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A HEALTHY BODY = A HAPPY BODY = A HAPPIER YOU!Okay, so you've read and implemented all the info in 'Happy You'. You've got your head straight and have decided to be happy NOW. Great! Congratulations! But you just don't feel happy.You don't jump out of bed in the morning excited to be starting another day of your fabulous life. Instead, you drag yourself out, grumbling, wondering what you're going to wear to cover your latest, growing bulge, and hoping your tired eyes have opened sufficiently for you to see the road as you journey to work! Yes, my friends, this scenario does make attaining a Happy Life rather difficult. If not feeling physically great, at least having a healthy body is a prerequisite for a Happy Life. Don't touch that mouse!! I'm not about to suggest you enter the next Boston Marathon, or try out for the Olympics or even give up muffins or chips (or, God forbid, M&Ms!). There are lots of things you can do to feel physically better than you do now........'great' can come later. The first thing you can do to improve the health of your body is to know, respect and act upon the importance of sleep. Dragging yourself around every day, not having enough energy to do the things you like and must do is NOT fun. The second thing you MUST do if you are ever to feel great, is to exercise. Now don't go panicking - I'm not suggesting you tip yourself into a chartreuse leotard and front up complete with leg-warmers and sweatband, to the nearest gym! There are lots of ways to enjoy yourself while being physically active. Here are twenty ways to have fun exercising! There - I've said it. You may not like it but it is a MUST. You don't have to become a gym junkie - in fact if you click that last link you may be pleasantly surprised by some ideas I give you to get your body moving. The next thing I'm always bullying (not really!) my clients and everybody else I know, into is meditation. You don't have to be a new-ager or a hippy or a religious nut of any kind to feel the benefits of meditation. This practice is great for everyone! AND it's been known to change lives. Both meditation and exercise will also improve your quality of sleep, so what better reason could you have to make them both habits? Of course, you can't expect any more out of your body than what you put into it - so if you're living on a diet of M&Ms and soft drink, don't be surprised if you're feeling less than great. Get some good nutrition into your body and you'll get more out of it! I recently saw a presentation by cardiologist Dr. Ross Walker in which he spent some time extolling the virtues of health supplements. Luckily, I have already found a supplement which gives me great results, and I'll be a consumer of that supplement until the day I die. Our food is not as nutrient-rich as it was many years ago, as nutrients have been leeched from the soil, so if you're not supplementing your diet, I strongly suggest you investigate the possibilities to retain (or regain) your healthy body. Speaking of RETAINING your healthy body..........I really love the Chinese method of health care. In my humble opinion, the Chinese have it all sussed. They pay their health practitioners to keep them healthy, whereas we westerners pay our doctors when we get sick! Which method makes the most sense to you? I know people who lay their lives at their GP's feet. You probably do too. Don't you think it's time these people (and all of us) educated ourselves regarding alternative medicine? There's a whole world of knowledge out there to be explored. Why restrict yourself to your GP's limited knowledge? PREVENT (POPS!)The best health care regime is one of prevention. If you include all the Happy Life ingredients I have recommended, when baking your 'Happy Body' pie, you will find you can't remember the last time you visited your doctor, let alone had the necessity of putting drugs into your precious body. The pillars of health care: meditation, exercise, quality sleep, supplementation, and alternative medicine all combine to prevent illness. These Pillars Of Prevention (POPS!) will keep you out of your doctor's germ-infested waiting room, and into the healthy, funfilled, exciting life you deserve. LISTENA very important part of maintaining your health, that I hope goes without saying, but I thought I'd better mention anyway, is listening to your body. This is an especially important point if you're a woman! If your body is cold, dress it warmly; if it's restless, exercise it; if its ...ummm.... needs aren't being met, meet them; if it's tired, rest it! I point out the need for women to heed this advice because we, as nurturers, tend to put everyone else's needs before our own - sometimes with dire consequences for our health. You are living in your body - no-one else! Only you have the right to dictate your body's needs. This is incredibly difficult to implement if you have small children - they don't even understand what rights are - but the adults in your life should be supportive and understanding. But above all, you need to know that you deserve good health, just as much, if not more, than anyone else in your life. Unless you're extremely lucky, no-one is going to suggest you take a night off from your nurturing role and pamper yourself with a bath, a manicure and a good movie; or sign you up for that boot camp you're always talking about while they get the kids ready for school, are they? No, they're not! So quit waiting, take the initiative and move your needs up the pecking order a notch or two! The health of your body is YOUR business and I really hope after reading this: YOUR PRIORITY! HYDRATEMy last but by no means least tip for a happy, healthy body..............my kids will laugh at this if they ever read it...........is hydration!! (There used to be a running joke in my family that if my kids came home with a broken leg I'd say, "have a big glass of water - you'll be right!!") But seriously, keeping the body well hydrated is paramount to it's health!! Don't believe me? Next time you're having one of those 'tired' days, drink 1-2 litres of water and see what happens! You'll also usually find, when you start noticing, that those 'tired' days usually follow a day when you haven't drunk much water. Honest - it's that simple. The body is made up largely of water (90% when we're born - gradually decreasing with age) so it needs to be replenished daily. If you're a 'headachey' person, you're probably not drinking enough water. Survey yourself for the next month, drinking two litres of water per day and see what happens (your skin and innards will also thankyou!). QUICK TIP when you've been drinking alcohol have at least one big glass of water before bed and presto!! - no hangover!
If you're living in an unhealthy body it will be really easy to improve your happiness level. Just follow the tips on this page and its links and I promise, you'll start feeling better really soon in a healthier body. Having the healthiest body possible, while still having fun (and the more-than-occasional packet of M&Ms) is a major ingredient in your Happy Life!
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