MEALS - Don't skip breakfast - This is the most important meal of the day and it is where you get your energy to start the day.  This meal kick starts your metabolism.  Drink fluids about 15 minutes after your meals, this gives your natural digestive juices a chance to work.  Remember it's not what you eat, it's what you absorb that promotes good health. 

And don't forget to drink water!  Water is a very important part of your healing process.  Drink as  much as you can whenever you can.

When having juices mix with 50% water, this aids absorption, decreases the sugar level, which can cause rapid energy highs and lows, and increases your daily fluid hydration. 

Feel tired just after eating lunch? Well you are probably eating too much processed carbohydrates, and your body may have become carbohydrate sensitive.  This mean that you should eat less grains and increase your protein.

Meat Eaters - Try to eat more leaner proteins, foods with a good source of complex carbohydrates and fiber like fruits, vegetables, salads and small amounts of complex carbohydrate from whole grains.  Potatoes and corn are starches and are high carbohydrate foods that should be limited.  Starchy foods can raise your blood sugar level after a meal.  Add more protein and fiber to your meals daily. 

Non Meat Eaters - Tofu, Tempe and other soy based proteins.  And depending on what type of non meat eater you are, organic dairy is be another good source of protein for you along with the above dietary recommendations.

Remember low fat foods, often contain sugar to add taste, this will increase your calories! Read the labels, beware of those where there are lots of carbohydrate "sugars".

Avoid crash dieting and fasting, this slows your metabolism! This makes it very hard to lose fat and tone your muscles.  Eat well, just enough to feel full and nourished, but don't over eat which makes you feel stuffed after eating and get plenty of exercise.  If you can, take a walk after a meal to aid in good digestion.

Fasting - If you fast, fasting is most beneficial as part of a spiritual and /or detox program.  Understanding how to fast is key.  READ MORE . . .

Alcohol is a depressant, so if you're feeling down or depressed don't drink alcohol to try and lift your mood.  It’s much better to go for a good long walk.  Exercise releases endorphins in the brain that will elevate your mood.

EXERCISE - Find something, a sport or activity that you enjoy doing, you will be more likely to stick with it.   And relax and have have fun, remember sports are much more fun when you play it for fun and not to get fit, so exercise to be fit for the sport rather than playing the sport to get fit.  

STRESS - Lowers the immune system making illness much more likely.   Exercise helps to counter stress but be careful as over-exercising puts pressure on the immune system.   So make sure you keep taking those vitamins and minerals.  

SLEEP - Aim for 8 hours of sleep a night.  Research has shown that people who have less than 6 hours of sleep a night have a 70 % higher mortality rate!  

More Healthy Habit Tips

• Avoid eating for 2 - 3 hours before bedtime. You will sleep better, wake up feeling more refreshed, and probably lose some weight.
• Chew your food well.  Chew until it becomes liquid, so that your body can properly digest and assimilate the nutrients. Otherwise, your stomach will feel full without being satisfied.
• Become aware of the sweet/salty syndrome. Sweets deplete minerals from the body, setting up a craving for salty foods to restore the lost minerals, which then creates a craving for more sweets.
• Slow your life down enough so that you can plan meals properly. Fast food is a leading cause of obesity and poor health.
• Eat frequent, small meals. Have a good breakfast, then a substantial lunch and a smaller dinner.
• Drink pure water (Reverse Osmosis is best) – at least eight glasses per day, or more if possible. Also drink diluted fruit juice and herbal teas.
• Motivate yourself to exercise by writing down and posting the time you will exercise.   Choosing something that you enjoy, and exercise with others when ever possible.