Lifestyle
Lifestyle is to do with your daily habits. As we are all different, our lifestyle will be different according to our individual needs. However, there are certain aspects of a daily lifestyle that can be incorporated into most people's lives that will help promote health. The following are habits to consider:
Healthy attitude
A positive attitude to life is very important and what this means in practice is that you have an attitude that helps you to cope with your day and go with the flow of your daily life.
Stress
Stress management is very much to do with managing your time commitments during the day and not letting them get the better of you. This of course can be very difficult as there is often much going on in a person's life. However, it is worth considering what your needs and priorities are and not trying to do everything!
Diet
A healthy diet is essential for health. This can be difficult as it now has become easier to choose less healthy food options such as most fast foods, than it is to find health promoting dietary options. What this means in practice, is that eating in a health promoting way will require some planning to prepare foods that are good for you. Consider a diet that is high in colourful vegetables, with select carbohydrates, proteins and good quality fats.
It is important to note that a healthy diet is not just about 'health food', but about your approach to eating and digestion. It is said that digestion begins in the mind. Most people can relate to being stressed with many things on their mind to then suffer from indigestion such as reflux, rumblings, wind, bloating and altered bowel habits.
Most people would agree that not only does food taste better when we eat in a calm and relaxed way, but it seems to be digested more easily. So, where possible, sit down and have a quiet moment before eating and give thanks for what you are about to receive. This is good preparation for digestion.
Sleep
A lack of sleep is thought to be behind many common health problems of today. This includes obesity, general fatigue, susceptibility to colds and flu’s, a sense of stress, PMS, lack of libido, car accidents and accidents in general, road rage and many others.
Adequate but not too much sleep is thought to be the most healthful. In general six to eight hours is the recommendation for most people and ideally this involves going to bed at a reasonable hour. Ten pm or earlier is considered a good time to go to bed and this is to do with the natural rhythms of the body. To help promote more restful sleep it is useful to prepare for sleep and this involves quietening the senses and other bodily activities.
Consider reducing sensory stimulation prior to bed and this means not going to bed having just ‘surfed’ the internet or having watched the latest action movie. Try not to eat just before going to bed as this means that the body will be working on digestion of food rather than the regeneration of the body. A large meal prior to bed can leave you feeling dull in the morning with no appetite
Avoid caffeine drinks prior to bed and in fact, reduce caffeine in the afternoon, as the affects of caffeine last up to 3-5 hours. If needed, an herbal tea to help relax the body is good before bed. Also try sorting through your day’s events prior to bed and write down any concerns in a note pad or diary. This helps you to not take worries and thoughts to bed and then thinking about them all night long.
Rest and quiet
Adequate rest, not just sleep allows your body to recover for the next physical or mental activity. Quiet moments before each new activity can encourage appreciation of what is to be done. For example, a quiet time before meals encourages appreciation of the food and better digestion. Quiet moments during the course of the day can help you to better understand the events of the day and learn from them.
Postural alignment
A functional posture is one that has full range of physical function and this directly relates to a person’s postural alignment. According to the Egoscue Method, most people’s body has a fundamental design characteristic - the ankles, knees, hips and shoulders are designed to line up vertically and horizontally at 90 degree angles. According to the Egoscue Method, any deviation from this fundamental design posture will lead to dysfunction, compensation and eventually pain in the body. What this means in practice is any differences between the left and right side of the body and the front and back of the body or combinations will lead to some form of dysfunction. It is important to maintain good postural alignment as this will help maintain healthy function of the body. You can help maintain correct postural alignment with egoscue method exercise, Chiropractic treatment, Osteopathic treatment, Alexander technique, Feldenkrais and other forms of exercise. www.egoscue.com
Movement and exercise
Choose a suitable form of exercise. This can be virtually anything, as long as it is done in a beneficial way and can include housework. It also means not overdoing it and resting between strenuous exercise sessions. Exercise can help to relieve stress, improve mood and help with better sleep. Of great benefit and very easy for most people to do, is daily walking of 30 minutes, with an emphasis on deep and easy breathing of fresh air. www.patchfitness.com
Daily Jin Shin Jyutsu
Regular Jin Shin Jyutsu treatment or Self Help is very helpful to help relieve the stresses of daily life. www.jinshinjyutsu.com