house! This vinegar is created when apple juice undergoes two fermentation processes. The first fermentation creates hard apple cider, which is followed up by a second fermentation that creates apple cider vinegar. When purchasing, buy organic and raw, it is the best. Taken internally, it helps reduce infection, destroys bad bacteria, fungus and viruses, helps correct pH balance, improves digestion, curbs appetite, and is a natural antibiotic and antiseptic.
Click here for more info on ACV and to purchase online.

Thinking Healthy

It should be no surprise to us that the state our bodies are in coincides perfectly with our state of mind. Changing our thoughts is a crucial part of diet and exercise, or for that matter, any change.

For example: You get up first thing in the morning and look in the mirror. What are some things you say to yourself?

• "Man, I look terrible."
• "I look so fat!"
• "Why can't I pull myself together?"
• "I am so dumb!"

Sound familiar? This negative self-talk is very destructive. You might as well hang up a list of affirmations for things you don't want, for as sure as you say them, they surely will become who you are. Yet how many times a day do we catch ourselves thinking this way. Our thoughts are energy. When you use this kind of mind language on yourself, you will attract the very same.

So how do we change it? If like attracts like, then does it not make sense to begin to tell yourself a different story?

• "I look fabulous today!"
• "I am looking thinner and thinner!"
• "I am in complete charge of everything in my life!"
• "My mind is sharp and I make good decisions!"

When you first start to say things like this, it may feel a little odd, even ridiculous. It's because you don't believe what you are saying yet. Just be patient and keep at it. Say positive, nice things to yourself even when you don't feel like it. One day you will stop and look at yourself and you will be different. You will no longer be controlled by that negative self-talk of the past, but will be a more confident and better you. It will help in every area, not just diet and exercise. Things will begin to work out for you in every way.

There is a good lesson to learn from Henry Ford's famous quote: "Whether you think you can or can't, you're right." Try applying this outlook to every thought. You will begin to realize that the power of your mind should never be underestimated. Healthy diet and exercise habits should always include mind health.

Exercising

Your mind, body and spirit will benefit from giving it a workout. This is an essential part to any diet and exercise program. To be in top shape, we must create a space of time each day to devote to this important activity. It all boils down to a simple equation:

Activity + Persistence = Strength

When the words diet and exercise are used, most people cringe. That's because they think it involves eating miniscule amounts of food while sweating buckets at the gym. Not so. In reality, no one should take on any regimen that isn't sensible for each individual need. We are all unique. What may work for some, definately will not work for others. So we need to begin to listen to our bodies. They will tell us what feels healthy, and what feels like too much.

There are many wonderful types of exercise. All are good for the body, but on an individual level, one might benefit more from one than another. The following are some examples of different types of exercise and its health benefits:

• Stretching. This important activity targets specific muscle groups in slow, deliberate movements, pulled to a certain point and held for a brief time. These movements are aimed at warming up target areas for more strenuous exercise as well as cooling them down after the workout. Stretching relieves tension and stress and helps joints by easing them into a workout. Yoga and tai-chi are excellent avenues for flexibility and strength.

• Areobic. Any activity that uses large muscle groups and elevates your heart rate is considered aerobic. Examples include running, swimming, bicycling and jumping rope. Benefits include improved heart and lung function, increased muscle mass, endurance, better sleep, maintaining a healthy weight, and a decrease in unhealthy body fat, depression, immune disorders and other illnesses.
• Strength training. This activity uses resistance of some kind to develop muscle mass. This is done by using free weights, machines, or your own body weight. Benefits include improvement in joint areas, increased stamina and strength, improved metabolic rate, and a decrease in many health problems.

An easy way to get in your daily exercise is to do something you enjoy. Grab some friends and play a game of basketball, take the kids swimming, go on a hike and get some fresh air... the possibilities are endless.

When you stop thinking of a diet and exercise routine as a chore and start thinking of it as a healthy and happy part of your life, it will become enjoyable. In fact, you won't be able to go a day without it.

Developing a good diet and exercise routine is really about having a good attitude about life in general. Diet and exercise doesn't have to control your life, but it needs to be an important part of it. Being healthy requires a balance of all goods things. Implementing the proper diet and exercise program in your life is a great start to achieving that balance!

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