100 BEST Ever Health & Longevity Tips!

Written by Susan on November 25, 2010 - 11 Comments
Categories: Whole Food Nutrition

There are simply ooodles of conflicting, contradicting and confounding ideas and theories on extraordinary health out there today and it can be a little confronting to know the best place to start. If there’s one thing I’ve learned (not only from being a proud owner of a body myself) but from consciously seeking extraordinary health for over 14 years, it’s that there are no hard and fast rules (hence the confusion). Of course, you won’t get many health practitioners arguing with eating more fruit and veggies (hmm… scratch that! There are health paradigms that suggest severely limiting or even completely eliminating all fruit from one’s diet..) or minimising sugar (hmm…scratch that too! Many health practitioners see nothing wrong with refined sugar – it’s seen more as empty calories than the evil demon some make it out to be…) or…um… what was the point I was making again?

Oh yes… got it! A hem.. so in my opinion, these are the 100 BEST EVER things you can do for your health and longevity. Start from where you are now. No rules, just what works for you. Take whatever appeals from the list below and do one thing at a time.

1. drink water, lots of it
2. let go of coffee as a daily drink, let it be occasional instead – it causes nutrient deficiencies and impacts the quality of your digestion
3. work on your emotional health – it is just as important if not more so, than your physical health
4. avoid alcohol – it is a depressant that effects your entire nervous system
5. eat plants, a lot and every day
6. minimise or eliminate gluten, it inflames our intestines
7. eliminate all refined sugar
8. eat real chocolate, raw chocolate often avoiding processed, refined and sugared imitations
9. learn how to be mindful in each moment so you don’t miss out on the magic of life from thinking too much
10. integrate superfoods into your diet regularly
11. stretch when you wake up
12. balance your blood sugar by eating small meals often – this avoids huge energy highs and lows
13. eat seaweed often
14. do less, live more – we are not here on earth to become more and more efficient
15. choose brown rice over white every time
16. go organic if you can
17. shop at an outdoor market rather than a supermarket
18. mix it up and get more variety or exotic fruits, veggies or traditional meals in your diet – most of us wind up eating very similarly to our parents which may (or may not) be a good thing
19. rely on whole foods for your nutrition rather than supplements
20. make love with your partner as much and as often as you can
21. be authentically you in all situations at all times
22. move your body in a way that you enjoy every day (or almost every day)
23. breathe deeply as often as you can
24. eat more nuts and seeds – walnuts, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, almonds, pistachios, pecans, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and pepitas
25. think more about what you can ADD to your diet first rather than focusing on what you want to take away – this will minimise feelings of deprivation
26. have saunas regularly – they cleanse our skin and body and promote circulation
27. open the car windows and let fresh air circulate around you often
28. use natural cleaning products in your home
29. don’t put anything on your skin you wouldn’t eat
30. don’t eat anything with ingredients you can’t pronounce
31. minimise as much as possible anything in can, packet, box, carton, jar, plastic, foil or man-made container of any kind
32. eat as early in the evening as possible and  leave at least 2 full hours after eating before going to sleep
33. park as far away from the shops as you can so you exercise incidentally
34. use heat to mimimise pain – hot water bottles and heat packs do an awesome job of releasing tension and promoting healing
35. avoid drinking large amounts of water or other fluid when you eat – it dilutes and hinders the digestion process
36. if drinking milk, drink raw milk in it’s purest form for the most benefit
37. be in nature as much as possible – it reminds us of what’s really important
38. use your food as medicine
39. avoid having electrical wires or mobile phones near your bed when sleeping
40. eat fermented foods – they contain beneficial bacteria for our gut
41. take a little break from food every now and then, fast or cleanse to heal your body
42. don’t eat anything your grandmother wouldn’t recognise as food
43. eat as much junk food as you like as long as you make it yourself
44. eat as much fresh, raw fruits and veggies as you can every day
45. eliminate trans fatty acids completely from your diet (this will be easy if following tip number 31)
46. take time to stop, slow down and breathe several times throughout your day
47. get direct sunlight on your body every day if you can
48. learn how to breathe correctly, using your entire body for more energy, focus and clarity of thought
49. avoid fizzy drinks of all kinds – they contain phosphorus which depletes our calcium levels and makes our bodies acidic
50. stop dieting to lose weight – dieting fails 85% – 97% of the time
51. humans are the only animals that drink their calories as adults – ask yourself it it’s really working for us and opt for water or herbal teas of sugar-filled beverages
52. minimise or remove completely toxic relationships from your life and mind
53. move toward self-love and give attention often to your relationship with yourself
54. when eating melon, eat it alone or leave it alone
55. eliminate white flour and white sugar from your food – they are dead foods that give nothing to your body
56. ask your yourself, honestly, what it would take to change some destructive habits in your life
57. when eating anything, slow down and chew each mouthful thoroughly for the best digestion and assimilation possible
58. when eating, eat what your body tells you it wants
59. when eating, eat only when you are hungry
60. when eating, stop when you’ve had just enough
61. have a meat-free Monday or another day each week without meat or meat products
62. learn to listen to the signs, signals and symptoms your body gives you every day
63. read, as often as you can, it feeds your mind and soul
64. dance, as often as you can, it feeds your heart and soul
65. sing, as often as you can, it feeds your heart, soul, mind and body
66. learn something, anything new and on a regular basis
67. create a beautiful, nurturing environment in your home
68. if you don’t have a passion, find one, something that has no purpose whatsoever apart from the pleasure it brings you
69. do exercise regularly that opens and lengthens your body rather than repetitive movements that contract and constrict your muscles
70. eat breakfast every day
71. choose steaming over frying or baking
72. make movement part of your relationship – a daily walk with your partner deepens your connection and strengthens your body
73. make sure nothing in your fridge, freezer or cupboard contains MSG – it’s highly addictive and tricks our brain into thinking the food is more nutritious than it actually is (again, this will be effortless if you follow tip number 31)
74. go for fresh juices with veggies
75. try wheatgrass shots the next time you need a pick-me-up
76. eat chillies – they stimulate the release of feel-good endorphins in the brain
77. get involved in your community in some way – have a reason to get up in the morning that’s bigger than just your and your family
78. afternoon snoozes transform our energy and our experience of our day
79. create something, anything – a beautiful meal, music, art, anything
80. drink a glass of warm water with half a lemon squeezed into every morning, first thing – it cleanses and stimulates your body
81. cook with coconut oil – it is stable at high temperatures and protects our heart
82. sprinkle olive oil on your greens – the greens make the essential fatty acids in olive oil more available for your body to absorb
83. don’t donate money, donate your time instead – you’ll get far more internal reward this way
84. for women, spending time with other women releases the stress-reducing oxytocin
85. for men, spending time alone increases their ability to deal with stress
86. laugh, as much, as loudly and as often as you can
87. cry when you need to, it releases stress
88. look for natural remedies before pharmaceutical ones – they have no side effects and are extremely effective
89. get a massage regularly – it feels bloody good and promotes circulation and immune system function
90. eat sprouts, lots of them!
91. choose to educate yourself about your incredible body
92. use physical barriers like hats and long-sleeve shirts for sun protection rather than chemical barriers like sunscreen
93. choose movement that stimulates the body and the mind (rather than just the mind)
94. immerse your body in water as often as you can – the ocean… a rock pool… the bath…
95. sleep as much as you can every night
96. sleep on the right side of your body – it takes pressure off your heart
97. seek out a health practitioner who listens and makes you feel good about your body
98. seek out a health practitioner who’s ultimate goal is for you to become your own doctor