Andie Thueson » Fitness » How To Get Healthy And STAY Healthy, What You Need To Know.

How To Get Healthy And STAY Healthy, What You Need To Know.

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For years, I struggled with what exactly it meant to be healthy. I googled “How To Be Healthy,” and I would read articles, and one would say one thing, and then I would read another article that would say something completely different. It was super confusing and frustrating.

This whole get healthy and stay healthy thing seemed always to allude me.

At times, it felt like there was this secret playbook to good health and being healthy that no one was willing to provide.

After failing fad diet after failed fad diet, I finally gave up!

Quitting the weight loss game and chasing a number on a scale was the best decision I have made on my road to better health. Instead of restriction and constant dieting, which would lead to binging with a hefty dose of guilt and shame, I decided to make my overall health my goal. Instead of being so worried about being skinny, I decided to shift my focus to setting up good behavioral goals and changing who I was and how I decided to show up in the world instead of being a woman constantly on a diet. I would become a healthy person.

That meant giving up “dieting” and learning to live my life in a way that was more about my daily choices than the month’s fad diet. And this change has made all the difference.

So stick with me, and I’ll share with you seven small changes you can make today to be healthier!

STOP Focusing on a magical number on a scale, instead focus on becoming a person who thrives on improving their lives every day by making healthy lifestyle changes

Photo of Andie sitting on her living room rug, she looks healthy and at peace as she tackles the topic of how to get healthy and stay healthy. A topic very close to her heart.
Getting healthy and staying healthy involves a complete paradigm shift we all need to make.

7 WAYS To Get Healthy and STAY Healthy

  1. Drink More Water: Being adequately hydrated will help you maintain a healthy weight and prevent dehydration, which can cause a whole slew of problems! Aim to drink at least 2/3 of your body weight in ounces. Replace your soft drink habit with more water and get extra healthy habit points. Overconsumption of soda has been linked to all kinds of health issues.
  2. Make Sleep a Priority: Getting enough sleep is a MAJOR factor in your health. Your body needs rest. The national sleep foundation encourages you to aim for 7-9 hours of sleep a night. This will help you to be more productive, happier and play a significant role in maintaining a healthy weight. Weight gain has been directly tied to lack of sleep. When you are tired, your diet suffers because your body craved more sugar for a quick pick me up.
  3. Practice Gratitude: Take time to focus on all the beautiful things you have in your life. Create a journal where you write three things you are grateful for every day. When you show gratitude and focus on what is right in your life, you can find joy and happiness, which will make you a happier person! And have a positive state of mind improves your overall mental health plays a vital role in reducing health risks.
  4. Move More: If you are new to physical activity and the thought of working out for half an hour intimidates you – start small. Even a nice walk around the neighborhood will begin to have an impact on your health. Every day make a goal to move a little more. Regular exercise is one of the most important things you can do to maintain health. But most of us view “working out” as this crazy thing that involves gyms and classes and a ton of effort—evening stepping up your game to 7500 steps (see what I did there😆 ) a day can make a significant impact on your overall health. Remember, your body is made of energy, and it needs to move to move that energy every day!
  5. Meditate: I thought mediation was only for those “hippy new age” types for the longest time. No offense to them, but I never saw myself in that context. But life can be stressful, and taking the time to slow down and focus on our breathing and being aware of it, can relax and rejuvenate you! If you’re new to meditation, there are apps you can download to help with a guided meditation, or there are fantastic YouTube videos out there as well. Even just 5 minutes a day can help to reduce your stress! Studies show that daily meditation has been linked to lowering high blood pressure, improving your immune system, and lowering many other health risk factors. Meditating is good for your body and your soul.
  6. Learn To Love Yourself:  This might have been the single most challenging concept I have had to learn. Learning to love myself as I am, flaws and all was hard. But learning to love the woman staring back at me in the mirror was crucial to my transformation. Start small with this. Every time you start thinking negatively about yourself or being critical, STOP and think of 3 things you do like about yourself! When you become a person who loves themselves, it is easier to take care of yourself. You start to look at taking care of yourself as a thing of love, not something tied to fear, guilt and shame. Workout because you love yourself, and it makes you feel better, not out of shame, because you hate the way you look. Eat healthy because you love yourself.
  7. Eat More Veggies and Fruits! Even as a health and fitness professional, I sometimes struggle with getting in all my fruits and veggies! One way that I find to get them all in is by incorporating green juices into my day! There are several great cold-pressed juices available at stores. I also really like the Organifi Green Juice Mix-In. I like to mix mine with a bit of tart cherry juice or pineapple juice, about 4oz, and the rest water, and it helps smooth out the “green” taste. Healthy eating will help you FEEL better, which will give you more energy to participate in more physical activities.

It can be so easy to feel overwhelmed when making a bunch of significant changes all at once. Start small tackle one thing each month, and when you have a handle on that one, move on to the next one, and before you know it, you’re making real and lasting changes in your life.

After reviewing my above list of ways to get healthy and stay healthy, it all boils down to flipping the script on everything you have been taught about health. Every single ad tells you that you are not good enough and that you are lacking. The health and fitness ads target your fears and insecurities. They want you to believe that as long as you are not at your “goal weight” or if you don’t look a certain way, you could never be truly happy. To this, I say strongly WRONG.

If I could teach my readers only one thing that will change everything, it is LOVE.

Chose to work out and be active because you love yourself and want to take the best care of yourself. Eat healthy foods because you love who you are, and you know you deserve the best healthy foods. You are worthy of a healthy diet. When you start taking care of your body, mind, and soul from a place of love instead of fear, shame, and guilt, EVERYTHING changes.

So dear ones, choose to tackle your health goals from a place of love. Choose to nourish yourself, and pamper this amazing human that you ARE! And if you need some help on your journey, let me be your guide; I’m here to help!

Always remember that even the smallest step in the right direction can make a BIG difference,

So hang in there and keep at it!! Because YOU, my dear friend, are worth it!

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10 Comments

  1. What great ideas, I’ve been trying to live healthier lately and this is exactly what I needed to read. Thanks so much for sharing!

  2. I love this so much. Thank you for sharing.

  3. Thank you for sharing this!! I love it all & it comes in so handy, as I am trying to be healthier!

  4. This is such great advice! So easy to get overwhelmed and just give up. Thanks for the tips.

  5. Great tips! I’ve got to work on drinking more water…I’m a work in progress!

  6. Great read! Thanks for the info!

  7. what a great idea for the new year!

  8. Such great, practical tips! I’ve found that taking one step and one day at a time leads to more eventual progress than anything!

  9. Such great tips! I cannot stress how important number 1 and 2 are. I’ve noticed on my harder, tiring days I didn’t drink enough water, and most likely went to bed way too late the night before. 8 hours of sleep is KEY for me!

  10. Great tips! I am still working on getting enough sleep. Sometimes it feels like there are not enough hours in the day! Thanks for sharing!

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