Easy Ways to Healthy Living

Posted on Mar 3rd 2010 11:00AM by Pooja Mottl

Filed Under: Diet & Weight Loss, Fit Family

As Americans, we sure are busy. Juggling work, family and jam-packed schedules makes many of us vulnerable to what I call the "double whammy" -- little exercise and poor diet. Our daily obligations push visits to the gym to the wayside and we find ourselves forced to eat foods that are prepared by someone else -- whether they are packaged by a food company, made at a restaurant, or prepared for a lunch buffet at a local deli -- in the name of saving time.

We're told over and over again that living a healthy lifestyle is the key to wellness, and while many of us may strive to exercise and eat better, the truth of the matter is living healthfully is hard. That's because what is convenient and quick isn't usually healthiest choice for us.

You may think you don't have any other options, but the truth is not only do you have choices, but you can also save yourself a great deal of time, money and hardship in the future if you made just a few small changes to live healthier each day.

The reasons to try to live better right now are pretty powerful. Eating healthier and getting in as little as 30 minutes of physical activity can give you the energy and vibrancy you need to bring a boost to your daily routine. You'll be more productive, more focused and more balanced overall. Moving more will help keep your metabolism and mood upbeat and eating whole, real foods can help put a stop to those sugar or caffeine cravings you may have throughout the day.

But even more important, with only about 12 percent of Americans eating a healthy diet and only about one out of three of us getting enough activity, we're setting ourselves up for a landslide of future health related problems if we don't make better choices today. Living an unhealthy lifestyle can breed immune system deficiencies that can force us to take time-off to visit doctors, hospitals and pharmacies -- all of which will put a pinch to our pocketbooks as well. We'll also be setting ourselves up for more potential cases of heart disease, obesity, Type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer -- chronic diseases that will cost us dearly not just in terms of finances, but by taking years off our lives.

So while cooking a meal at home may seem more time consuming than grabbing take-out, remember, these small investments, either requiring a bit more time or a little more money is sure to payoff many times over in the years ahead.

Here are simple four tips for healthier living you can start doing today:

1. Get educated on food and read labels. The more you know about the processing, ingredients and real nutritional value of the foods that are available, the more you'll be able to make better choices at the grocery store or lunch room.

2. Make fitness a priority in your life. Instead of having activity come after you run errands or watch TV, try making activity the first thing you do in the morning.

3. Cook, cook, cook! Being able to prepare your own meals and snacks is the absolute best way for most people to eat healthier and it doesn't have to be complicated -- a quick PB&J using whole grain rye and fruit spread instead of sugary jams is one fast example.

4. Place more value on food. If possible, channeling a bit more cash to your food budget in order to get better options will do your body a whole lot of good over the long run.

Pooja Mottl is a healthy lifestyle advisor based in New York City and is inspiring a contemporary approach to wellness in America. Through her online platform, Mindfully21.com, Pooja seeks to give individuals the tools and perspective to navigate through the latest food, lifestyle and fitness fads in order to make the best decisions for their daily health.

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Tags: fit-family, healthy eating, HealthyEating, opinion

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Bunjiro 3-03-2010 @ 2:12AM

Almost useless.

Michael 3-03-2010 @ 4:36PM

Good article, But not enough information. Our food system is broken. The need to supplement is no longer just a good ideal...essential to maintaining health and vitality.

Michael
mikeh2oonthego@aol.com

junior 3-03-2010 @ 6:21PM

With the obesity rate in our country, you really needed to tell us fat people don't exercise? Thanks already knew that.

salesman 3-03-2010 @ 7:06AM

The answer on this topic is, just like most issues, is LESS government, not more. And unfortunately Mrs Obama is as guilty as her husband of being pro big government and socialist by promotinng more government/spending as the solution. Allwe need to do to promote healthier kids is provide only healthy choices at school lunches, no sodas, junk food, etc. Then send our information to families about healthy choices they can make at home. After that, the repsonsibility lies within the family and individual, government cannot legislate healthy living, nor should they try. Government and unions are getting too intrusive and both need to be reduced or America will cease to be America!

jane 3-03-2010 @ 9:31AM

You say all we need to do is promote healthy food choices. Yes, except that it's not as easy as you make it seem, especially without government. Do a little research and you'll find things like sugar and corn are subsidized (read: CHEAP) and easy to turn into junk food which is then cheaper than healthy food, which Americans buy up like crazy, so they only make more. So you can talk about and "promote" healthy choices all you want, but when there is an abundance of cheap crappy convenient junk out there as opposed to scarce and more expensive healthy food that actually needs prepared, people are going to go with junk every time. Especially kids, but even most adults. It all starts with making the better choices more readily available and cheaper, and the only way to do that is to make it harder to sell junk.

Yours is a typical view from someone who's agenda is nothing more than spreading lies about things you know absolutely nothing about. Read a book instead of listening to Glenn Beck for a change.

Oh, and regarding your last comment: Maybe it wouldn't be such a terrible thing if America did in fact cease to be the America we have now. We need less lazy, uneducated, ignorant and unhealthy people in this country.

Bill 3-03-2010 @ 11:19AM

Gee, where do you get your list of Republican talking points from? We could all just go there so you wouldn't be required to put them in every response you do.

Steve3904 3-03-2010 @ 3:31PM

Jane,

Where do subsidies come from? The government.

Paul 3-03-2010 @ 3:58PM

To Jane and Bill, your comments sound like they come from watching too much Racheal Madow at least Beck is much more imaginative and entertaining. Do we really need the government to tell us what to think and do? Talk about ignorance and laziness!

mluzmartin964 3-03-2010 @ 6:20PM

Come on! What is this have to do with government? Do you need Mrs Obama telling you how you should eat? For one thing she planted a garden of vegetables and herbs at the White House. So here is the hint: Eat greens, fresh greens preferably the ones that do not come from a freezer. Eat all kinds of vegetables in big portions, and fruits in big portions. As far as meat and poultry, sweet, breads, one portion a day. And stop blaming Obama for the ignorance and stupidity that we have in this country. The secret of good health is to take time to shop fresh food and cook it. This is not a political issue it is your own personal choice of life. Unfortunately most Americans do not cook, because they say they are too busy to do it. They are not to busy sitting on couches and watching TV. See the point? Obama is not responsible for all the good or evil of this world. We are all responsible to maintain a good life style and good diet.

LGN 3-03-2010 @ 10:53PM

When did it happen that some fools in goverment allowed the fast food industry to get into our schools? I graduated in 79. prior to that, there was not taco bell or vending machines. Althought tt was cafeteria spaghetti on Mondays, it was a lot more nutritious that the crap they allow our schools to feed out kids. I think the solution is pretty simple...get the chain restaurants out of our schools.

Jenna 3-03-2010 @ 9:02AM

I'm in middle school, and I for Lent I gave up junk food. I'm all for eating healthy and exercising, it's just my dad isn't really helping! He doesn't buy healthy foods, and the things he "cooks" don't cut it! So parents, ENFORCE IT. You have to help your kids eat healthier. And at home, give them something to exercise with. Whether it be exercise DVDs, a treadmill, a yoga mat, something!

mama19 3-03-2010 @ 2:21PM

You don't need anything to exercise. Try doing jaumping jacks, push ups, pull ups, running, jogging, walking. None of these require anything- except your choice & follow through.

Crystal 3-03-2010 @ 9:22AM

I work out 4-6 times a week and i do cook at home but to cook healthy most of the time is hard b/c it costs more money to buy healthier foods and ingrediants and being a single mom stuck on unemployment at the moment and going to school full time i dont have the money. Even if i got a job i wouldnt be able to b/c i would be making less money with a job than i do on unemployment at the moment. If the country needs to eat healthier make it to where people can afford to then more people will buy the products and you would still get a good profit as you would with the higher prices and less people buying the products

Josh 3-03-2010 @ 3:40PM

So you make enough money to go to school and raise a child on unemployment, and you choose not to go to work because you can't find a job that will pay better than unemployment? WTF!?! is happening to my country. Why don't you get a job and contribute to society, you mooch. Health benefits alone with a minimum wage would outweigh whatever you're getting from ME!

Dione 3-03-2010 @ 7:29PM

@ Josh: She's ON UNEMPLOYMENT you dim-wit! Which means she was laid off & HER EMPLOYER PAYS into the UNEMPLOYMENT TAX so that she can get unemployment which doesn't affect you, you moron. She's done her time & title @ her job so if they laid her off, SHE IS ENTITLED TO RECEIVE UNEMPLOYMENT! Just like if you worked hard on a job and lost it due to no cause of your doing, you would be entitled to unemployment through your job as well. Why?! Because employers HAVE TO pay into the UNEMPLOYMENT TAX, that's why.

Did you not hear that she is a single mom? In what world do you reside that working a minimum wage job is going to allow her to afford child care? Work hard all day so all your money where you burst your butt, come home, worn out, with no time/energy left for your child, just so THE LITTLE MEASLEY MONEY YOU MAKE ON A LOW PAYING JOB ALL GOES TO DAYCARE?! You've got to be kidding. How do you get ahead in life that way? You don't. You sacrifice, make choices so you can have and do better for yourself and your family. Do some research, learn something before you up and attack someone who is trying to take the time that she is off work to better herself and her education SO THAT SHE CAN GET A BETTER JOB MAKING MORE MONEY. And who says she can afford it? Maybe you weren't interested in higher education the reason you think its so meaningless and are okay with working some low-paying job barely living paycheck to paycheck. Had you ever stepped foot on a college campus, you'd know there are things such as grants, scholarships, work-study programs and student loans so people can further their education, get better jobs, make more money... which whoa, check this out... means they pay taxes and contribute to this great country we live in. That's why the system is set up that way. How could ANYONE with ANY COMMON SENSE condemn someone for going to school to better themselves?! Some of you people amaze me in your ignorance; its ridiculous.

2ndopinion 3-03-2010 @ 11:27PM

Crystal,
I hear you girl! You can buy two little debbie snack boxes for the price of less then 1/2 the ingredients in a salad. You keep bettering yourself & God Bless you for working so hard! Josh, YOU need to be goin' back to school brother cuz' you are about as ignorant as they come, can't even read before you reply...duh! Ginny all I can say to you is AMEN!! You made my day honey!

back to smiles 3-03-2010 @ 9:43AM

"Dumb", you've given me the best laugh of the week. Jay Leno has nothing on you!

Ginny 3-03-2010 @ 10:22AM

Until the cost of fresh fruit and vegetables comes down, and the job markets open up more and the economy and stresses on families calm down, eating healthy is beyond some famiies pocketbooks. It is a hard choice to make whether to pay household bills to keep a roof over families heads or to buy healthier foods. Most soup kitchens now are serving more pasta and bread products becaue of the increasing number of clients and the providers budgets are decreasing.

Nancy 3-03-2010 @ 1:56PM

The last time I looked, buying a bag of oranges is cheaper than buying the same weight of potato chips.

All I hear are excuses.

If it wasn't a food 100 years ago, chances are it's still not a food.

The poor man's diet - God's diet - whatever you want to call it. If it comes in a cardboard box or plastic bag and can last up to 12 months on the shelf, changes are you shouldn't eat it.

judy 3-03-2010 @ 10:46AM

I just lost my job first of month due to a lost contract. When my husband and I eat out, it is never less than $20.00. When I buy frozen processed dinners, they are usually over $5. I've found since losing job that I can cook alot cheaper than that. My food bill is running $35. a week now. I cook one large piece of meat that we eat 2 or 3 days on, such as a roast, ham, etc. Make a pot of bean one day, and then combine those together for either a chili or stew for a couple more days. I think ahead now instead of waiting until meal time to put it together. There are always left overs in frig now for those times we are running short on time. Beans are one of the most healthy things you can cook and they cost less than $2.00 before you add the meat, such as left over ham or bacon. I keep bananas, apples, grapes around for a snack or in my case breakfast and lunch. Truly it is cheaper to cook at home from scratch than eat out. Plus the benefits are you don't get all those processed all-fat hamburgers, etc. Buy lean meat, use lots of veggies and fruit and you'll bring your cholesteral down also. Mine came down 50%.

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