Healthy Tips for the New Year

When it comes to being physically fit, regular exercise and good nutrition habits are always a part of a healthy lifestyle.  Psalms 139:  tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made!  It is the responsibility of every Christian to be a good steward over God’s magnificent creation.  A lot of times we get so caught up in the business of life that we neglect taking time out to care for ourselves.  I would encourage you today to take a moment and evaluate your current nutrition and exercise habits.  Go to the Lord in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit what areas that you need to improve and make adjustments. Proverbs 16:3 tells us to commit our plans to the Lord and our thoughts will be established. Write these changes down along with the steps that you need to take in order to make these changes permanent.   Keep these new changes in front of you and daily put forth effort toward your new habits.   The word of God tells us in Galatians 6:9 not to grow weary in well doing because in due season we will reap if we faint not.  Stay encouraged and diligent and you will reap the rewards!

Let’s take a look at one of the best ways to begin making healthy changes with our nutrition.  First, if you are one of those who rip and run through the local drive through more than twice a week then I would suggest becoming less familiar with what’s on the combo menu and more familiar with your local grocery store.  Slow down and take the time to make out a grocery list and plan your meals for the week.  One of the most important aspects of eating healthy is the food that you buy while at the grocery store.

Listed below are some helpful tips on Healthy Supermarket Strategies:

• Prepare in advance for grocery shopping trips.  You will be less likely to pick up food items that are not so healthy.  You will be shopping with purpose and you will cut your time spent in the store down as well.  So stick to your list!
• For the healthiest options in the grocery store always shop the outer aisles.             NOTE: Never go to the grocery store without a vision.  J If you do then the store will give you one.  The food manufactures pay more money for certain spots on the shelf that are eye level.  They strategically place their products to make sure that you see them and put them in your buggy! Typically you will find most of the natural foods including raw fruits and vegetables in the outer aisles of the store.  Fruits and Veggies that are darker in color have higher antioxidant levels.  Choose organic for the produce that you will eat the peeling.

• Check your local grocery store to see if they have a healthy section.  Some stores keep all of the higher quality products together in one section.  This also can save you some time.  Try to buy most of your packaged foods from this section.  This will ensure more natural ingredients and less artificial.
• Become a savvy label reader!  Watch out for ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and msg.   Choose foods that are sweetened with natural sugars and avoid saturated fats.  Look for foods that have 25% or less fat per serving and at least 3 grams of fiber.  Also, keep in mind that low sodium on a food label is 150 mg or less per serving.  Stay in the healthy section of the store for the best options.
• Last but not least…NEVER go to the grocery store on an empty stomach!  You will be more likely to spend more money on foods that you don’t need and it can even lead to eating in the car on the way home.

As I stated earlier, exercise and nutrition are both imperative to improving our health and losing weight.  Now that we have looked at some aspects of making healthier nutrition choices at the grocery store, let’s take a look at the importance of exercise and its benefits on our health too.

Regular physical activity is so important to our overall quality of life.  I’m sure you have heard the saying “if you don’t use it…it will rust”.  Well that is a pretty true statement.  If we don’t stay active then our bodies will get stiff along with the muscles and joints beginning to ache.  So in order to prevent this from happening, it’s important to develop and maintain good exercise habits.  Listed below are helpful tips on healthy components to an exercise program:

• Supportive shoes can make the difference in your workout and how you feel later.  If you are still wearing the same tiny shoes from years ago…it is time for a new pair.  It is not good to exercise in shoes that are too old and are worn out.  Keep your feet happy! A good tip for those who are doing aerobics is to look for shoes that have more support around the ankles.
• Always warm up before you begin any exercise program. Warming up involves moving at a slower pace than what you will be moving when you get in to the workout. Five minutes is usually sufficient in warming up your muscles and getting the blood flowing.
• Proper body alignment is important while exercising.  Maintain good posture and keep the stomach muscles in tight to ensure a healthy back.  Watch the knees to avoid locking them and don’t forget to keep the face muscles in alignment with that smile!
• Stretching after your workout will reduce muscle soreness and build up of lactic acid in your muscles.  Hold your stretches for a minimum of eight seconds so that you can elongate the muscle and your body will thank you for it.
• Be sure to drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise to avoid dehydration.  Common symptoms of dehydration are fatigue, food cravings, dull headaches, fluid retention and constipation.  A good rule of thumb for adults is at least 64 oz every day.  Replace that soda or coffee with an extra glass of water and you will have more energy!
• Choose an exercise program that is going to work best for you.  Remember, it is up to you to take the initiative to get up and get moving…no one else can do it for you! J

I trust that these helpful tips will serve as a motivational tool as you begin toward making permanent lifestyle changes.  My prayer for you is that God will fill you with hope, encouragement and wisdom as you press toward the mark of His high calling.  May the Lord strengthen your resolve to take care of your physical body and I pray that you walk in divine health as you serve the Lord.

Jennifer Brindley

Tags: Health and Wellness, Healthy Tips, New Year's Resolutions, Nutrition