Be grateful for your health and well being

Physical health is a crucial foundation for life. If we don't have good health, we will not be able to live life to its fullness. For everyone that think they are healthy, you have a duty of care to look after your health and well being. You shouldn't neglect your health because you should be grateful for it. Remember, there are many people out there who are barely clinging on to life due to many health reasons. Their health limitations are caused by no fault of their own or they may have been born with it. So be grateful for your health and make sure to look after it. Think about the people that don't have the capability to live life like you.

Improving our physical well being means to find ways to optimise the way our body functions. This can include making sure we are eating the right foods. You want to put the best stuff into your body. We all spend a lot of money and time to service and maintain our cars and house, so why would we not spend the time to maintain our body? Be selective and mindful of what you put into your body.

Study the foods that you are eating each day to learn their nutritional benefits or negative effects on the body. Don't make the common mistake of opting for fast food just to fill you up. I started off by studying the food pyramid to learn the essential foods that I should be eating. For good health and to meet your daily vitamins requirements you need to have 2 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables each day. Defintely not easy if you live a busy life but totally possible. Each morning I would incorporate fruits, oats, milk, chia seeds and almonds into my breakfast shake. It is quick, easy and nutrionally balanced. This single breakfast provides me with the majority of my daily essential vitamins, fibre and antioxidants. There are many ways to make it work so you just have to try it out and see what works for you. Whatever you do, make small changes each time and stick to it for a few weeks before making more changes. Build that positive habit first. Slowly add vegetables to your diet, try to have some at each meal if possible. Then make sure you get enough calcium to prevent osteoporosis in later age as this is often neglected by many people. Learn to eat fish at least two to three times a week in order to provide enough healthy fats and omega 3. These healthy changes is totally possible. I went from eating out everyday to this diet with just small incremental changes. So this is totally possible for anyone. Worst scenario if you can't make it happen is to take the specific supplement that you need. If you don't like eating these essential foods then at least stop eating bad foods that are high in fat, sugar or salt. Have a go at making a change. You got nothing to lose. We study everything around us so why not spend time to study what we are about to put in our body.

Build positive habits to incorporate exercise into your life. This is something important that you will need to do for the rest of your life. Don't rush into it and push yourself too hard to the point where you don't ever want to exercise again. Focus on long term sustainability. Start slow and gradually build up your strength. Write down your goals and be specific so you will be more likely to stick to it and get it done. For example, in the first week I want to start exercising, I will complete 15 minutes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I will wake up 15 minutes earlier to allow time for my physical health. So I will only be contributing 45 minutes for my physical health but the benefits are exponential. Firstly, after this week I have been able to discipline myself to wake up earlier, secondly I have committed and completed my exercise goals and thirdly I am physically stronger than the previous week. At the end of the week, make sure to reflect on what you have achieved and pat yourself on the back. Then you can plan the next week. You now have a higher capacity to do more for your health. You could stick to this same routine for a few more weeks to gain more strength. If it was too hard, you could step it down to something that is more realistic for yourself. Or if you think you are ready, you could step it up. Remember to keep it sustainable for the long term. Be honest and realistic with yourself.

Our health is our most important asset. Without it we can't achieve anything. Therefore it is important to get our priorities right. To get a balance in life, we need good health. Think about what you are doing with your time each day. Take time out each day to prepare your food and to exercise. Think about it, how can we spend hours on our digital devices and not 15 to 30 minutes on exercise? Why would you not give yourself that time? You know the benefits so why would you not put in the work. So it is very important to get our priorities correct. It is better to prevent than to cure. With optimal health we are able to enjoy life to its fullness and minimise our risk of serious medical conditions . Not to mention that a healthy body will also be a great base to develop and improve your mental health and strength, a key attribute to having a balance in life.