Lifestyle: “A way of life or a style of living that reflexes the attitude and values or group.”

What does your lifestyle say about you and your health? Contrary to what many of us think, leading a healthy lifestyle is more than just hitting the gym, watching what you eat and hoping for the best. Your lifestyle is the reflection of your attitude and values!

Like diet, people often develop misconceptions about lifestyle. People view a diet as something they do for a short period of time to lose undesirable weight. Instead, the correct view of a diet is the holistic over view of everything that you eat on a daily bases. The same is true for one’s lifestyle. Your lifestyle is the way you approach life. It is the energy and vigor in which you attach life. These are some of the keys to successful lifestyle management.

The June 2010 issue of “Health Letters” from the Mayo Clinic contained an interesting article about living a healthy lifestyle. While the article focuses on healthy lifestyles for aging adults, the article includes a five point list of things to do help maintain a healthy life style that I use in Life Coaching with my clients.

Losing even five to 10 percent of body fat may reduce risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. From a weight lose stand point, it is a simple matter of physics; you will lose weight if you use more calories than you take in on a daily basis. Every calorie burned in exercise is one less calorie stored by fat.

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Walking is a great way to start a daily routine of exercise. By setting time and distance goals you can find yourself running in no time. Whether you go from walking to running or stay with the walking the important thing is you is moving.

Many of us need to work on this – especially men (and that includes me)! According to theCenters for Disease Control[C5] , approximately 70% of women go to the doctor at least once during a 12 month period of time. In contrast, approximately 35% of men went.

Men tend to feel a sense of weakness or a “John Wayne stereotypical masculinity,” said Rutgers University sociology professor Kristen Springer. “There is the stereotype that real men don’t get sick. So for men to go to the doctor when it’s not life or death is akin to admitting you’re not a real man. It’s the fear of looking emasculated by getting help.” Regular doctor visit screen for disease and illness; many of which if caught in an very early stage can be prevented. Living a lifestyle that includes exercise, a healthy diet, the proper amount of sleep, moderate use of alcohol, and the avoidance of tobacco is one of the best forms of preventive maintenance you can do for your body.

Use it or lose! The brain needs to be challenged on regular basis. Your brain has the ability to grow new brain cells. Research demonstrates this growth can occur through exercise, which makes a faster and stronger brain. What is harmful for the body is bad for the brain. Stress kills neurons and prevents new ones from growing. Additionally, stress may lead to depression.

So what can you do? Read on a regular basis, take classes, learn a new skill, and engage in stimulating conversion (just to name a few). Exercise is good for the brain, but mental works are as equally important. Just as you must change your workout and increase the difficulty to see results, the same holds true for the brain. The tasks need to increase in difficulty in order to maintain growth. By the way…an “older” brain can learn as well as a younger one!

Social connection plays a vital role in a healthy lifestyle, especially in time of change and transition. Social interaction can reduce stress and anxiety, and protect against mental decline and provide a sense of purpose.

Bad things happen to everybody, but optimistic people tend to look for the positive in every situation. Try to count your blessings not your problems. Savor the good times and simple pleasures. Most important – practice kindness to others.

It can be overwhelming when first attempting to make a lifestyle change. I know from my own experience, as a four-year recovering alcoholic I understand about lifestyle change. You have to take things one day at a time. Sometimes you find yourself taking things five minutes at a time…and that is okay.

Set goals for yourself; set smaller goals to help you meet the larger ones. If you attack your lifestyle change in this manner you will start seeing little changes that will lead to larger change. Living a healthy lifestyle can be like a chain reaction once you start doing one thing you began to feel better both physically and mentally, which is going to make you want to do more!