Day 111 of #LiveWell2017

I was sitting at my parents’ kitchen table recently when my big brother asked, “How is it that you stay so thin”? We figured I got my dad’s skinny genes – after all, dad is 87 and still tall and lanky. I’m not as thin as I used to be. Age has a way of messing with your metabolism, ya know, but I’m still thinner than a lot of people my age.

Our conversation got me thinking about how important it is to me to feel good, to be healthy, and to take care of myself so I can live my best life every single day – to #LiveWell.

One of my health strategies is to eat fresh food, mostly plants. The other is to keep moving. So, my best answer to my brother’s question would be this:

Eat plants and move a lot.

A plant-based diet has transformed my life. I have more energy, lower cholesterol, and I’m able to maintain a decent weight for a 58-year-old. I also enjoy creating unique and satisfying meals from fresh vegetables, beans, and grains.

The food is only half of it, though. I make a point to move my body a lot. I run or walk or hike or bike every day. On days when I am sitting and writing for hours, I get up often to do some yoga, stretch, do a 7-minute whole body workout, or something to keep me loose and active.

When I don’t move enough or don’t eat enough fresh vegetables, I feel different – sluggish, irritable, stiff, old. My body and mind tell me when I’m taking care of them, and when I’m not. So, I listen.

I can’t be kind and loving, generous and helpful to anyone else unless I take care of myself first. To live well means being good to yourself so you can be good to others. Take care of your body. Take care of your mind. LiveWell in 2017!

How do you take care of you?