Benefits of Healthy Living

Many people start the New Year with resolutions geared towards eating healthier, but fail in implementing a successful plan. Dr. Bob Seiler, a Utah chiropractor, uses a holistic approach to healing, believing that physical, mental and emotional wellbeing are tied together.

Healthy living includes adding a variety of healthier eating options into one’s diet, including changing bad habits. Good goals include:

• Balance – A balanced diet includes proteins, fruits, dairy and vegetables. Eating when hungry and stopping when the body is satisfied is ideal.
• Variety – Choosing different foods in each food group means choices don’t become boring.
• Moderation – Not having too little or too much of one thing is a critical part of healthy eating.

Having the proper balance of minerals, vitamins and nutrients helps the body ward of illness and provides an abundance of energy. It also allows the body to cope with stress and emotional situations.

Many diseases are directly related to unhealthy eating, including high blood pressure, heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes and even some types of cancer. It is important to remember that healthy eating is not a diet, which is only temporary, but a permanent change in lifestyle. Unhealthy foods with high sugar levels, such as cakes, pies, cookies, potato chips and processed foods may actually lead to Type 2 Diabetes and high-salt content foods contribute increased blood pressure. High fat foods, such as whole dairy products, liver, sausage and pork can lead to Coronary Artery Disease. Some reports suggest that Alzheimer’s may be linked to unhealthy diet habits. Depression and anxiety may increase with the intake of junk foods, such as refined sugars and carbohydrates.

When implementing a healthy diet, people should never change everything at once, as this is easy to set oneself up for failure. Setting an easy, obtainable goal, such as incorporating a fruit with each meal, is an excellent approach. Long-term goals should include exploring other food options or having a vegetarian meal weekly.

A healthy diet also boosts mental awareness, helping provide people with more energy and offering the body healthy energy-boosting nutrients. Not only do people report feeling better on a healthy diet, they also have better muscle tone, a stronger immune system, lower risk of stroke and cancer, as well as the ability to maintain a healthy weight long-term.

There are a number of cookbooks and online websites that are specifically geared towards healthy eating, reducing fat and caloric intake while boosting nutritional values. Dr. Bob is a Salt Lake City holistic chiropractor that offers mind body healing, holistic chiropractor practices, spinal decompression and Litecure Deep Tissue Thermal Laser Therapy.