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Lifestyle issues cause some chronic diseases.
There is a high tendency for people not to exercise as much, paving the way to obesity, due to unhealthy food consuming that lead to illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, strokes, and much more that we are not even aware they exist. Ever heard of Chiari Malformation, Ehler Danlos Syndrome, and Myasthenia Gravis? These are chronic diseases, fancy, right? Mine is Mitral Valve Regurgitation and Stage 2 Hypertension (severe hypertension). Consider a lifestyle modification. Only 5 Healthy Habits to follow.
What if you are diagnosed with a chronic illness?
The issue with lifestyle is that they are difficult to turn into action. Many people attempt a change in their lifestyle all at once, which is tough to accomplish. The result? Often, they give up all of the right paths and resort to the usual negative health habits that they had been doing long before they have even tasted a healthy lifestyle.
Often, it just takes a few days or a few lucky weeks of trying to be healthy before the individual becomes overwhelmed and stops living healthy. Exercising stops and back they go to eating processed foods and junk foods; these are the very reasons to change your health habits one habit at a time so that you don’t become overwhelmed and stop trying to be healthy altogether, after all, a person with a chronic illness can only do so much.
Most weight loss programs available today only work if they are done carefully and don’t deprive the individual too much. The same goes for exercise programs. If you choose an exercise that you will likely enjoy or increase your physical activity more gradually, do stick to it so that you don’t become discouraged and quit using altogether. The trick to healthy living is to begin slowly.
If you try any modern diet or fitness fad with gusto, your body will likely respond negatively, sticking with these programs will be tough. There are a few simple things you can do to live a happier and healthier life.
Try these five changes to winning healthy habits a la Chronic Illness Warrior:
1. A must: eat one healthy meal daily.
Even if you are a fan of processed foods, do not deprive yourself of a healthy food each day. Feed your body with proper nutrition and healthy proteins. Healthy meals consist of mainly fruits and vegetables, supplemented with whole grain products, and lean meats. It doesn’t matter how much you eat, if the food is healthy for you, it won’t usually contain a lot of calories and won’t cause weight gain as can be evident when you eat junk foods or highly processed foods. Even so, you should try to watch your portion sizes.
2. Drink up: take one glass of water before each meal.
Water is by far the best liquid to drink. When you decide to drink a glass of water before meals, (an 8-ounce glass is enough), you will feel fuller before eating, and you won’t eat as much at the meal that follows a drink of water.
3. Have some activity at lunch.
Given you have 30minutes of Lunch Break, it usually doesn’t take that long to eat your meals. Eat your meals, and have the time to exercise. An extreme workout is not necessary, especially for a Spoonie; a simple walk will do. Being active will not only give you a boost, but it is also an aid to burning off the calories you just ate and will help in the digestive process. It doesn’t matter what type of exercise you want to do as long as you choose reasonable one without overdoing it. A Spoonie may be unchargeable, but inactivity weakens a person even more.
4. Have a replacement bar for a meal.
This step will include eating a protein bar as a snack instead of junk foods. Most meal replacement bars are healthy enough; they contain proper nutrition and lots of fiber, and they are also not calorie-rich as you think. They help stave off hunger pangs in a typical mid-afternoon time. Keep a stash of these protein bars wherever you are, in your desk at work or in your purse or briefcase easily available when hunger strikes you. It will help you from spending on poor food choices found in vending machines. Try a meal replacement bar that is high in fiber, and that has at least 10 to 15 grams of protein per bar.
5. Exercise, always.
With or without an illness, exercise at least 3-4 times per week. Choose activities you will enjoy while keeping it at a minimum; doing so will help energize you, build muscle mass, and help you lose weight by burning off excess calories. Yoga, perhaps (the perfect Spoonie exercise)?
So, what am I, er, what are you waiting for!? Let’s do this!
