If any of those DVDs or diet books worked, there’d only be one. The reality is,there’s no miracle to staying healthy and fit - it’s the way you live your life.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Get regular check-ups. Have the usual blood work done. Ladies, get the pelvic exams and mammograms. Guys, get your prostate checked. You need to do that every year so there are no surprises. Surprises are usually bad. 

2. Get sleep. A lack of sleep impacts both your physical and mental health. It affects your metabolism, your mood, your concentration, your memory, your motor skills, your stress levels, your hormones, and even your immune system. When you sleep, you heal, repair, and rejuvenate. 

3. Get moving. Begin by simply walking an hour per day - a half hour away from home and a half hour back. Start out slow and then get to the point where it’s brisk. That, in and of itself, would be terrific. Then after a few weeks, or maybe a few months, you’ll feel so good that you will get into something more.

Walking is great because it improves circulation, combats depression, strengthens your heart and lungs, and gets the muscles ready (which makes you less likely to injure yourself later if you’re doing squats or pumping iron). Personally, I love walking because I hate going to gyms and getting on the treadmill. It makes me feel like a hamster. I can’t stand things like that, where you’re just in one place and the environment never changes.

4. Don’t skip breakfast. There’s a reason they call it BREAK-fast because you’re “breaking the fast”. Eating breakfast helps you maintain stable blood sugar levels and also a healthy weight because you’re less likely to overindulge later in the day. 

5. Eat a balanced diet and don’t overeat. Make sure you eat enough lean protein: poultry, fish, tofu, etc. In addition, take time to eat. If you eat really fast, you won’t get that full feeling until you’ve overeaten. 

6. Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated cleans your body from the inside by flushing out toxins. It’s really important that you keep hydrated. 

7. Reduce your stress. Exercise, meditate, pray, or take up a hobby. Reducing stress really boils down to a change in lifestyle. Don’t overwork, take breaks, and surround yourself with nice people. It’s also very important to have friend time. Friends are like a magical elixir.

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