I saw a lifelong friend the other day that I had not seen in a few years. It was great to visit and get caught up!  As we were talking and sharing stories, she gave me the greatest compliment. She said that I just looked healthy.  That really made my day!  I don’t know about you, but that is my goal in life.  I want to live life and age in a healthy manner.  There are many healthy strategies to support that goal.

Healthy living means that both physical and mental health are in balance. These two are closely linked and can affect the other.  The list below includes nutrition, exercise, sleep, and mental health.

Top 7 List of Healthy Strategies

• Eat healthy, whole food–do not diet. The food you select is for a lifestyle, not a diet.  It is about what you choose to eat instead of what you can’t eat. Balance what you eat.  Add in the foods you love at times.  For me, that is eating frozen custard with raspberries and chocolate flakes swirled in.
• Plan ahead for workouts–before you go to bed at night, plan what you will do the next day.  If you leave it to chance, or don’t have a plan, many times the day will end, and the workout will not have happened.
• Make fitness fun–choose activities that you like to do and remember that walking around the block is a great option.
• Sleep–there is great value and health benefits to getting 7-8 hours of sleep at night.  Make that an intentional part of your routine.
• Set small goals and celebrate your success–small goals help to keep you on track because they are achievable and easier to manage.  They give you hope for the future.  Acknowlede and celebrate your accomplishments.
• Drink water—hydrate daily by drinking half your body weight in ounces of water (100-pound person would drink 50 oz of water a day).
• Think positive thoughts—smile, be supportive of others and look for the blessings in situations.  You control your destiny by the words you say to yourself and the people you choose to associate with.

There are many components to living a healthy lifestyle.  Finding an accountability partner can not only keep you centered and on track with these 7 healthy strategies, but can also add a wonderful social connection to your lifestyle.