tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34869088686418067782024-02-18T22:29:20.916-08:00The Broccoli PathAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11123417674142281973noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486908868641806778.post-88608801228739042592013-07-28T11:32:00.000-07:002013-07-28T11:33:00.414-07:00Common Sense Ways to Improve Your HealthI've noticed that there are a lot of "tips" out there on how you can improve your health. Have you noticed this as well?<br />
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Do you find them as confusing and conflicting as I do? I often get a feeling of overwhelm and despair when I read them, because I realize that I can't possibly apply them all. IT feels like too much.<br />
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However, there are always a few sites that give common sense tips, or just have an attitude that I resonate with. For example, I recently bumped into <a href="http://www.happyhealthyrelaxed.com/how-to-be-healthy/" target="_blank">this article</a> via Facebook somehow. And while it has a lot of tips, I liked the attitude of the author.<br />
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He talked about improving your health by taking tiny steps, which is what I've found to work in my life as well. I do not stress too much about gaining perfect health, because that may never happen.<br />
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Instead, I do what I can do with the abilities I have. Sometimes I still berate myself, but I'm improving and getting better at not yelling at myself so much.<br />
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My favorite tips from that article were:<br />
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1. Tiny Steps</h3>
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As I mentioned above, I liked the process of tiny steps. Not trying to change your whole lifestyle all at once, but changing one food, or removing one bad food.<br />
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It feels doable to me, and it makes me want to try it out. I think I'll start by removing the sugar I eat each week. So if I think about the sugar I eat as 100% right now, then I'm going to see if I can't reduce my sugar to 95%. So if I eat 100 grams of sugar per week, I'll reduce it to 95 grams.<br />
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Then with each week I'll keep going. It feels almost too easy, don't you think?<br />
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2. FasterEFT</h3>
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I've heard of EFT (emotional freedom techniques), but not FasterEFT. It seems more efficient when I looked at the post.<br />
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It's basically tapping on meridian/acupuncture points on your body, as I understand it, and it's supposed to relieve stress. So far it's working pretty okay for me. I feel more relaxed when I do it, and I tend to yawn when I "let go."<br />
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Something to ponder.<br />
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3. Follow Your Heart</h3>
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By far the most interesting was the point about following your heart and your passion.<br />
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I've been feeling lately an interest in the more spiritual side of life. I'm a bit skeptical still, but doing what you love speaks to me.<br />
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It feels like we have the feelings we have for a reason. And it seems like I went a bit off-topic with this post, but really, this has to do with health as well, because it we aren't happy, then we aren't truly healthy, are we?<br />
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I'd love to hear from you in the comments below if you have any thoughts or any common sense tips of your own.<br />
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Talk soon!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11123417674142281973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486908868641806778.post-70207136872377071022013-07-19T23:40:00.003-07:002013-07-19T23:40:38.412-07:00I Have an Aversion<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcUMGCa1q1W-F32GlgpxSmH4Cogy4SaGVtHAogD7t6oRDNS31Ezth8VOGdx9o6PD9kIOepNyVRQYM6SpPPWvr28HRyTu3j8pHPtW6w1HgJfG4Erl8D71RFobxU1FdhCpx1H1m-ZzsKjN4/s1600/Broccoli_bunches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcUMGCa1q1W-F32GlgpxSmH4Cogy4SaGVtHAogD7t6oRDNS31Ezth8VOGdx9o6PD9kIOepNyVRQYM6SpPPWvr28HRyTu3j8pHPtW6w1HgJfG4Erl8D71RFobxU1FdhCpx1H1m-ZzsKjN4/s320/Broccoli_bunches.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We all love broccoli, right? (Image from Wikipedia)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have to admit it, I don't like broccoli, not one bit. But I still wanted to start this blog where I share my journey towards better health.<br />
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For most people, broccoli is a symbol for a healthier diet, but it also is a symbol for the sacrifices you have to make when you eat healthier.<br />
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And I think that's a myth. You don't have to sacrifice anything, because that's the wrong way to look at things.<br />
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If you want to eat healthier, sure, you have to change what you eat. You can't eat pizza for breakfast, ice cream for lunch, and a twinkie (do they still make those) before bedtime.<br />
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For a long time, I ate like this. Okay, I didn't eat twinkies, because we don't have them where I'm from, but I did drink soda, eat cookies, cinnamon buns, and ice cream. I used to practice sports, so I never really had a weight issue.<br />
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But what I did have was stomach problems, eczema, and a whole slew of other things, not to mention a blurry mind.<br />
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So while I don't eat a lot of broccoli today, I eat what I can. I stick to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle" target="_blank">80/20 principle</a> when it comes to healthy eating. I don't try to force myself to eat fruits and vegetables 100% of the time, because I've tried that, and it doesn't work.<br />
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Instead I eat a whole foods diet of:<br />
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<li>Potatoes</li>
<li>Rice</li>
<li>Whole-grain bread</li>
<li>Fruits</li>
<li>Vegetables (when I can stand them)</li>
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And I do my best. I also take a multivitamin supplement, and a high-quality fish oil supplement to help cover the bases. Oh and I also take a vitamin D supplement, which I think is crucial, since I live in an area where we don't get a lot of sunlight.</div>
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There's been a lot of research done on supplementation, for example if you want more on vitamin D research, check out the <a href="http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/" target="_blank">vitamin D council</a>.</div>
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Basically what I've found when living a healthier life is that you can take things one step at a time. You don't have to achieve perfection right away, because you'll never reach a perfect state of health or happiness anyway.</div>
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I do what I can with what I have. I try to avoid reading magazines and "advice from the experts" because it only confuses me.</div>
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Instead, I listen to myself and what feels right and doable for me.</div>
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While I have an aversion to broccoli, I've begun the journey to better health. I hope you'll join me.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11123417674142281973noreply@blogger.com0