When we think about being healthy and fit the first thing that comes to mind is our diet. Although a large component, food is not the only element we put into our bodies. Each and every moment, we expose and let our bodies absorb many other components as our daily diet, that have the ability to make our bodies thrive or barely survive.

The bad news is that we are consuming it all unconsciously. The good news is that we have a choice. We have a choice, provided we become aware, and committed. The willingness to become aware and committed is also a choice. In fact our whole life is created by the choices we make every single moment.

“You are free to make whatever choice you want, but you are not free from the consequences of the choice,” Anonymous

The Choice is Ours:

Scary? Liberating, I would argue. I would rather be responsible for creating my life than being the victim of circumstances. Wouldn’t you agree? Phew, I am glad. Okay so let’s see what we are putting into our bodies everyday and what choices we should be making.

Five Components of Our Diet: Are We Making the Right Choices?

The Food We Eat: only a part of our diet

First and foremost, of course, is the food we eat. We all know food has a direct and huge correlation with the health and well being of our bodies. Making healthy choices and adopting healthy eating as a lifestyle eliminates the need for fad diets. Here is a post to give you some inspiration on making healthy choices.

https://fabulousfiftyfive.com/3-quick-healthy-breakfast-options/

Secondly, our dietary needs were much greater when we were the hunter-gathers or even farmers; yet our calorie consumption was much lower. Now we sit in our comfortable chairs all day long and consume from abundance of readily available calories We not only have to learn to make healthy choices but also have to ensure our body uses up all that we choose to put into it. It’s the simple math of calories consumed and calories spent. Let us chose to get up, get out and spend those calories.

The Oxygen We Breathe (or Don’t Breathe): becomes an important part of our diet

Breathing is the most natural thing us humans do yet if evaluated, most of us would get a failing grade. Am I kidding? Am I really telling you that you don’t know how to breathe? After all, its something you have been doing all your life. I beg your pardon but yes I am.

The first time I realized the impact of breathing techniques was when I was 25 years of age and in labour with my first baby. Having to deal with a lot of pain, anxiety and stress my breathing naturally became short and shallow. The nurse told me to focus on my breath and take deep breaths. To my surprise, all of the sudden the pain was manageable.

Over the years, I have taught this trick to my children for when they are in any stressful or painful situation. But do I breathe properly in regular life? Of course not. This past year I seriously took up yoga and that has introduced me to some amazing breathing techniques. It’s still work in progress for me, friends. But here is someone who really is a breath of fresh air when it comes to proper breathing techniques.

Dr. Belisa Vranich is a clinical psychologist, author, public speaker, and the author of “Breathe: The Simple, Revolutionary 14-Day Program to Improve your Mental and Physical Health”. If you are rushed for time go to 6:38 minutes into the video where she talks about breathing technique. (Please don’t skip. Go ahead make an intentional choice to click on it.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sgb2cUqFiY

The Things We Watch, Hear and Read: essentially are an integral part of our diet

The impact of all that we watch, hear or read on our body, behaviour, mood, and our perception of the world is immense. Watching the news, a violent movie or tv show can not only raise our blood pressure and heart rate but can also put us in a negative, depressive or aggressive mood. It leads us to believe and connect with the negative aspects of human nature.

The imaginary characters, or real people in the news, can certainly make the dark and negative aspects of human nature seem normal and at time even desirable. If we are constantly exposing ourselves to negative stimulus we will have a tendency to be anxious, fearful, stressed, angry and violent.

On the contrary, when we choose to listen to a good podcast or music, watch a great TedTalk, a funny or romantic movie/show or read a good book it will make us feel happy. We will get inspired and naturally gravitate towards kindness, love, joy, compassion and happiness. Our perception of the world will become magical and joyful.

The Company We Keep: can be healthy or unhealthy part of our diet

“If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. If you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar.” ~ Colin Powell

Our belief systems, our role models, our goals, and our expectations from life all depend on the company we keep. Consciously and subconsciously we listen to and participate in the belief system of those we make our tribe. Not only that, we also make choices so that we are accepted and appreciated within this group. Depending on the company you keep, this can lead to a very limiting and mediocre life.

For example if you keep the company of people who believe life is over at 50, you can be rest assured your life will go downhill after 50. You will give up exercise, learning new things, adapting to change and you will become set in your routine and old ways. Your life after 50 will be full of judgments, regrets, negative thoughts and ordinary routines. On the contrary, if you are surrounded by people who feel blessed to be 50 and appreciate the freedom, wisdom, experience and new possibilities that unfold, you will strive everyday to evolve and grow. Your best years will be after 50.

The question is where to find these positive people? First of all , take a look at the people you surround yourself with. If you see someone who is has a negative outlook on life and constantly weighs you down, it’s time to make a choice and move on. If this negativity has taken over a loved one (which it can, as we all tend to hold on to negative experience that bog us down), be patience, bring gratitude into your household culture , focus on their positive traits and kindly introduce them to the positive side.

More importantly this day and age, with modern technology, we can hang out with some of the most inspiring humans in the world. We can and should use technology to our favour. Follow someone you appreciate on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Read an inspiring autobiography, listen to a TedTalk or Youtube video. Find positive role models for yourself and make them a big part of your life even if its through technology.

The Thoughts We Create: as a huge component of our diet

With the coming together of modern medicine and ages old yogic traditions, science has now begun to recognize and acknowledge the powerful connection between our mind, and body. In fact, the two now are referred to as the “mindbody”.

The thoughts and emotions that we create in our mind have a huge baring on our physical well being. The negative thoughts giving rise to negative emotions, attitudes, beliefs and feelings create certain chemicals that give rise to an imbalance in our bodies. This imbalance is what gives rise to disease (literally meaning lack of ease).

Do you ever notice, when we get angry, how we get shortness of breath and pulsating heart. This is just one example of an imbalance in our bodily function caused by our mental state and repeated over time creates an unhealthy body. Similarly, all negative feelings including sadness, anxiety, fear and worry impact the functioning and balance of our energies in a very negative way. In fact our lifestyle and outlook on life can have a surprisingly big impact and can predispose use to many disease.

It was when I first read “Wishes Fulfilled” by Wayne Dyer, a number of years back, that I realized how we have the ability to function at a higher level of conscious. In this book he talks about the over 60,000 thoughts us humans have per day. He further stated that we should not only become aware of these thoughts but practice deliberately choosing positive ones. I was enlightened and excited. We have a choice and we should choose wisely.

This is not to say we will never have negative emotions or thoughts, or never feel upset or angry. It simply means we shouldn’t stay at that negative place for long. We should not let these moments define us or our lives. By training ourselves to look at each negative experience as a lesson to learn and grow from we naturally rise to a higher level of existence.

There are many tools available to us that can help break our age old habits. The most effective is that of adopting gratitude as a way of life. It is difficult to be negative when you remind yourself of all the blessings that have been bestowed upon you. (Here is some further reading on making gratitude a way of life. )

https://fabulousfiftyfive.com/unfolding-the-path-of-joy-through-gratitude/

Second most effective way is to practice meditation for at least 10 minutes each day. Meditation helps us transcend our mind (that creates the negative chatter) and be with our spirit. (Here is a blog post for beginning your meditation practice.)

https://fabulousfiftyfive.com/beginners-guide-to-meditation/

These five elements in our diet, in my opinion, come together to create our health, well being and essentially our life story. At the end of the day it’s all about making healthy choices every step of the way. What we choose to put into our bodies will dictate who we become. What will you choose?

With Love,

Devinder 💖

All photo credits Pixabay.com