Seven changes for a happier, healthier you by Victoria Moore

(NaturalNews) These days everyone is looking for a quick fix to improve their overall quality of life. You can take control and make seven simple changes to your lifestyle to increase health and exuberance.

Drink more water

Water is perhaps nature's ultimate miracle; providing life for all living things. Dehydration can be responsible for many common afflictions such as headaches, fatigue and constipation. Increasing your water intake helps our bodies to function properly, improves our immune system and helps us to look and feel younger. Due to fluoridation and high chemical levels in the water, it is important to invest in a water filter to remove these toxins and ensure that you are supplying your body with the best water available. Drinking fresh, pure water is a very simple and inexpensive way to reverse the aging process.

Eat less meat

Limiting meat portions and putting more focus on fruits and vegetables provides your body with the essential nutrients that may be lacking. Findings from the China Study indicate that eating less than 10 percent animal-based products and eating a more whole food, plant-based diet could prevent and treat a multitude of common diseases such as cancer, diabetes and auto-immune diseases.

Get moving

Most people know that exercise is important and brings with it benefits of preventing many illnesses, increasing vitality and improving overall well-being. Start out small and increase your activity as needed and the outcome promises to be life changing. Making exercise a top priority in your life and taking care of your body now, will take care of you later on.

Make love, not war

By spreading positivity and joy you remove unnecessary stressors from your life and attract loving, healing energy in return. Smiles are contagious so spread the cheer all year long and help make the world a happier place for yourself and others around you.

Avoid processed foods

The best way is to cook the majority of your meals. Cooking healthy doesn't have to be dreaded. There are plenty of easy, delicious healthy recipes out there. If you heavily consume processed meals, it may take time until the cravings subside and you actually start to crave healthy foods. This is due to the excitotoxic-laced food that work to chemically affect your body to become addicted. The latest GMO food studies are showing organ damage and a shortened life in laboratory animals. Keep in mind the goal that sticking with your dietary change will ultimately help you to enjoy life more than you did when you were indulging in junk food.

Get some rest

Sleep provides the foundation for mental and physical well-being. This can be achieved either by restful sleep (a full six to eight hours a night) or by restful awareness; which can be achieved through regular meditation. Studies have shown that immune cells do not work as well for the next 24 hours after a night of restlessness. A full night of sound sleep allows the immune cells to regain their disease fighting abilities. The lack of restful sleep and restful awareness are usually a result of poor habits. By making a small shift to attention and behavior and changing certain habits, fatigue can be avoided and allow for creativity, vitality and age-reversing benefits.

Just breathe

Optimizing your breathing helps to regulate the energetic balance of the body by increasing oxygen flow internally and balancing the parasympathetic nervous system. When we are stressed out, uncomfortable breath is usually restricted, shallow and limited. By focusing on deep, rhythmic breaths, especially in difficult situations, we increase our life force, mental clarity and emotional stability as well as a long list of many other benefits. Optimal breathing habits can be achieved by regular practice of yoga and meditation.

Sources for this article include

Grow Younger Live Longer: 10 Steps to Reversing Aging- Deepak Chopra, M.D., and David Simon, M.D.

The China Study: Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health- T. Colin Campbell, PHD and Thomas M Campbell II

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1201429/

About the author:
Victoria Moore is natural health researcher/blogger, yoga instructor and Usui Reiki master. Her passions include empowering women on how to prepare for natural labor, teaching yoga to adults and children and learning about alternative approaches to health and lifestyle. Through her website www.yogimami.com she enjoys connecting with other like-minded people and sharing information about health and wellness, natural parenting, alternative medicine and organic living.
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