IL CANTONE

To maintain our health and conserve our energy, we have to identify and eliminate the bad habits that are undermining our full potential as individuals. Once you’ve identified those habits you have to change them into good ones.

Next, I will share with you a list of 7 highly effective habits for a healthy life. If you incorporate these 7 habits into your daily routine you will reap the benefits for the rest of your life.

1. Establish a nighttime routine & sleep at least 7 hours a night

I really recommend you to establish a nighttime routine. You should go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning. Why? Because it will help to set your body’s internal clock and you will sleep better. It will keep your mind and body ready for the sleep process. Remember that the average adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night for optimal functioning.

2. Snack between meals

Many people don’t recommend eat between meals, but I don’t agree with them.  Even if you take time to eat three meals a day, you may still feel hungry at times. Dividing your calories into three meals and two snacks instead of three large meals can help to keep you well fuelled throughout the day. Snacking between meals can help you maintain a healthy weight and keep your metabolism going. Snacking on nutritious food can keep your energy level high and your mind alert. Try healthy foods like whole wheat crackers and low fat cheese.

3. Eat healthy food and drink at least 1.5 liters of water a day

Eat healthy food for a healthy lifestyle. Eating healthy food doesn’t mean giving up your favorite foods and switching only to salads. Healthy cooking is easy and cheap (I really mean it). A healthy diet is essential to live a healthy lifestyle. Another good tip is to eat at the same time, or nearly so, every day on a consistent eating schedule. Why? Because this will promote a digestive rhythm that will enable your body to receive the optimal benefit from your diet. In addition, I recommend use organic foods as much as possible and reduce red meat intake and eat more fish, especially oily varieties like salmon, tuna and sardines.

Your daily water intake could vary depending on your physical activity but it’s recommended to drink between 1.5 liters to 2 liters a day. The more active you are the more water your body will need. Remember that you can get water from a variety of sources like soft drinks, fruits and some foods, however the more water you drink in plain form the better.

I recommend a Mediterranean style diet: “The principal aspects of this diet include high olive oil consumption, high consumption of legumes, high consumption of unrefined cereals, high consumption of fruits, high consumption of vegetables, moderate consumption of dairy products (mostly as cheese and yogurt), moderate to high consumption of fish, low consumption of meat and meat products, and moderate wine consumption (wikipedia).”

4. Do regular exercise

Why regular exercise is good for you? Because it strengthens and tones, controls weight, enhances flexibility, helps prevent diseases, boost energy and concentration, keep you feeling bright and looking young and healthy.

Once you begin to exercise regularly, you will discover many other reasons why exercise is so important to improving the quality of your life. Exercise reduces stress and helps you sleep better and it can keep you looking and feeling younger throughout your entire life. How often should I exercise? Being consistent with exercise is probably the most important factor in achieving desired results. I would suggest three days a week to get results, but, if you’re just starting out, two days is fine. And remember: More is not necessarily better. You have to keep in mind that your workouts should be challenging in order to get best results, but don’t push the body too much. Your workouts should be efficient with the right exercises, and please, remember to stretch after exercising.

5. Don’t abuse anything

As Voltaire said once: “Use, do not abuse; neither abstinence nor excess ever renders man happy.”-.- I follow this rule in my own life and I personally advice you to do so. The most obvious example is related to alcohol consumption but you can extrapolate this to almost any imaginable situation: avoid heavy meals; balance your time in front of the television and the computer; and a long etc.

6. Don’t procrastinate: Just do it!

Each one of us has probably heard the old adage “Procrastination is the thief of time.” It’s a natural human behavior, a mechanism for coping with the anxiety associated with starting or completing any task or decision. It’s a counterproductive behavior, needless, and delaying, but I have good news too! You can overcome it. How to overcome procrastination? Don’t try to do too much too quickly because you will probably not succeed at every task you are given or every challenge you face.

So, the important thing is to get started and do the given task step-by-step, and don’t try to put all the pieces together at once. My tips: make a comprehensive but detailed daily (weekly) schedule of tasks to be done and stick to it as much as you can; focus on your work during working hours but get some rest too; be organized; and, if you get stuck get some help.

7. Build and maintain relationships with your friends and family

Most relations end just because they are not in contact for a long period of time. With current technology, there’s no reason not to keep in touch with your friends. There are so many ways to keep in touch: twitter, email, facebook, messenger, skype, phone calls, blogs, etc. Please, don’t hesitate to send a message at first place. Refresh contacts with old friends. So, be proactive, take the lead and organize a reunion with former friends and colleagues and enjoy reconnecting with them.

Elbert Hubbard said once something that really moved me and made me think about my relationship with my family: “No matter what you’ve done for yourself or for humanity, if you can’t look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished?”It’s a powerful message that deserves to be spread, country by country, city by city, street by street and, finally, heart by heart, because love deserves to be spread far and wide.

We should ask ourselves some important questions:

• Do I have a close relationship with my sister/ brother/ parents?

• What kind of actions can I take to improve my relationship with them?

So, as said above, don’t procrastinate => Just Do It!

To sum up: when people ask me to give some advice and tips for a healthy lifestyle I always say the same: sleep at least 7 hours a night; do exercise, eat healthy food, drink enough water, don’t abuse anything and, finally, be social and generous with your friends and family.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle.

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Now, I’m looking to you for some wisdom:

• What good habits would you most like to develop?

• If you could just pick one or two habits to create in the next month what would they be?

Use the comments section of this post as a forum to post your own experiences, opinions and thoughts on this subject.

And remember, share your thoughts and enjoy what others share with you 🙂

Written by: David Cantone

My Twitter: @DavidCantone

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