Ten Steps to a Better Body & a Better Life

I have been reading books lately about raising metabolism and getting healthier with more energy. While I was sick, I finished Make the Connection with Bob Greene & Oprah Winfrey. This is an old book, but it explained everything in ways I could understand and relate to. I thought I would send you the condensed version.

1. Exercise aerobically, 5 to 7 days each week, preferably in the morning. This will raise your metabolism all day. The best aerobic exercise is running, walking, aerobic dance, or stair climbing (not stair stepping).

2. Exercise in the zone (at a level 7 or 8 intensity - you can talk but you don't want to).

3. Exercise for 20 to 60 minutes each exercise session (Warm up, stretch, warm up, exercise 20-60 minutes, cool down, stretch)

4. Eat a low-fat, balanced diet each day (Commit to continually improving the way you eat.)

5. Eat 3 meals & 2 snacks each day (Eating boosts your metabolism & eating your calories earlier in the day gives you time to use them as energy instead of storing them as fat.)

6. Limit or Eliminate Alcohol. (Alcohol has almost as many calories as pure fat and it can slow down your metabolism for up to 3 days after you drink it.)

7. Stop eating 2 to 3 hours before bedtime. (That little craving for food late at night is your body dipping into its fat stores. You have a choice: let it dip into your fat stores or sacrifice your weight loss for the day.)

8. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. (Water aids digestion & metabolism and it makes all of the body's systems work better.)

9. Have at least 2 servings of fruit & 3 servings of vegetables each day.

10. Renew your commitment to healthy living each day (Daily Renewal) by keeping a journal or some other way of reminding yourself of why you are choosing to be healthy. It helps the process if you dwell on the present, living in the moment, and allowing yourself to experience daily joy & pain. By always focusing on the past or the future, you numb yourself to the present and don't fully LIVE.

Bob Greene recommends that you do the minimum of each of the 10 steps before you increase any one step.

Would anyone like to join me in this quest to be healthier?