Being Healthy For Free

Being healthy shouldn't cost a thing. If you're spending money on packaged diet plan foods and fitness centers then your probably going about it in the wrong way.  

The rule of thumb when grocery shopping is to shop the square. 

In other words, skip the aisles and only shop the outer square.

Devoting so much time to working on our house leaves little time to stop and consider exercising. Renovating a home is not a cardio workout.

Keeping healthy has not been on our agenda lately. Last week, I hit a low and felt a little homesick for my familiar Midwest lifestyle. What was different there? My diet was better and I exercised every single day. Having a routine of doing those two things made me have a sense of well being.

Before moving to Florida we walked or I ran every single day. Since moving to Florida we sit a lot, eat a lot and walk very little.

Once we bought the house, we decided that we could each have one fun thing to do a month. Again, I chose something that has me sitting and eating and drinking. We don't think about purines when we are cutting out sugar, fat, cholesterol and carbs. Purines are just one more thing to consider when indulging in alcohol and delicious foods.

Change is a coming for Mi Miguel and me. First order of business,  each week we'll be choosing a different trail to run and hike. In order to have a healthy lifestyle you have to make changes. 

Florida Restaurants A-Z (search Facebook: Florida Restaurants A-Z)  has been a great way to get to know the area. But there again, we sit and we eat.  The more we eat our way through the alphabet and the more unhealthy we become. I have been craving my active lifestyle. It's time for me to get up and get moving.

Second order of business, remove all bad food from our kitchen.  As we get older sodium, purines, fat, calories and sugar matter. If they don't matter to you, they should.

Mi Miguel and I want a fit and productive lifestyle. We want to be healthy and seek out those things that make us happy but also give us a sense of fulfillment. 

Third order of business,find a great healthy way to exercise. The workout we chose, is a series of stretch movements. Nothing bizarre or contorted. It's about the gentle movements and the relaxing way you move that makes it work. There really isn't any particular fancy movement. You simply get up and stretch. You don't use any bands, weights or other gimmick type products. You simply get up and slowly stretch for 20 to 30 minutes a day. The Esmonde technique can be easily found on Youtube.

Having a healthy lifestyle for us means, there is no gym membership, no personal trainer, no traveling and no equipment. Simply get up and stretch at home it's all you have to do. We've been getting a great cardio workout by running on a soft sand trail. The sandy or dirt trails are much more gentler on our joints. The wildlife we  spotted on the trail last evening, makes the gym seem just that much more of a bore. 

Don't kid yourself, you don't need all the nonsense to lose weight. It's a billion dollar industry that doesn't work. A healthy lifestyle starts in the kitchen. Spend the next seven days just clearing out the bad foods from your diet and replacing it with healthy foods. Slowly incorporate a stretching routine into each and every day. A few evenings a week, try walking fast or running on a trail or in your own neighborhood. It really is that simple.

The goal is to be natural, healthy and happy. Be the best YOU that YOU can be.