There are three things that are essential to have a healthy life full of energy and vitality, and therefore happiness, do you want to know what they are?

Whenever I explain the three keys to a healthy and happy life, I like to do the simile with a three-legged stool because I think it is a clear and simple way to understand it. We all know that if a 3-legged stool was missing one leg, it would not hold, so all three are needed and both three are just as important to support this stool. Well, let’s imagine that this stool is our life, the three legs that support our life, that is, they give us health and consequently happiness are food, exercise and rest. Let’s look at them carefully.

Feeding

This is the one that touches me most closely, of course. Eating is eating and eating is something we do every day, sometimes even up to 5 and 7 times a day. How can something we do so often go unnoticed? I mean, many times we eat to eat, “because it touches” or even by inertia. I think that the pace of life that we lead today (and I include myself in this bag) does not match the needs of our body. Why? Because we don’t have time. I don’t think there is a day that we don’t think that “I wish the days had 48 hours” and you know what? if they had 48, we would need 72.

And of course, since I don’t have time, I prioritize. And unfortunately, food is usually one of the things that are least prioritized. That is why when someone talks to me about a lack of time to eat healthy, I answer that what is really there is a lack of priority. I do not doubt that there is no shortage of time, but of course if we can take 1 hour to do our nails, go to the masseur or have a few beers with friends, we have time to work on our nutrition. But we do not want, we do not want because we do not see the importance that it has.

This occurs because the consequences of a poor diet are long-term. If you eat a donut (or 10) you will not have health problems. Of course, you can have indigestion, diarrhea or abdominal pain, but nothing that is not fixed in 24 hours. Now, if you eat a donut a day for 10 years, it is likely that 10 years later they will see changes in your glucose in the analysis of the work review. And this is when we rush in and look for miracles, fast diets (even if they are expensive), healers or magic pills. Well I’m sorry but no, this does not work like that. Food must be taken care of daily, every day of our life.

And how can I take care of my diet ? The truth is that it is not complicated at all. We must give the body food. Food as such. This is: vegetables, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, whole cereals, meats, fish, eggs, dairy … Depending on the eating style of each one, they will eat some things or others, but basically this. For the timeless I will tell you that if you want, you can. With planning and organization, practicing batch cooking, taking courses, training … Again I tell you, it is a matter of priorities.

So you see, the first leg I’m talking about is simply making small changes in a daily habit that you surely do a minimum of 3 times a day. If you want to start changing to strengthen this leg, I advise you to start with this:

• Leave the pastries and any other type of ultra-processed, including soft drinks, carbonated and sugary drinks.
• Avoid pre-cooked or frozen food.
• Give up alcohol.

When you’ve stopped eating worse, try eating better:

• Take three pieces of fruit a day (200 grams minimum).
• Take a serving of greens and / or vegetables in your main meals (250 grams minimum).
• Eat legumes a minimum of 3 times a week.
• Switch to whole grains: pasta, rice, bread …
• Drink only water as your main drink.
• Add a handful of nuts to your diet.

Exercise

The fearsome exercise. Well, let me tell you, we are made to move, not to sit for 12 hours in front of a computer without the sun touching us. Again, this (allow me, damn) rhythm of life keeps us locked up and not moving for 8-10-12 hours a day. Something that takes its toll on our health. The body needs movement and we do everything possible not to give it to it: we take the car for any trip, we use the elevators, in our spare time we go to the sofa …

There are multiple studies that show how lack of exercise is related to a higher risk of mortality. But again, they are problems that will appear in the long term. So as long as my body doesn’t warn me, or I don’t get sick, I’ll just sit on the couch.

I’m not saying that we become ultratrainers but we do need to work our muscles. It’s about increasing what we do, not going to the extreme. For a change to be effective, adhere and internalize, it must be done progressively, little by little. That is, if I am a sedentary person, I will start by becoming an active person. When I am active, I will dedicate 15 minutes to exercise, then 30, then I will increase the intensity, then I will join the gym, then I will go every day … until you can not live without exercise and sports.

I could bore you with a very long list of benefits of physical exercise, but I prefer to help you get you to do it. You see, the main problem of all those people who start and end up leaving it is motivation. And there is nothing that motivates more than doing what one likes and with what one enjoys. So what you have to work on is finding that which you enjoy and like to do. Going out to exercise should not be an obligation, but a fun one. If you think that there is nothing you like, you have not searched well;).

Break

I say rest, but in reality I include the concept of relaxation, meditation and awareness, something absent in this, I insist, damn rhythm of life. Eating healthy and exercising is just as important as resting properly and living peacefully. Sleep is restorative. I don’t know if you’ve noticed it, but on the days when you sleep better, you wake up with softer skin, more energy, better mood … and that’s because you’ve rested. In the same way, you may have also noticed that on the weekend you do not have discomfort, or gas or headaches, because you sleep more, you are more relaxed (we do not have the pressure of the boss) and you do not have stress or rush .

Sometimes we think that while we sleep the body stops and nothing is further from reality. Think that there are up to 5 different phases in sleep and that these are repeated 3 to 7 times. I will not technically explain these phases but I will tell you that our body is performing basic and necessary functions to be able to function properly, to be healthy. So again, give it the importance it has.

As for stress and acceleration, I understand that “you can not do more”, but if you do not contemplate the option of turning your life around, changing jobs for example or routines if I advise you to practice some type of meditation, relaxation or even yoga , even if it’s 10 minutes a day in your own home. And here I do tell you that I do not believe in any way that you cannot get 10 minutes.

I can also give you some advice to get more sleep (hopefully better too):

• Practice 10 minutes of relaxation or yoga before going to bed.
• Prepare everything you need for the next day: clothes, tupperware, children’s backpacks …
• Write down on paper everything you have to do or what is on your mind. Let that paper hold the information.
• Go to bed earlier.
• Keep the sheets always clean and the bed made.

As you can see, there are 3 everyday aspects, you just have to improve them.