All things health and well-being

[El Alano]

There's so much contrary information out there about being well I thought I'd ask you guys what you have found really promotes health in your lives? Having turned 40 last year I find myself more and more interested in this stuff...

Personally, I have ushered in some significant changes in my post-40 life, such as:

Try to get 8 solid hours every night...and a siesta if possible.
Breathing exercises for relaxation (soon to be meditation)
Less intense crazy training. I used to kill myself daily with "race to x number of burpees" etc whereas now I enjoy hiking and biking with my dogs in the forest outside my village and just throw in a few more intense sessions a week. Generally more relaxed attitude towards keeping fit and funnily enough in better shape than ever.
Eat satiating high-nutrient food and because of this I can miss meals if I'm busy without climbing the walls in desperation for food. We've knocked all cereals, seed oils and packaged junk on the head completely and have seen arthritis, colitis and sinusitis completely disappear!
GTFO the interwebz! I now use it as a tool for info and nothing else. I was feeling agitated and unhappy with all the flicking about fórums etc whereas now I look for specific things, find them and read or listen to them and then get back to doing something that doesn't make me jittery like some hand-stand walks or breathing practises or, God forbid, a chat with my OH!

The only box I feel we haven't ticked for mental health is the social bonds one. We're living in a rural place where, for the first time in my life, I simply can't find anything in common with folk around me. Very closed-minded, fatalistic people without much curiosity about anything, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time (although we've been here 6 years lol) before we get to know some folk we can communicate with.

How about you lot?

 

[Romy]

Drinking lots of water.

Spending lots of time with my kids.

Scheduling time for "me" stuff, even if it's only for 10-15 minutes when everyone else is in bed. Usually some writing or art stuff.

Gardening. Definitely gardening.

There's a really awesome meditative exercise called "The Inner Smile". It's Taoist, and it works incredibly well. I just feel so content afterward, and it has gone a long way toward fixing my back. I need to find the written out version my old instructor gave me, but here's the closest version I've found so far online.
http://www.universal-tao.com/article/smile.html

I don't really do the other exercises in that article, just the front, middle and back line. One thing my instructor emphasized was very important is collecting the energy at the end of the exercise as it is outlined in the article. So, I don't know why exactly that is, but just in case he's right there's your warning (FWIW, he was right about pretty much everything. And anybody who can recover from fugu fish poisoning with no long term effects and look like they're 40 years old when they're in their 70s gets a free advice pass in my book).

Ha ha, I had to increase intensity of exercise. Now I do three sets of 30 burpees 2x, every other day now. It's helped me a lot more overall with strength, endurance, and flexibility than any other combination of exercises I've tried before. When I do them I try to put my palms flat on the ceiling with every jump, to make sure I do not get sloppy. It's gotten a lot easier over time.

Other than that, prayer is really important to me. I try to read my scriptures every day, by myself and with my kids. It helps me feel peaceful.

ETA: and eating! I had no idea diet played such a huge role on mood and things like that until seeing a nutritionist. Long term goal is to produce as much of our food at home as possible.

 

[ES Happiness]

I went through menopause at 46, so life after is a bit different. Lots of water is important. Sleep too.

I eat more frequently, but try to limit sweets because they go straight to the tummy. One great meal is actually a blender full of 1 cup of frozen strawberries (organic), 6 oz. 0% plain greek yogurt, a handful fresh spinach, 1/4 cup carrot juice, 1/4 cup OJ, 1/2 cup almond milk and 1 tsp honey. It makes a great meal and 2 servings. About 185 calories each.

I also have gotten to know Jesus Christ a lot better and have fun dancing to worship music. One way to relax is put on some instrumental music and soaking in the presence of the Holy Spirit. It cleanses my mind and fills me full of his joy!

As far as emotional stuff...trying to see people the way God sees them, which means realizing we all have wounds and react out of those wounds. Releasing unforgivness helps me to feel less stressed and at peace.

 

[release the hounds]

I eat more frequently, but try to limit sweets because they go straight to the tummy. One great meal is actually a blender full of 1 cup of frozen strawberries (organic), 6 oz. 0% plain greek yogurt, a handful fresh spinach, 1/4 cup carrot juice, 1/4 cup OJ, 1/2 cup almond milk and 1 tsp honey. It makes a great meal and 2 servings. About 185 calories each.

That is a lot of sugar though I'd think that drink would be a lot better if you ditched the OJ and replaced it with a big tablespoon of coconut oil.

 

[El Alano]

Thanks for the reponses guys. I'm gonna check out that link Romy.