Fantastic Lifestyle Checklist
Fantastic Lifestyle Checklist
Complete to check if you are living a healthy lifestyle.
Complete to check if you are living a healthy lifestyle.
INSTRUCTIONS: Unless otherwise specified, place an ‘X’
beside the box which best describes your behaviour
Or situation in the past month.
Explanations of questions and scoring are provided on the next page
WHAT DOES THE SCORE MEAN?
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→
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85-100
EXCELLENT
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70-84
VERY GOOD
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55-69
GOOD
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35-54
FAIR
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0-34
NEEDS
IMPROVEMENT
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NOTE: A low total score does not mean that you
have failed. There is always the
chance to change your lifestyle – starting now. Look at the areas where you scored a 0 or 1
and decide which areas you want to work on first.
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TIPS:
1
Don’t try to
change all the areas at once. This
will be too overwhelming for you.
2
Writing down
your proposed changes and your overall goal will help you to succeed.
3
Make changes in
small steps towards the overall goal.
4
Enlist the help
of a friend to make similar changes and/or to support you in your attempts.
5
Congratulate
yourself for achieving each step. Give
yourself appropriate rewards.
6
Ask your
physical activity professional, family physician, nurse or health department
for more information on any of these areas.
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Healthy Tips :D (Draft)
History: past - fast food portions were smaller
Why losing weight is hard for some? Genectics, lifestyle.
Hormones that make you feel full.
Its not easy but commercials lie and say it Truth is, people are just getting fatter and fatter.
Realistic diet is the best diet. your have to stick with it for yur whole life.
(Healthy plates help)
What's the diet for you? based on gender, bloodtype, culture
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Healthy activties. Little things you do in life m help u lose or intain weight.
Ie. using the stares, manually opening your garage door....
Walkng, riding bike, being proactive in the cmmunity are easy ways...
______________________________
Sleep
Sleeping at a specific time all the time for at least 7 to 9 hours
Helps maintain or loss weight. providrs energy, and makes
Continue Reading
Why losing weight is hard for some? Genectics, lifestyle.
Hormones that make you feel full.
Its not easy but commercials lie and say it Truth is, people are just getting fatter and fatter.
Realistic diet is the best diet. your have to stick with it for yur whole life.
(Healthy plates help)
What's the diet for you? based on gender, bloodtype, culture
----------------------------------------------
Healthy activties. Little things you do in life m help u lose or intain weight.
Ie. using the stares, manually opening your garage door....
Walkng, riding bike, being proactive in the cmmunity are easy ways...
______________________________
Sleep
Sleeping at a specific time all the time for at least 7 to 9 hours
Helps maintain or loss weight. providrs energy, and makes
Pumpkin Seeds Benefits
Health Benefits:
- Promote Prostate Health
- Protection for Men's Bones
- Anti-Inflammatory Benefits in Arthritis
- Rich Source of Healthful Minerals, Protein and Monounsaturated Fat
- Lower Cholesterol
How to Prepare Pumpkin Seeds
You can buy pumpkin seeds, but it's fun and easy to make them at home.
1) Remove the seeds from the pumpkin's inner cavity and wipe them off with a paper towel if needed to remove excess pulp that may have stuck to them.
2) Spread them out evenly on a paper bag and let them dry out overnight.
3) Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and light roast them in a 160-170°F (about 75°C) oven for 15-20 minutes.
By roasting them for a short time at a low temperature you can help to preserve their healthy oils.
Tip:
Remember to save those pumpkin seeds after you scoop them out this Halloween!
Source: www.whfoods.com
Tips to Quit Smoking (and living a better life)
The mind is very powerful, and the reason you are addicted to smoking is because your mind is addicted. You do not physically need to smoke. Here are some useful tips if you are aiming to quit smoking:
- You need to set a goal. If you do not take quitting seriously, it would be hard to quit.
- Obtain the support of your family and friends. Tell them what your goal is, and ask them to help you. Family and friends have a huge impact on your habits.
- Do breathing exercises daily. Envision clean air going into your lungs whenever you take a deep breath and compare this with the smoke you force down your throat when you smoke a cigarette.
- Love life. Embrace occasional hardship but do not allow this to stress you out physically. Life is full of ups and downs for everyone. Bring peace into your life and you will feel so much better as a person and physically.
- Release yourself of anything toxic in your life. Cigarettes are one.
- Last but not least; (this is a tip for smokers and non-smokers)...Laugh. Laughing is truly life's best medicine. Find reasons to smile everyday.
Stretching
Stretching is important for preventing injuries to your joints and muscles. It also increases flexibility and can tone your body as well. Depending on the exercise you are about to do, or the exercise you just finished doing, you will need to stretch specific parts of your body.
Continue Reading
When you are focusing on your legs, here are some stretches you can do:
- Hamstring stretch: Stand up on your feet and hold one foot behind you with your hands and feel that stretch on your thighs. Another alternative is to lie on your stomach and hold your two feet behind you with your hands and pull your feet towards your torso. This also improves your arm strength.
- Calves stretch: Stand facing a wall and put your two hand firmly on the wall in front of you keeping your elbows straight. Bend one leg forward while keeping the other straight behind you. You should feel this stretch in your back leg in your calves.
- Inner thigh stretch: Sit spreading your legs out as far as possible from each other and lean
forward to the middle, then to the right leg and finally to the left leg. You should feel this stretch right in your inner thigh area. - The twist: This stretch works on your outer thighs as well as your torso. Cross one leg across your other leg while hooking your elbow behind the leg being crossed over. Your torso should really feel this twist. Be careful with this stretch because you don't want to damage your spine so start with little intensity and work your way up.
Stretches for the arms:
- Reach one arm behind your back as if you are scratching your back, and pull that elbow downwards with the other hand. You should feel this stretch near your underarms.
- Start with your arms reached out to your side and make small circles gradually increasing the size of the circles. Then switch directions. This warms up your shoulder joints.
- Lye down on your stomach and put your hands by your stomach on the floor. Push up with your hands until your elbows are locked, and if you lean your head back, you should feel your abs getting stretched out
Sleep
Getting between 7-8 hours of sleep is ideal. When you sleep, your body restores itself, including your brain. It has been revealed that sleeping very little or too much, has been linked to obesity and diabetes. Dementia can also be brought on by little sleep or over-sleeping.
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One thing that is often neglected about sleep is sleep cycles. A sleep cycle typically lasts 90 minutes, and it usually takes an adult human 15 minutes to fall asleep, therefore one should plan their sleep and wake-up times accordingly. In order to prevent being tired all day, make sure you do not wake up during your last sleep cycle, and you let that cycle finish.
Tips:
Tips:
- Be consistent. Sleep at the same time every night, and wake up the same time every morning.
- Use Bedtime calculator to calculate when to sleep and wake-up.
- An average human takes 15 minutes to fall asleep, so plan your sleep cycles accordingly.
- A good night's sleep consists of 5-6 complete sleep cycles.
Effects of Chlorine
Swimming is a great exercise for a total body workout, however one should be warned of the disadvantages of swimming in a chlorinated pool. First off, and most importantly is the affect of the pool chlorine on your lungs (especially if you go to the pool 5+ days a week for long periods of time in an enclosed space). Those with asthma may notice irritation if they spend too much time in the water since they are indirectly inhaling chlorine. It is important to give yourself breaks from that sort of environment because it may have long-term affects.
Aside from the intangible affects of chlorine, the most complained about disadvantages of chlorine are the damage it does to your hair and skin. Hair that is regularly wet with chlorinated hair may feel dry and brittle with more split ends. It is important to use a shampoo that cleans out the chlorine from your hair so that it does not linger. Also, those with coloured hair may notice a slightly green tint in their hair colour that is caused by chlorine as well. Luckily there is a way to lessen these affects; you may either wear a cap on your head to prevent your hair from even getting wet, or before tying your long hair up, apply hair conditioner.
Lastly, the skin isn't left unharmed either. Skin that is exposed to chlorine will feel dry and chapped. Skin (usually on the legs) will also appear shiny, which is an indication of skin stripped of moisture. Before entering the pool, it may help to apply Vaseline to your skin. Your skin will require serious attention right after leaving the pool. Make sure you wash your body with a body wash, followed by lathering body lotion.
Healthy Skin
"Your skin is the fingerprint of what is going on inside your body, and all skin conditions, from psoriasis to acne to aging, are the manifestations of your body's internal needs, including its nutritional needs," says Dr. Georgiana Donadio, founder of the National Institute of Whole Health.
Our skin reacts incredibly well to certain
vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that nourish the skin, allowing it to look
youthful, and healthy.
Nutrients for Healthy Skin
Vitamins C, E and A
Vitamin C is mainly
effective at protecting the skin from overexposure to the sun, and pollution
when combined with vitamin E. Also reduces the process of wrinkles, and other signs
of premature aging.
Vitamin C, E, A Foods: Orange, red and green bell peppers, guava, kale, parsley, collard greens, turnips, and broccoli.
Vitamin C, E, A Foods: Orange, red and green bell peppers, guava, kale, parsley, collard greens, turnips, and broccoli.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Skin types that
benefits from consuming omega 3 fatty acids include dry, inflamed skin or skin
that suffers from repeated appearance of whiteheads or blackheads. Essential fatty
acids are responsible for skin repair, moisture, and flexibility, but the body
cannot produce its own EFAs.
Omega-3 Foods: Salmon fish oil capsules, mackerel, flaxseeds, seeds, and safflower oil.
Omega-3 Foods: Salmon fish oil capsules, mackerel, flaxseeds, seeds, and safflower oil.
Zinc
Zinc acts by regulating
the production of oil in the skin, and may also help control some hormones
that create acne. Zinc also helps with the immune system function, as well as
for the maintenance of vision, taste, and smell.
Zinc Foods: Fresh oysters, pumpkin seeds, ginger, pecans, nuts, oats, and eggs.
Zinc Foods: Fresh oysters, pumpkin seeds, ginger, pecans, nuts, oats, and eggs.
Silica
Silica is a trace
mineral that strengthens the body's connective tissues (muscles, tendons, hair,
ligaments, nails, cartilage, and bone), and is vital for healthy skin. Lack of Silica can result in reduced skin elasticity
and can block the body's ability to heal wounds.
Silica Foods: Leeks, green beans, garbanzo beans, strawberries, cucumber, mango, celery, asparagus and rhubarb.
Silica Foods: Leeks, green beans, garbanzo beans, strawberries, cucumber, mango, celery, asparagus and rhubarb.
Tips:
- Skip the long, steamy showers.
- Shower frequently.
- Use shaving cream, and after shave cream.
- Shave gently, and frequently before hair gets long.
- Drink water frequently.
- Avoid stress.
- Run a humidifier every night to moisturize the air in your bedroom.
- Be active, go for a run, ride your bike, or work out.
- Avoid smoking, tanning salons and sunbathing. All will age your skin prematurely.
- Clean your face and neck with cold water twice daily.
- Avoid excessive drinking.
- Be gentle with your skin. Never rub your eyes.
- Clean clothes everyday.
- Protect yourself from the sun. Avoid the sun between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean Diet is a delicious cuisine with available ingredients. This makes it easy to transition your diet to a healthy one.
The Mediterranean Diet highlights fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and healthy fats. The fat intake from the diet is 25% to 35% of daily calories, but most of this is from healthy fats such as olive oil, oily fish, nuts and seeds. The consumption of meat and saturated fats are low, but fish and dairy products are consumed in moderation. The people usually also have an active lifestyle and get plenty of sunshine. The health benefits appreciated by the Mediterranean region are a result of the combined effects of a healthy diet and a healthy active lifestyle.
The Mediterranean Diet highlights fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and healthy fats. The fat intake from the diet is 25% to 35% of daily calories, but most of this is from healthy fats such as olive oil, oily fish, nuts and seeds. The consumption of meat and saturated fats are low, but fish and dairy products are consumed in moderation. The people usually also have an active lifestyle and get plenty of sunshine. The health benefits appreciated by the Mediterranean region are a result of the combined effects of a healthy diet and a healthy active lifestyle.
The Mediterranean Diet was constructed
with the cuisine of people from the Mediterranean region. In a 4 year study by Greece,
it was found that people who lived a Mediterranean lifestyle had longer life
expectancy, lower risk of heart disease than people who did not follow this
lifestyle.
Tips:
- · Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.
- · Limit your intake of red meat.
- · Eat oily fish, such as salmon, twice a week.
- · Use olive oil for your cooking.
- · Cut back on butter, margarine and other oils.
- · Include a handful of nuts in your daily diet.
- · Limit high fat dairy products.
- · Healthy active lifestyle.
Healthy Walking
Back pains can also frequently be caused by wearing "bad" shoes. When you are being active or you know you simply will be walking a lot, you should wear walking or even running shoes to ensure your feet aren't put under too much stress. Walking shoes should be very comfortable. You should feel like your feet can still "breathe"; meaning that the shoes are not too tight and certainly not too loose. Many students who carry around backpacks all day may experience back pains, and although they should reduce the weight on their shoulders, they should also ensure proper footwear for the times they are carrying around their bag. Walking with EXTRA weight on your back with bad shoes is probably the worst thing you can do to your feet.
Lastly, everyone has a different foot shape. People can have a low, regular or high arch to their foot, so it is also important to get shoes that allow your feet to be in their most natural state possible.
Tips:
- Active adults take approximately >10,000 steps per day.
- Active older adults take approximately 8,000 steps per day.
- Inactive adults take approximately 3,500 to 5,000 steps per day.
- Children should take approximately 11,000 to 13,000 steps per day.
Water
Many people don’t drink the right amount of water a day. Water flushes out the toxins in your body and cleanses your insides. It also can rejuvenate and freshen your skin, nails and hair. You NEED water. So how much exactly should you drink a day? Take your weight in pounds (for example 120lbs), divide in by two (60) and that is how much water IN OUNCES you should have a day. A glass of water is 8 ounces, so for a 120lbs person, about 7.5 glasses of water a day is perfect.
Now keep in mind that you should not drink all of this at once. Aim for about one glass per hour, and don’t drink during a meal. This will interfere with the digestion of your food. Drink water 30 minutes before a meal and an hour after.
** Drink your first glass of water within 30 minutes of waking up! This will ensure a perfect start to the day.
**Throughout the day, drink cool water. This will maintain high metabolism because your body has to work harder to bring the cool water temperature down to body temperature.
And last but not least, don’t think that drinking lots of water is enough. The body benefits from obtaining water from its most natural source. So even if you can’t drink LOTS of water, replace that with eating lots of fruit (which you should do anyway). Oranges, apples, pears, and grapes all have very nutritious WATER that will give you a healthy body, mind and soul.
Spicy French Fries
Ingredients: (serves 4)
2 large potatoes (about 4" long)
2 servings of cooking oil spray
1 teaspoon of fresh ground chili peper
1 teaspoon of garlic salt
Directions:
1) Cut potatoes lengthwise (french fries)
2) Preheat oven at 400F
3) Combine garlic salt, and red chili pepper
4) Arrange the potatoes stripes in a single layer in a glass baking dish.
5) Completely coat the potatoes with the vegetable oil spray.
6) Sprinkle with garlic salt, and red chili pepper seasoning.
7) Bake for 1 hour.
Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients: (serves 2)
6 oz of boneless raw chicken breast, cut into 1" by 1" cubes
4 cups of raw bell pepper, cut into pieces
3 cups of raw broccoli florets
6 cups of raw mushrooms
2 tablespoons of vinegar
4 cups of tomatoes, cut into pieces
5 teaspoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of ground basil
1 1/2 cup of chicken broth, condensed
1 teaspoon of ground oregano
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
Directions:
1) Combine oil, chicken broth, vinegar, basil, oregano, and garlic in a bowl to create a marinade.
2) Prepare 8 skewer kabobs. In each skewer place chicken, bell peper, broccoli, mushroom, and tomato.
3) Place skewers in marinade, and completely cover each with the marinade.
4) Tightly seal with foil. and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, remove foil, and continue baking for 10 - 15 minutes extra.
5) Place on 2 dinner plates, and serve.
Nutritional Information:
Calories (Per Serving): 500
Protein (g): 43
Carbohydrates (g): 54
Fat (g): 17
Tasty Fat Loss and Muscle Building Recipes
Fortified Rice
Ingredients: (serves 2)
50 Grams raw broccoli, raw, chopped or diced
25 Grams raw celery
6 Egg whites
100 Grams raw mushrooms
1/4 Cup long dry brown uncooked rice
25 Grams raw celery
6 Egg whites
100 Grams raw mushrooms
1/4 Cup long dry brown uncooked rice
1/4 Cup pace chuncky salsa
2 Tbsp natural brewed soy sauce lite
1 Cup raw spinach
50 Grams raw onion
Directions:
1) Steam broccoli
2) Pan coated with cooking spray, add soy sauce, chopped onion, sliced mushrooms, steamed broccoli, chopped celery, and spinach.
3) Cook on medium heat until spinach is cooked. Add rice and simmer until soy sauce has cooked away.
4) Once everything has cooked, add 6 egg whites and stir until eggs are cooked.
Directions:
1) Steam broccoli
2) Pan coated with cooking spray, add soy sauce, chopped onion, sliced mushrooms, steamed broccoli, chopped celery, and spinach.
3) Cook on medium heat until spinach is cooked. Add rice and simmer until soy sauce has cooked away.
4) Once everything has cooked, add 6 egg whites and stir until eggs are cooked.
Nutritional Information:
Calories (Per Serving):378.80
Protein (g): 33.9
Carbohydrates (g):53.98
Fat (g): 1.75
Tasty Fat Loss & Muscle Gaining Recipes eBook
Lean Body
First you want to lose any unwanted fat from your body by doing some fat-burning cardio exercises. Yoga Booty Ballet videos are ideal for this. They combine dancing with yoga and ballet to target different areas of the body that people (women in specific) want to lose weight in. Running a few times a week is also an easy and completely inexpensive way to lose weight as well.
Once you have lost the unwanted fat, you are ready to TONE. You cannot get a lean body without muscle. The best way to achieve this is through Yoga. Not only is yoga amazing for toning and flexibility, but it also improves mental peace and controlled breathing. You can use Youtube to find several different yoga moves to target different parts of your body and you can incorporate these different moves into your very own workout routine. If you are doing yoga right, you WILL sweat and you WILL feel stronger within weeks!
Last but not least, your diet is extremely important. Getting to your body goal highly depends on what you put into your body as fuel. Cut back on carbs and increase your protein intake, as well as your fruit and vegetable intake. Drink lots of water and cut back on your portions. Instead of 3 large meals a day, aim for 6 small ones.
Eat, Run and Meditate your way to a healthy, fit body!
Fruits
Do not eat fruits after meals.
Fruits should be eaten on an empty stomach.
If you eat fruits on an empty stomach it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.
Fruit is the most important food.
Let’s say you eat two slices of bread and then fruit. The fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented because of the bread.
And the bread rots and ferments and turns to acid. As soon as the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.
Eat fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals.
When people complain after eating, its because you did not eat fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and that makes you bloat.
Greying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes, all these will not happen if you eat fruits on an empty stomach or before meals.
There is not such thing as some fruits like orange, and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body (Dr. Herbert Shelton).
If you practice what I have said, you will have better skin, health, energy, happiness, and weight.
When you drink fruit juice, drink only fresh fruit juice.
Do not drink fruit juice if it has been heated.
Do not eat cooked fruits because it loses the nutrients.
Cooking kills all the vitamins.
Eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice.
If you drink fruits, drink it mouthful and slowly. This will allow it to mix with your saliva and intake the nutrients better.
Go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit throughout the 3 days and you will be surprised. You will look more radiant.
KIWI: Tiny but mighty.
This is a good source of potassium, magnesium,
vitamin E & fiber.
Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.
APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away?
Although
an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants
& flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer,
heart attack & stroke.
STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit.
Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power
among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-
causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals
ORANGE: Sweetest medicine.
Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away,
lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones
as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.
WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher.
Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose
of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system.
They are also a key source of lycopene — the cancer
fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon
are vitamin C & Potassium.
PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C.
They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content..
It is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.
Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer!
It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal.
However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that
you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion... Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down
and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food.
It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats
and lead to cancer.
It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.