THE BE PROJECT, V.3

Healthy living is an easy blend of simple living and healthy choices.  I’ve mentioned simple living; I see ‘healthy choices’ as choosing nuts, kale, avocado and milk over chocolate, chips, pizza, and Sprite.  In other words: choosing nutrition — a need  — over ‘junk’ — a want and keeping a balance between the two; sure, indulge in pizza and coke on weekends but let’s not splurge on our favourite junk foods on a daily basis.

A healthy lifestyle is an active one. Choosing to shut off your computer, jump up from your chair, open the front door and step outside can be difficult; beginning a task is often the hardest part.  Go crazy and just do it -- go on a walk, do fifty jumping jacks, run around with kids, take breaks in between sitting down.

While healthy thing living may be ideal, it is essential to put living, exercising, and eating into perspective.  Maintain balance and perspective when you eat; savour life and the food you eat -- be it sweet and sugary (think cinnamon rolls!) or plain and nutritious (think spinach).    

Be intentional.  Know what you're eating and what it is good for (eggs and nuts are a source of protein, spinach a source of iron, and so on). Buy good food, make good food, and most likely you'll eat good food.  It is equally important to be intentional in what you listen to, read, wear and how you act.  Classical music (as well as music in general) stimulates the mind.  Reading literature that encourages you to think critically benefits your mental health!  Even clothing has psychological effects. Clearly, how you act toward, judge and love others is crucial to living a healthy life. 

Get to the root of the issue.

  What is stopping you from eating healthy?  What is it that makes you want junk food?  Stress? Shopping habits?  Worries? Obligations?  Get rid of them! 

Maintain reasonable goals

...for instance, why not try cooking something different and healthy, eating fried egg for breakfast, and working out for 7 minutes?

 Get a friend to shop for you or try online shopping

Give your simple, healthy shopping list to a friend so that you can resist the temptation of a dark chocolate Cadbury bar sitting at the end of the aisle. Online shopping is a great alternative to shopping in person -- and it's a better way to resist picking up items of food you really don't need. 

Buy or borrow a good cookbook. 

Look for a cookbook without a million foreign ingredients you don’t have or haven’t heard of.  Libraries have cookbooks, too!  Or start an email or Facebook chain where you tag friends and share your favourite recipes.  Ask a parent or relative for a few of their healthy favourites.  

Go natural... and cheap.

 Companies earn billions of dollars each year when people like you and I buy their beauty products.  Do we really need the latest (and apparently greatest) cleanser or face moisturiser?  I replaced cleanser for Dove soap and moisturiser for Virgin Coconut Oil.  Dove soap cleared up some of the small bumps (milia) on my forehead.  Coconut oil de-frizzed my hair and my legs felt so soft.  Also, drinking more water (8 or so cups a day) made my skin noticeably clearer. 

greek yogurt + bananas topped with some (unhealthy?) chocolate.  it's all about balance. 

Do you have any healthy routines or habits?  I'd love to hear from you!
xx Acacia


You can view previous BE project posts here