Three Healthy Habits of Centenarians

Have you ever dreamed of hitting one hundred years of age? Of sitting back in a rocking chair, kids, grandkids, and great grandkids gathered around you? To gaze fondly at their faces and known you lived a long and healthy life, that you did everything right, that you have reaped the ultimate reward and sucked every precious moment right out of the time you were given? If so, then you need to start living healthy today. There are a few basic habits that ever centenarian has observed, and if you follow in their footsteps, barring genetically inherited problems, there is no reason you too can't live as long and fulfilling a life. However, it will require a lifetime of commitment, a lifetime of good habits, and that's what will separate the healthy from the others in the long run. So here's three basic habits that all centenarians have followed, and that you could greatly benefit from following too.

The first is to eat a fiber-rich cereal every morning for breakfast. This may sound simple, but the benefits are astounding. Doing so will help you maintain stable blood-sugar levels throughout the whole day, and also ensure that your metabolism gets ramped up from the get-go. There are definite trickle down benefits from here, as you will therefor not have hunger pangs later in the morning which result in binge eating. Starting your day with breakfast will ensure a steady progression of hunger buildup from meal to meal. It also will help you lower your chances of developing diabetes, which is a known accelerator of aging.

Second comes the absolutely essential of getting at least six hours each night of sleep. Doing so will easily help you live longer, as it allows your body to repair itself and heal all the micro-tearing and wearing out that your body sustains throughout the course of the day. Your body almost literally rejuvenates itself every night, which allows you to stay younger - longer.

Finally, be sure to consume whole foods and not supplements or processed food. Doing so will ensure that you get the widest spectrum of nutrients, including the crucial selenium, beta-carotine, Vitamins C and E. Those who have the widest array of nutrients also experience slower cognitive decline, but there is no evidence that taking these nutrients in pill form conveys the same benefit. So be sure to eat the actual fruits, vegetables and nuts that contain these benefits, and not some synthetic version.

7 Healthy Habits For Vibrant Health

See how many of these habits you already have and how many you might like to try to incorporate into your day. Just remember to be consistent while trying to form new habits. They can take 30 to 90 days to form and take hold. So here we go! Here are your:

Seven Healthy Habits For Vibrant Health

1. Home cooking - This is the best way to know what you are getting in your food! It does not have to be complicated and is an awesome way to feed your family well - both nutritionally and psychologically - your time energy and love went into that meal.

2. Greens - Getting green, leafy foods into your diet is very important. Try to get a serving of uncooked greens each day (iceberg lettuce doesn't count), and vary them. Remember, broccoli, Brussel;s sprouts, celery, cucumber and even cauliflower are all green foods.

3. Get color - colorful fruits and vegetables provide so many different nutrients. Try for 2 to 3 colors a day, and vary those colors. As you get used to them, up the number of colors each day. Go for 5 then see just how many more you can fit in each day.

4. Cut the crap - you know what I am talking about. All those processed garbage foods that contain white flour, white sugar, high fructose corn syrups (the body CAN tell the difference between this and sugar), trans fats and bad fats.

5. Get whole - whole grain (and vary your grains), whole fruits and vegetables, meats that have been fed according to the animals specific needs (grass fed, free range - goes for eggs too). Foods that have not been altered in any way shape or form.

6. Take a break - Nurture yourself. Take care of yourself and what you need to be you. Read, craft, walk, meditate/pray, candle lit bubble baths, church groups, hanging out with friends/family who love and support you.

7. Find a way to fit exercise into your day - Even if it's just 15 minutes a couple of times per day/3 days a week. Start with something you enjoy doing and see where you go from there.

If you are looking to improve your habits, pick one or two, work on them, and when you have them, choose one or two more. Enjoy the process and don't hassle yourself if you blow it. Just start where you left off and carry on.

You CAN do it!

Jennifer M. Clark is the sole proprietor of Nurturing Wellbeing where she works as a whole person (holistic) Health Coach. Certified by a nationally recognized school (I can't seem to be able to list the name here. The name is restricted) as a Health Coach and the American Association of Drugless Practitioners as a Holistic Health Practitioner.

Healthy Habits That Heal

Whenever I hear someone talk about health habits, I hear: eat right, exercise and manage your stress. While these are all important components, there is more to good health. We are all interconnected and affected by our environment and our relationships. Oftentimes I am asked what is the one thing that is most important and the answer is always attitude. People are shocked as they think I will say some magic pill or supplement or hormone. However it's attitude that drives everything. You can have the safest car with all of the best safety features, however it is the driver that ultimately controls the vehicle and is the biggest factor in safety. The same is true of your own health and safety and how your mind affects everything you do. What you think drives what you eat, drink, how much you sleep, how connected you feel to others, the quality of your relationships and your purpose in life. All of these affect your hormones that are the contractors that activate genes and tell your body to degenerate or regenerate. Your hormone balance can elevate or depress mood, change your perception of pain and affect how you love, appreciate and trust others.

Attitude is first and foremost the driver of health and longevity. My neighbor gave me a magnet for my refrigerator that says: How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are? If you think you are old and unhealthy, you are. If you think any ailment is a temporary setback, it is and you can regain the vitality that seems lost. You can produce surges of cortisol and unleash depression just by your thoughts. We have the power to choose our thoughts and our thoughts follow our actions. These can modulate many hormones responsible for our wellbeing. To change your attitude:

Surround yourself with people who motivate and inspire you
Read inspirational and motivational books and magazines
Seek out role models

Mental Activity - doing something you enjoy and can get lost in is very healing. When your mind is focused you become more creative, less stressed and this lowers cortisol the stress hormone that breaks down muscle and bone and adds fat to your waistline and internal organs.

Find or reconnect to a hobby you enjoy and can get lost in
Learn various forms of meditation to focus your mind on breathing, a mantra, a visual such as a candle or mandala or chant or walk in nature

Physical activity is a great way to release serotonin, the feel good hormone. Low levels of serotonin lead to depression, anxiety and increased perception of pain. Exercise increases the frequency and rate of serotonin release in the brain and also increases the production of tryptophan that is used to make serotonin. Intense physical activity releases endorphins that elevate mood and relieve pain.

Walk or work out regularly
Get physical with house or yard work

Appreciation, love and gratitude release the "Love Hormone" oxytocin. The release of oxytocin indicates that social interactions are safe. If you are not feeling safe, trusted, trusting or loved, oxytocin is not released and can cause a sense of isolation and social phobia. You just don't feel connected. Some of the ways to release oxytocin are to get or give a massage, pet an animal or express love, gratitude or appreciation. This establishes connection and trust and releases the love hormone, oxytocin.

Look into the eyes of someone you love and express gratitude and appreciation
Pet an animal. This releases oxytocin
Find something you are grateful for and keep a gratitude journal

Help! I Have No Time for Healthy Habits

In a typical health coaching session, the coach and client are looking to identify the path forward to life-giving, sustainable new habits and routines that almost effortlessly guide us to the goal of what is known as 'my best self.' A frequent obstacle is a feeling of a lack of time to fit it all in.

Finding the time to go to the gym, the time to prepare a healthy meal, time to sleep, to meditate, to breathe deeply, to see an old friend for lunch. If you have found yourself reading blogs, magazines and websites full of 'tips and tricks' to get all you want out of your life (in the same 24 hours that we all have), you will know that there is a lot of helpful material out there.

This article will focus on 5 helpful examples of where you can look to improve your mindset, be inspired to find the right solution for you. Since most of us know what we 'should' do, and already have a bit of information and former experiences to build upon, let's look at some ways to propel you forward.

Did you know that most of us can rely on only a relatively little amount of self discipline? Studies show that our self discipline is easily used up and that it is not a good predictor of success in habit change. Our 'supply' of self discipline is not going to get larger as we go on, it is shown to stay at fairly constant levels throughout a lifetime. How can we manage? The shift of focus is on to routines and rituals. Brushing your teeth every day probably does not take a lot of self discipline, it is part of your morning routine. Playing tennis every day is a routine, resisting a tempting plate of cookies is self-discipline. Where can you fit a new routine or ritual in your life, even if it is a small new one?

Look around. Every time you see a person jogging by the side of the road, or biking on weekends, or taking the children to the public swimming pool, take a moment to remind yourself that this person probably had to make the time available to do these things and is reaping the benefits of his/her efforts. Whenever I go to they gym, I check the changing room to see the type of clothing that is hanging there. How much of the clothing there is represented by an office worker? Lots! These individuals also took time at lunch or early morning to get a workout. Think to yourself 'I can, too!'

Use your life experience to know that you have, in the past, made room for physical fitness and did not question it or lament the efforts. Rehab after a ski accident might come to mind. When my daughter was diagnosed with a concerning spinal condition, I went to the pool every single day, of course! A more lighthearted example might be when you had a new crush and 'suddenly' found time to workout to enhance your physical attractiveness to this person. Think to examples when exercise was effortless due to a powerful motivator.

Use your analytical skills. Instead of a 'food diary', keep a 'time diary'. Take a weekly calender on a sheet of paper. Divide your waking time into 4 major themes: family time, personal time, work time and 'time vampires'. Time vampires are the ones that steal away your time (folding laundry, chatting on the phone, endless emails, little errands..). As you go on your day, color code your calender after the normal day is over. At the end of the week, take a good, long look at your calender. i bet you will be surprised and see room for improvement, yes? Make another calender for the coming week and make improvements. (chat on the phone while walking the dog, you get the idea..)

Think about your self esteem. Those around you know that you are capable of achieving a great many things in the everyday. But down under, take a 'reality check' to ask yourself, am I worthy of feeling my very best? Not fitting in the healthy habits in your program could be interpreted as a message to the underlying self, I am not worthy of feeling and looking my very best. Sounds backward? Try it on for size. When you are in bed in the morning and thinking about skipping the morning jog, remind yourself that you need to address the part of yourself that wants and needs to feel worthy, to feel energized, to feel well. You will have your sneakers on in no time.

Calculate your candy bar. You may think 'I have no time to prepare a healthy meal' so I will go ahead and grab a snickers bar quickly. According to my calculations, the calorie content of a snickers bar takes roundabout 3.5 hours of exercise to burn off. Do you have 3.5 hours at hand today? Maybe the 20 minutes to prepare a salad in the morning to take to work suddenly does not seem like too much time any more.....

In conclusion, 'having no time' is a concept that can be stretched and altered a bit, at least to create a space where one of those tips and tricks can be put to real use. Trial and error is a part of this path and that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, but each new effort is a step closer to the freedom and peace of mind that underlies the 'greater you.'

The Unhealthy Habits of Overweight People

Are you tired of being overweight? Running out of complaints and excuses?

Below are 8 of the most annoying unhealthy habits that some people practice and the healthy habits to follow:

1. Energy drinks for breakfast. You probably see a lot of people around with a can of energy drink assuming they supply energy for their morning. These drinks are actually loaded with caffeine, sugar and other unhealthy chemicals.

Healthy habit: Throw away the drinks and exercise in the morning. This naturally promotes blood flow, boosts your metabolism and makes you more productive. There's no need of artificial energy enhancers, your energy increases the whole day even with just a brisk walk.

2. Exercise at the gym to compensate your guilt. Losing excess weight involves healthy choices. With a 30-minute stroll on your treadmill or cross trainer will make a big difference for your energy and fitness than doing nothing. So, stick to your fitness goals.

Healthy habit: Plan the right exercise program that targets your goals and incorporate it in your daily routine. Then gradually increase the level of intensity and you'll surely get to your goals.

3. Saying "I'll have a diet cola for my express meal order" assuming that gets him free from the calories guilt.

Addiction to junk food is something to deal with, if you're assuming that including a diet cola will somehow neutralize it, you're actually fooling yourself. Diet drinks do not contain the same nutritional value as loaded drinks have. You should know that all bubbly drinks either contain sugar or the kind of sugar that contains chemically-changed sweeteners.

Healthy habit: Diet soda is found anywhere and this is devoid of excuses. Just fill your water tank with 2 liters of water every day or according to your needs based on your activity levels.

4. Saying "I hate broccoli." Most people don't like to eat this, but you need to eat broccoli and other veggies because they're a good source of nutrients your body needs.

Healthy habit: Find a $10 healthy cookbook to help you learn creative ways in how to make your veggies and salads more appealing to your taste buds. The trick is to gradually introduce three new vegetables into your kitchen. In no time, you'll learn to love them.

5. Leaving all the work to the machines. Escalators are good, but taking the stairs to go up and down a building is better. Why take the bus or a taxi when you can walk? There are many ways to exercise.

Healthy habit: Instead of letting the machines do the work, get your body moving by walking or jogging and do something.

6. Cigarette breaks throughout the day. Before you light up a cigarette on each break only to stay in one place, think of doing something productive to get your moving. It takes you two minutes to get downstairs and two minutes to get back to your desk, isn't it a good exercise?

Healthy habit: Join a support group and learn how to put an end to this unhealthy habit. You may want to buy a quit smoking book.

7. You're obsessed with stuff. So you've got the latest gadgets, all within your easy reach. But as a result to getting all the latest stuff, you've sacrificed your health. But when something goes wrong with your health, those stuffs can't help. You should know that your health is more valuable than any high ticket gadget.

Healthy habit: Try to stay away from your gadgets for one week leaving you with time for yourself and exercise. You'll likely learn to lead a healthier lifestyle.

8. Calling 1800-Fitness. You really think you did the right thing because you've seen it on TV or on a print ad. The low-carb diet can't actually make a difference for the long term.

Healthy habit: Try a six months plan for healthy eating and quality exercise then seriously follow your plan. You may want to train with someone, join a boot camp or hit the gym for group fitness. Live a healthy lifestyle - cook, exercise, walk, run and dance!

Some of these healthy habits are not easy to implement. But it's possible to do them for the better. You can start that change now. Begin by making a gradual lifestyle change by making good dietary decisions, planning a regular physical fitness activity and ultimately you can create a healthy lifestyle.

Get in the Healthy Habit

In order to get and maintain healthy six pack abs, it is important to change habits that have had a lifetime to develop. Whether it's an addiction to sugar, cigarettes, or simply a case of massive laziness, you can change your less desirable habits to good ones if you follow some simple steps. It is possible to change-just ask anyone who has lost a lot of weight and managed to maintain it long-term. You can ask someone who went from being a couch potato to running marathons, "What is the one thing you had to do to change?"

Most of them will answer that they had to develop a new set of habits surrounding their beliefs and actions regarding food, exercise, and themselves.

These can be some of the hardest habits to change. Most of us grew up with positive role models, but just the simple act of living can allow us to slip into bad habits. Making a commitment to change your appearance, sometimes radically, can provoke many of the fears we all felt as children and teens.

"Will I still be me?" The question of who we are and how we fit into the world is one that requires life long change and adjustment-many of us reach a point where we think we are 'finished', and there we stay, whether it's good for us or not.

Getting into the healthy habit of six pack abs is a mindset that can bring us great reward by improving our health, giving us improved strength and energy for daily tasks, and giving us an entirely new and positive mind set.

However, getting into the healthy habit of six pack abs can also reopen old fears and insecurities about our looks, our friends, and our families. When you change something as radical as your appearance, you can open yourself up to much more attention from people-and not all of it is necessarily appreciated or wanted. You will have jealous friends or family members who will try to cut you down every step of the way because of their own insecurities. The people closest to you can be your worst critics because they know the buttons to push to make you miserable. That being said, when they honestly support you, you have excellent allies in your struggle to change.

It is important, before even deciding to change a habit, to set up a game-plan and write down everything that could hold you back, as well as all of the resources you have, in helping you to achieve your goal.

There are three basic steps that will assist you in getting into the healthy habit of six pack abs.

1. Decide one thing you want to change, and write a plan to change it.

This is where you need to keep it simple and specific. Instead off writing 'I want to lose weight', write down 'I want to lose 'X' pounds by 'X' date, and I will do it by eliminating 'X' from my diet'.

2. Identify those things that trigger bad behavior and come up with replacement behaviors to do instead of that bad thing. For example, if you want to eliminate eating at fast food restaurants from your diet, you need to identify what causes you to eat there (usually hunger) and you need to identify a replacement behavior (make sure you have good food with you). This one simple step, if eating fast food is a daily thing, can eliminate a lot of bad stuff from your diet right there. And if you replace eating fast food with eating healthy options, you will be a step closer to your goal of losing weight.

3. Every time your trigger event occurs, do your replacement! Do this straight for at least 25-30 days and you will find yourself with a new healthy habit for your six pack abs training.

When we first take a look at ourselves in order to change things, most of us can come up with an extremely long list of things that make us unhappy. The old saying is true-we really can be our own worst enemy sometimes. When picking out your goals, chose the one item that you want to change the most right now. Set the rest of the list aside for a later time. It is important to concentrate on this one thing only for this time. If you try to do too much at once, it will turn into almost every New Year's resolution any of us have ever made-you will make a mighty attempt to do it all and you will burn out in a couple weeks as you realise how incredibly hard changing only one habit can be. Focus is key, small steps are essential, and repetition is paramount. The new behavior is one you need to do every time a trigger occurs or it will not become a habit.

Remember too that the new habit can suddenly be challenged and sabotaged by our own brains months and sometimes years away from the change. This change can be triggered by huge life events that drive us to seek comfort in the familiar and old routines of our past behaviors. Anyone who has ever quit smoking or drinking will related immediately to this. Sometimes all it takes is a smell and the cravings come back stronger than ever. Once you change your bad habits you need to stay aware that it can all come back in a moment if the conditions are right. Keep on your game and remember why you changed in the first place-it can give you the strength to keep moving forward.

Set These House Rules to Ensure Healthy Habits

Do you feel like your family's eating habits are unhealthy and out-of-control? Do you worry that you are allowing these bad habits to become a part of your children's lives and that they'll grow up accustomed to eating in a way that can lead to weight gain and medical complications? Many parents think about these things but don't know what to do about it. To many it seems like a problem too large to tackle, especially if the kids are already school-aged. The solution really is as simple as setting a few rules. I'm guessing you have rules set for other things at your house--clean your room, take out the trash, feed the dog, etc. Eating is no different. You must set rules and stick with them.

Rule #1 - Have set times for eating. Continuous grazing throughout the day is not a healthy pattern. It's hard to keep up with the amount you are eating if you eat "whenever you feel like it." You become accustomed to eating all the time at random, and this is a definite set-up for weight gain. You must be intentional when it comes to eating. Eat meals and snacks at regular times each day. Make sure you and your family get nutritious foods to eat each time so that it keeps you full until the next eating time. Let your children know that they are not allowed to go to the pantry or refrigerator except at snack times. And even then the parent should monitor what they children get.

Rule #2 - Prepare one meal for the family. Parents should not be short-order cooks and prepare multiple dishes for each family member. Prepare one family-friendly meal and insist that everyone partake. Every meal may not be everyone's favorite, but if you rotate the favorites they all get what they love often. It is also important that they eat a good variety in their diet, so they shouldn't have the same few dishes at every meal. The goal is also for them to enjoy the meal, so make sure everyone has at least one thing on their plate they really like.

Rule #3 - Try new things. Try to add a new vegetable, fruit or whole-grain item to each meal. The only way people (kids and adults alike) will improve their palate is to try new things. Don't expect to like them all the first few times. It may take many times before the new taste is likable, but don't give up. Over time you will find that your taste buds will adjust, and you'll begin to like new things. One thing is for sure. It is pretty much a guarantee that if you never try it you'll never like it. As you set these rules, don't forget to be a role model. You can't expect your children to do things that you don't do yourself. As they watch you they will be much more likely to follow. Think of the benefits it will bring for you all--easy weight control, more energy, confidence and self-esteem, all essential ingredients for a healthier, happier family. Keep in mind that after a while the rules aren't difficult to keep in place because they've become habits. A habit, by definition, is an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary. And that's the goal!

How to Teach Kids Healthy Habits Through the Use of Play

Children love to play, so use play in as much as you can to teach your children healthy habits. Play can get your child off the couch and or computer and doing a fun activity and burning calories. If your child plays sports everyday they can defeat childhood obesity. The easiest way to do this through sports. Whether your child is a boy or girl there are many choices. Basketball is great for cardiovascular fitness and overall health. Baseball and softball are fun to play and teach social skills and teamwork. Soccer is great to keep kids in shape and is often the activity children play the most. If we can make healthy activities play for children they will do them willingly and stay healthy. Team sports teach teamwork and are competitive which teach children to have fun and learn to go for their dreams. Children need to get outdoors and away from their video games and computers. Physical activity and playing sports makes kids healthy.

Outdoor activities do not have to be sports. They can be hiking, biking, jogging and even walking. Anything that raises the heart rate will increase children's health. This can increase strength and tone and help decrease childhood obesity, diabetes and hypertension in children.

Many communities have public parks and trails to take children to get their play on. Family outings can be an event your children look forward to every week. Plan these trips at least 2-3 times a week. Do events the while family can enjoy and do together such as jogging or a riding bikes.

Dinner preparation can be made into healthy play also. Let your child help you prepare healthy meals with you. You can turn it into play by making up games. Have the child mix up salads with you. Have them mix them with as many different colors as they can come up with. This will help them have fun playing while gaining the most diverse nutrition available with all the different colored vegetables. You can even have your children name the fruits and vegetables. That way they can make a game out of who will be coming to the salad bowl for instance. It sounds funny but when kids name their food they take a greater interest in it.

As you can see play can be used to teach your children healthy habits. Healthy play for children has three main aspects to it. There is outdoor activities, sports and most important of all nutrition.

Healthy Habits to Fight Gout

So you might be a gout sufferer worrying about how to reduce uric acid in your body, but you don't want to resort to taking pharmaceuticals right away. That is a very smart and healthy way of thinking, as drugs might have side effects in the long run that might harm you. Luckily for you there are natural and healthy steps you can take to lower the risk of having painful gout attacks. Just make it a habit to follow these tips.

1. Drink plenty of water. Yes, it's as simple as that. Water dissolves uric acid and helps the kidneys and your excretory system maintain a healthy level of it in your body. Make it a point to drink 2 - 3 liters or 8- 10 glasses of water daily, evenly spaced throughout the day. I know I don't have to remind you to not try to drink it all at once.

2. Maintain a healthy body weight. Gout patients are typically men who are in their 40′s and are slightly to morbidly overweight or obese. Exercise regularly and maintain a proper healthy nutrition to reach and maintain your ideal weight. This will help reduce your uric acid levels. However, crash dieting or a sudden drop in your weight is counterproductive and may actually increase the concentration in your body and cause gout attacks. Also, make sure you don't overuse the gout affected areas of your body during exercise.

3. Watch your purine intake. Uric acid is the byproduct formed when your body breaks down and metabolizes purines. Purines are organic compounds found in the genetic structure of plants and animals. That means all kinds of food have purines, though some foods contain more purines than others, and as a result produces more uric acid when they are digested.

It is just common sense to watch what food you eat and know what foods to avoid with gout. You can also take up a low purine diet, where you eliminate foods with high purine content from your diet. This will help lower your uric acid levels and prevent your gout from acting up.

The most important factor for these tips to work is discipline. It might mean saying no to your favorite dish or dragging yourself to the gym or health club. But I am sure you'll agree that this is a worthy trade-off to the excruciating pain of suffering from gout.