Guest Blogger: Tom Corson-Knowles Shares 10 Things you Can Do for your Health Now

1. Eat Fruits And Vegetables

Just one apple has over 10,000 phyto-nutrients in it – antioxidants and compounds that help fight free radical damage and keep you healthy. Over 8,000 studies show that eating fruits and vegetables reduces your risk of chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

2. Go For A Walk

Despite the hottest, newest fitness fads, walking is still one of the best exercises you can possibly do for your health. Walking helps stimulate your blood flow and lymphatic system, just to name a few of the benefits.

3. Meditate

Meditation is one of the quickest and easiest (depending on who you ask) ways to relax your body and mind, stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. In these days of fast-paced lifestyles, fast food, fast cars, and fast TV shows, we can go all day with one rush of adrenaline after another. But this drains our kidneys and our body of energy and eventually we crash – unless we can rest and relax to recover. Meditation is a great way to do that.

4. Take A Nap

Ahh, a nap! In the old days (like when my parents were in school), napping was much more common. Nowadays, it seems like almost no one takes naps anymore. I guess we’re just too busy for sleep. But only sleeping 4 hours a night with no naps in the day is a good recipe for chronic fatigue and other problems that come from sleep deprivation.

If you can’t take the time to sleep now, you won’t have time to do anything later on!

5. Make A Healthy Smoothie

A smoothie can be one of the easiest and quickest ways to get a lot of great nutrition in your body. Try a healthy smoothie recipe that’s loaded with greens, superfoods, fruits, nuts and seeds.

6. Breathe Deeply

Deep breathing is also a great, quick and easy way to reactivate your parasympathetic nervous system, relax your body and relieve stress. When you get angry, anxious, or fearful, your chest gets contracted and your breathing becomes very shallow. Most people spend all day in this mode. Taking just 2-3 minutes for some intentional deep breathing can help you calm down, relax and has been shown to improve your immune function as well!

7. Be Grateful

One of the most important health habits I’ve developed is to count my blessings. Whether you want to write down 3-5 things you’re grateful for, share them with your spouse, or just think about it in your head, take the time to count your blessings every day. Even if you’re sick – what are you grateful for?

This practice could change your health – and your life.

8. Drink Water

Most people are chronically dehydrated. Carry a water bottle with you at all times (preferably not plastic because of the chemicals that leach from the plastic into the water). Make sure to drink at least a glass of water when you wake up in the morning.

9. Take An Epsom Salt Bath

A salt bath is a great way to relax – and it’s got the added benefit of removing toxins from your body through your skin. Epsom salt baths have been used for years for athletes who have sore muscles or injuries, but it works wonders for any body.

10. Learn More About Nutrition

Study nutrition. Our lifestyle choices are the #1 thing that effect our health – and the good news is that you’re in 100% control of your choices. But to make the best choices, you have to take the time to learn more!

I consider health and nutrition a lifelong study for my own personal health – sharing it with others is just a bonus.

About The Author: Tom Corson-Knowles is the founder of the Authentic Health Coaching podcast show, the #1 Alternative Health podcast show on Podomatic. Tom blogs regularly about nutrition, natural weight loss, and how to live a long, healthy, happy life.  Our podcast together is also on The Grecian Garden media page.

A fantastic group of bloggers and themes to check out:

• June 30th Food: Cheryl of Gluten-Free Goodness
• July 7th Support and Connection: Valerie of City Life Eats 
• July 14th Movement : Shirley of Gluten Free Easily (GFE) 
• July 21st Creativity: Carrie of Ginger Lemon Girl
• July 28th Inward Reflection: Iris of The Daily Dietribe 

I’m really looking forward to Carrie’s post on creativity.  I love scrapbooking and creating crafts for gifts, but I don’t do it enough considering the vast array of supplies that I have.  Hopefully her post will inspire me to open my craft drawers and be creative!

-Melanie

P.S. click here for information about my next class on Saturday,  August 19th called  “Nourishing our Children” in Pensacola.

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