A health lifestyle can really help you avoid going to the doctor.  Healthy people recover quicker from ailments and typically have a longer life span.  If you live a less than healthy life, organizing a new routine of health-conscious initiatives can seem drastic and overwhelming. Perhaps you don’t know where to start. The best advice anyone can give on this topic is to start slow and incorporate one piece of the health puzzle at once. The less drastic and less overall changes at once the better. 

    In contrast, the more changes you put on your plate, the more apt you are to get overwhelmed, frustrated, and give up the resolution altogether. This being said, develop your own plan from the health maxims below with only realistic expectations for yourself. Soon you will be on your way to achieving the level of healthy lifestyle you want and deserve. 

   1.  Exercise-  You don’t have to go full throttle right off the bat. If you have led a previously inactive lifestyle, start by taking casual walks a few times a week. Commit to at least 20-30 minutes each time. Do your best not to think of this exercise as a chore. Try to make it fun. Walk the dog, take a hike, etc. 

    Whatever it is that can give you immediate pleasure and also offer you this level or more of exercise, do it. In time, you will be able to exercise for longer and at greater intensities. You will feel better overall by using up your previously unspent energy and releasing those endorphins. Moreover, coupled with a healthy diet, you will notice toning and some weight loss; which is necessarily good for overall optimum health.

    2.  Develop a Healthier Diet-  Now, hearing the word “diet” can strike fear into even the most courageous of minds, but do not fear. Just because you changing your eating habits, does not mean that you have to subsist on wheat germ and veggies. First, everyone needs a healthy diet of all four food groups to achieve optimum health. Second, moderation is key. Do not cut out all of your favorite foods completely-otherwise you will be miserable and probably give up altogether. 

    Instead, focus on creating a realistic diet plan of veggies, fruits, dairy, and grains with maximum protein, lower fat content, and less empty calories. Every once in awhile treat yourself to your favorite food. This will get you through the transition more seamlessly while also giving you something to reach for.

    3.   Sleep at Least 7-8 Hours-  With lives as hectic as they are, many people tend to overlook the importance of getting enough sleep per night. Sleep is what fends off illness, restores our health from daily bodily use, and helps us maintain an even keel emotionally, psychologically, and physically. 

    4.    Limit Stress-  Alongside the sleep issue, most of us keep ourselves extremely busy with work, kids, household maintenance, and the like-sometimes to an unrealistic degree. Remember to slow yourself down on a daily basis, limit the expectations you put on yourself, and limit the overall stress that necessarily follows. 

    Aside from the short term effects of stress-such as fatigue, depression, and sleeplessness-the long term effects can prove a lot more serious. Leading a high stress life can easily lead to heart and ulcer issues. Try your best to remind yourself in the whir of life activity what is actually important in life-it’s not the deadline of your work assignment, getting the kids to school on time, or keeping a spotless kitchen. It’s the life quality that comes in happiness and contentment. 

  Implementing some of these tips slowly and surely will help lead the lifestyle that you want.  It is difficult to implement some of these initiatives into your life all at once.  Slowly add things such as exercies, diet and sleep.  You may also notice less stress once these things are implemented.