Adapting to a healthy and natural lifestyle requires adapting to a natural and balanced diet and eating habits, correct exercise regimen, regularizing daily routines, giving up harmful and unnecessary habits, taking adequate rest and relaxation, improving the mental attitude, attaining to a higher level of awareness and reducing dependency on modern gadgets, etc.
The following tips are based on many years of my personal experience and trials, and would definitely help you too in improving your lifestyle and physical and mental health.
Diet
- We need to eat because body needs nutrition for survival and proper functioning.
- Eat simple, nourishing, balanced and fresh food. Eat plenty of seasonal fruits and vegetables.
- Eat only when hungry. Eat according to appetite and strictly avoid overeating.
- Prefer main meal at Lunch; eat a moderate Breakfast and a light Dinner.
- Keep at least 3 hours gap between the main meals; preferably breakfast at about 8 am, lunch between 11am and 1 pm and dinner at about 6:00 pm or before the Sun-set.
- The duration or gap between the meals also depends upon items eaten at the previous meal. Restrict the number of cooked meals to a maximum of three a day, even lesser the better! If hungry, eat only fruits in between the meals.
- Do not drink water immediately before or after the meal. If required, sip water only in small quantity while eating. Drink enough and only when thirsty. Avoid ice-cold or refrigerated water and drinks.
- Avoid oily and fried food, fried nuts, Ice cream, cheese, etc.
- Avoid chocolates, sugar, stimulating drinks such as tea, coffee, alcohol, etc. and carbonated drinks.
- Avoid items made from white flour (menda), including bakery products
- Nuts, milk and milk products, dairy sweets, etc. could be consumed in moderation and in accordance with your nutritional requirement.
- Avoid excessive use of salt and spices, pickles and papad.
- Avoid consuming any cold food directly from the fridge and refrigerator.
- Avoid food preparations with chemical additives and preservatives.
- Prefer organically grown food produces. Avoid Genetically Engineered or Modified food stuff.
- Eat in silence and with awareness of food. Eat slowly and chew properly.
- Eat food according to your Prakruti (the individual ayurvedic constitution), season and liking.
- Observe “regular” Fruit or Water Fasts.
- Avoid eating out!
Physical Exercise
- Carry out exercises that are suitable for you, and practice them correctly.
- An ideal exercise program should improve flexibility, strength and stamina. It should energize the mind and the body, and reduce the mental stress.
- A minimum of 30-minutes physical workout daily is essential. There is no upper limit to how much one can exercise, as long as it doesn’t cause tiredness or exhaustion.
- A “regular” exercise regimen should have a combination of exercises such as, Yoga, walking, cycling, swimming, jogging, gym, aerobics, gardening, athletics, games and sports, etc.
Daily Routine and Habits
- A regular and disciplined daily routine is essential for a healthy lifestyle!
- Sleep before 10 PM and wake-up before sunrise. Avoid late nights.
- Any harmful and unnecessary habit would only cause wastage of time, money and energy. Hence, give-up all bad habits and addictions.
- Evacuate bowels and bladder “regularly”.
- Maintain daily physical hygiene (bathing, tooth and tongue cleaning, etc.).
Rest and Relaxation
- About 6 to 7 hrs sleeps at night is very refreshing but avoid sleeping in the afternoon.
- Take rest for a few minutes after each meal.
- Consciously relax yourself whenever feel stressed or exhausted physically and/or mentally.
- 10 to 15 minutes of Yoga-Nidra in Shavasana provide excellent physical and mental relaxation.
- Avoid Burn-out!
- Refer to my separate Note on “rest and relaxation” for more details.
The Mind and Awareness
- Consciously try to improve the level of self-awareness.
- Any conscious effort towards self-restrains and self-observance reduces stress in life.
- Affirmation and prayer help remove negative thoughts and develop positive thinking.
- “Regular” practice of meditation helps improve mental clarity, self-confidence, self-awareness, concentration, objectivity, creativity, comprehension, perception and equanimity.
- Through concentration and meditation you can tap into your inner wisdom. Consciously practice patience and tolerance. Try to be content.
Exposure to modern living style gadgets
Wherever possible, avoid exposure to radiations such as electromagnetic radiation in electrical cables, mobile phones, microwave towers, etc. Avoid consuming any cold food from the fridge and refrigerator. Avoid microwave cooking. Avoid exposure to GM/ GE food, pesticides, chemical fertilizer, air conditioning, pollution from vehicle and industry, and polluted and high TDS water, etc. wherever possible.
Author
Nimesh Shah
Certified Lifestyle Consultant