If you don’t take care of your body then where are you going to live?

Someone asked me this question many years ago and today I ask you. A commitment to staying healthy should be high priority because if it’s not then all the other areas of your life will eventually pay the price.

Being healthy doesn’t have to be a daunting task but you do have to be consistent. Small changes in the way to go about your day can give you great results over time.

Food is the obvious big driver when it comes to health and thinking about what you are eating is the key to this. Next time you sit down to eat ask yourself if the producer of the food has your best interest in mind or theirs? Did they spend billions of dollars to entice you? Did they create a process where they could provide you with the lowest quality food at a price that would be attractive to you? Why are you eating that particular food and if it’s not beneficial to you what else could you be eating?

Exercise is the other half of the equation. Here you’ve been led to believe that you must be sweating on a treadmill or lifting huge amount of weights in order for it to be considered exercise. And if you’re going to compete in athletics or be a bodybuilder then perhaps it’s true. But for most some simple movements can do wonders. Your body is designed for movement and the more you move it the better you will feel. The Okinawa Centenarian (age over 100) Study showed that “exercise in the form of dance, soft martial arts, walking and gardening” were key health drivers. Keeping exercise simple will help you stick with it over time.

You can start improving your health today by being mindful of what you are eating and how much you are moving. When you decide to eat today, try not to be distracted with electronics or conversations and think about if you are really hungry or are you eating because it’s time to eat? Think about how much time you spend today sitting or standing in one place. Take a break to stretch or walk around for a few minutes. The additional blood flow to your brain will also give you the added benefit of being able to think clearer too.

Taking care of health should not be something you have to obsess over, but it should be something you pay attention to on a daily basis.