Staying Healthy and Happy

As a child I never had to consider my diet and what I ate. Even as I progressed to adulthood, I always thought I was relatively healthy, even with the odd few chocolate bars and bottles of cherry coke I'd manage to consume.

If I'm honest I probably would have gone through life without worrying, I mean I didn't consider myself to be fat and I've been lucky that I haven't suffered from any serious illnesses.

This way of thinking changed when my dad had a heart attack around three years ago.

Shocked would be an understatement. It was one of those moments that you never thought you'd experience, I mean bad things happen to other people right? The initial phone call had me in tears but nothing could prepare me for seeing him lying there in that hospital bed.

He had actually been waiting for a stent but that didn't come soon enough. A history of diabetes, high blood pressure and cholestrol problems led to what could have been a fatal moment.

This isn't a morbid post, thankfully my father pulled through but it certainly made me look at life a little differently and subsequently finding out the heart problems could actually come my way later on in life made me stop, take a step back and look at what I could do to follow a healthier lifestyle.

Really the solutions are obvious, exercise more, eat better and cut down on things like alcohol and smoking although I don't smoke so that was one thing ticked off the list already. All these things in turn lower things like cholesterol and put you on the path to a better life.

Now I admit I am a bit of a coach potato. I do walk everywhere but I don't make as much of an effort as I could beyond that. This year I did start running more and I found myself left with more energy and I this managed to motivate me to do more, it was a good feeling.

Food has been the hardest one to change.

I like to eat, junk food is one of those things you love to hate, tastes so good when your eating it but the expanding tummy makes you instantly regret consuming it. I admit I do still eat things like chocolate and crisps but I tend to opt for a hot chocolate over a packet of maltesers, see a less calorific option. I switched white foods to wholemeal and I stopped snacking when bored.

One of my better changes wasn't to what I eat but to how I cooked my food.Cutting out butter and full fat dairy was a big one for me. Nowadays I I use Flora pro.activ buttery spread and skimed milk drink both of which contain plant sterols. ANd if you didn't know, plant sterols are known to lower blood cholesterol.

Honestly nowadays I do still worry to an extent but I've realised that I don't need to exercise for hours on end on a daily basis and I'm allowed to treat myself to the wine calling from the fridge.

Best lesson for everyone and I think the key to staying healthy and happy, everything in moderation, simple yet true.

I'd like to think that I will never have to experience bad health in the family again however these things are somewhat inevitable but I can try to keep the risk of these things to a minimum atleast for myself and my family.

Has there been a specific moment in your life that made you stop and think about the health of yourself and others around you??

xxxx

This post is in collaboration with Flora Pro Activ