11 Ways To Be Happy, Healthy, and Successful
Amy Fiedler
Here are 11 ways to better your life. If you find yourself in a slump, see if you are doing all of the following things. If you aren't, try incorporating them in your life, and I guarantee you will feel so much better!
1.) Eat Breakfast Every Morning. "Breakfast Eaters are the champion of good health." Research has shown those who eat breakfast, tend to take in more vitamins, minerals, and not as much fat. There is less chance of over eating or craving unhealthy snacks (ie. in the vending machine at school or work).
A good breakfast includes carbs, protein & a small amount of fat. Some good ones are: Cottage Cheese & fruits, a veggie omelet, toast with peanut butter, oatmeal
*Best if all eggs, meat, fruit, and peanut butter; are organic. The meat--antibiotics and growth hormones free, and grass fed.
2.) Introduce Fish and omega-3 fatty acids, to your diet. It is recommended you have a serving of fish-- twice a week. Fish is a good source of protein. It is also relatively low in bad types of fat such as saturated fat. Fish contains omega -3 fatty acids, which have been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease. In addition to heart benefits, there has been some evidence proving omega-3 fatty acids have reduced allergies, asthma, eczema, and auto immune disorders.
Although, I haven't found anything saying, "consuming fish during pregnancy or (omega-3 fatty acids) has helped cut down on allergies or eczema in newborns and infants", it would make sense to think that it does.
There was a study done, where they took a group of pregnant women, and gave them a 400mg daily of DHA omega-3; throughout their pregnancy. Those mothers delivered healthier babies then all of those that did not. At one month, the babies from the mothers who took the 400mg of omega-3 had 25% less sick babies with colds and coughs. At the age of 3 months the babies in the experiment were found to have less chance of diaper rash, being severely sick with flu symptoms, were found to be heavier and 3/4cm. longer then the babies who's mothers did not consume omega-3, by the age of 18 months. (Emory University)
3.) Get Enough Sleep. 32 Million people said they have fallen asleep driving. Each year, more than 100,000 car accidents are due to people sleeping at the wheel. Sleep is vital to having emotional well-being, and a clear and focused mind. Sleep deprivation can negatively affect memory, learning and logical reasoning.
Children and teens need at least 7-10 hrs. of slumber a night. Newborns - infants need the most sleep, in order to make their brain grow properly. Teenagers also require more sleep than adults. It is important that teenagers get no less than 8 hours of sleep, a night, to be able to cope better with mood swings, and changes due to puberty.
4.) Find a Social Connection. Volunteer. Go to Church. Take a photography class, but whatever you do make some new connections with people.
Having more connections with people, helps to have new, and interesting, perspectives on what others live like. More connections, means more opportunities; to learn new things. You never know who you will meet.
5.) Exercise. Everyone knows the benefits, but still so many people choose not to do it. More then 60% of the country don't exercise and more than 60% of Americans are obese. Coincidence? I think not! Here is a review of the benefits. Weight Control, Reduces Premature death.... Should I keep going? Just in case you aren't convinced.... Reduces risk for disease (high blood pressure, diabetes, cardio vascular disease).
- Helps gain self-confidence
- Anti-ager
- Helps reduce effects of old age
- Makes for strong bones, muscles, and joints
- Good for stress management and mood
There have also been links between oral bacteria and pre-term babies, strokes, diabetes, and low birth weight babies.
Not to mention, it helps better present yourself. Adds self confidence. Plus, bad breath is really repulsive.
7.) Find A Hobby. Find something you enjoy doing, that brings you relaxations, and happiness. If you have always enjoyed watch dancing, sign up for a class on groupon, or at your park district. My Grandma always wanted to learn how to tap dance. I remember her telling me this from the time I was about 3 years old. About 10 years ago, she decided to sign up at the park district, and she loves it! You only live once, learn how to do the things your always wanted to learn and participate in. Who knows, maybe you'll end up doing it for a living, after you discover you are good at it!
8.) Snack Healthy. Instead of eating potato chips and dip, exchange the chips with carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, or any of your favorite veggies.
If you have a sweet tooth, get some strawberries, melon, blueberries or any other type of your favorite fruits.
Cheese and crackers are fine too, yogurt, cottage cheese, brushetta. Get creative!
9.) Drink Lots of Water. Less-active person should drink 2 water bottles of water at least, a day. A moderately active person 4, and a very active person at least 6-8.
Drinking water helps tremendously with weight loss. Most importantly water is essential for life. It is what your body is mainly made up of. By not drinking water (much similar food), your body goes into "survival mode" and stores it and you retain it. For girls, this is really proven around "that time of the month". If you are bloated, drink more water!
10.) Go For A Stroll. Depending on where you live, this may not always be something you can do. You can always find somewhere to go and take a walk; to enjoy life and the things around you. If you have a pet, take them with! It is a great way to stay active, enjoy the nature around you, and force yourself to relax. It's best to be outside and watch the animals scurry around. You will be surprised what you can see.
It's always refreshing when you can take time to appreciate life and what surrounds you, rather then always be in a hurry to rush through life, and be on your way to the next thing.
11.) Plan and Make Goals. In order to live a successful life, you need a direction to a end goal. Do some soul searching and figure out what you're good at. What are you passionate about? Once you have figured out those two things, figure out what actions you can take to accomplish those things. Maybe your hobby or social networking will help supply the answer.
Build and create your life. It's your life, so in the end what matters is that you feel full-filled. In order for that to happen, you need to accomplish your goals. Accomplishing goals and getting opportunities that you have always dreamed of, is how you gain self-confidence. When you have self-confidence, people respect you, and you find it easy to talk to just about anyone. All of these 11 things correlate and produce a happy, healthy, successful you!
Works Cited
Zamora, Dolce. "13 Healthy Habits to Improve Your Life." MD.com - Your Online Medical Resource. Www.md.com, 14 June 2004. Web. 18 Aug. 2011. <http://www.md.com>. Emory University (2011, August 5). Omega 3 fatty acids have protective benefits when taken during pregnancy, study suggests.
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