Everyone knows that the keys to good health are regular exercise and eating right, but knowing this and actually doing it are two very different things. The good news is that blending healthy habits into your daily life can be a simple and easy process. The first step is to bring consciousness to how we eat by learning which foods are healthy and which are not. Most people have some idea about nutrition, but their knowledge is often clouded by out-dated perceptions and misleading advertising. Many of the foods that we grew up thinking were good for us actually contribute to people being overweight and unhealthy.

Eat "Real Food"and Move Your Body

On the positive side, we all pretty much know that the most healthy foods are fresh fruits and vegetables – preferably local or organic. The food expert Michael Pollan has a very simple formula for healthy eating:  “Eat Real Food… Not too much… Mostly Plants”.  “Real Food” excludes most of the packaged foods that you find in the supermarket which contain highly processed ingredients and unnatural chemicals. Learn to read the labels and you will see that if it’s in a package, and it’s not certified organic, then it’s probably not good for your body. “Not Too Much” means only eat when you are hungry, not when the clock tells you it is time to eat. “Mostly Plants” is not saying that you have to be a vegetarian, but perhaps to moderate the amount of meat that you consume.

The other essential part of good health is physical exercise. Many people feel that they don’t have the time or energy to maintain a regular exercise practice, but it can be easier and less time consuming than you think. The single most important exercise that I can recommend is the powerful daily practice known as the Five Tibetan Rites. This consists of five yoga movements that are easy to learn and can be done anywhere. Once you know the routine it will take you only about 10 - 12 minutes each day, and the results are amazing. These simple exercises provide numerous benefits which include increased strength, vitality, flexibility and mental clarity. They also speed up and balance your metabolism, making it easy to achieve and maintain your ideal weight. These specially designed movements work simultaneously on both your physical body (muscles, joints, etc.) and on the energy centres in your cells. The Rites are called “The Fountain of Youth” because many people have found that they slow down or even reverse the aging process. 

Your body is a miracle. It has over 50 trillion cells working together tirelessly every minute of the day to perform the countless complex tasks that keep you alive and well. This cosmic dance is beautifully designed to maintain optimum health and overcome any form of illness. Bringing conscious awareness to how you eat and exercise strengthens this natural rhythm and allows it to flow freely. By creating the habits of a healthy lifestyle you are giving love to yourself, and to the incredible body that will carry you through your entire lifetime.