Making Life Expectancy More than the Average Life Expectancy
NoMo Nausea's Guide to Living Longer
Living longer isn't just a recipe to eat this, use this cream, or do crossword puzzles every day. Instead longevity of life is about a state of mind. Our mind has incredible power and we can use it to promote a healthy life.
I have heard countless friends who stop doing what they love, such as working as a physician, and start to decline in health. But why stop what you love? Do what gives you purpose and love life. Hold onto what makes the time fly by, what makes you laugh out loud and what makes you incredibly grateful to be on this planet every day. Listen to your heart, listen to your body and most importantly, listen to your soul.
There are so many ways to live your best life, and not everyone’s will be the same. However, all humans have needs and there are guidelines that can help us enjoy our lives to the fullest. To ensure we are striving for a great life, whatever that means to you, we need to make sure we are physically and emotionally healthy. So here are a few tips to help you get started.
Food: Eating Intuitively
Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole put it beautifully in their book Intuitive Eating. This book is about the beauty of listening to your body and how it can help you achieve nourishment. Whether you have struggled with disordered eating or an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating, EDNOS etc.) or just want more information on how to truly eat with respect to your body, this is the book for you. Plus, for all my kinesthetic learners out there, they also have a workbook that you can get along with the book itself. Below are the 10 principles of Intuitive Eating with a brief summary. If we can follow these principles we are one step closer to living longer and living more fully.
- Reject the diet mentality. Let yourself get angry at the lies you’ve been told that have led you to feel like you were a failure every time a diet didn’t work for you.
- Honor your hunger. When your body trusts that you will consistently nourish it, you build trust between your mind and body and no longer feel out of control around food.
- Make peace with food. Say goodbye to food rules and restrictions. No more labeling foods as “good” or “bad”.
- Challenge the food police. Say NO WAY to that inner voice in your head or anyone who tries to tell you that you’re “good” or “bad” for eating a particular food.
- Feel your fullness. Check in with yourself when you’re eating. Ask yourself how the food tastes and listen for your body’s signals that you are no longer hungry.
- Discover the satisfaction factor. Allow yourself to eat foods that satisfy you and give you pleasure. Learn to tune into what feels good and what doesn’t feel good in your body.
- Cope with your emotions without using food. Ask yourself, “what do I really need at this moment?”
- Respect your body. Recognize your body for all that it does for you instead of criticizing it.
- Exercise and feel the difference. Shift from focusing on burning calories or losing weight and instead focus on how movement makes you FEEL. Exercise when you WANT to not because you have to.
- Honor your health. Eat what tastes good and what makes you feel good. The goal isn’t to see all foods as equally nutritious; it’s to have the same emotional response and to trust your body.
However, I'm not going to lie, having a good body image is tough. Especially when society promotes the “perfect body”, whatever that means. Luckily there is no such thing and research tells us so. The Health At Every Size experts have shown through studies that people can be healthy at any size. Sometimes being about to see the data and rationalize this can help us respect and love our bodies instead of criticizing and critiquing them.
Follow your Passions and Be Mindful
Mental health is just as important as physical health. We must remember that while we can put others first sometimes, we have to put ourselves first. We cannot help others fill their glass if ours is empty. So, keep on doing what you love or what makes you feel whole. Maybe that’s painting, taking pictures, doing yoga and trying out new restaurants. Whatever it is make sure you’re incorporating it into your life.
One way we can check in with ourselves even amidst your busy schedule is through mindfulness. By taking a few minutes to yourself, you can see how you’re truly feeling, give yourself a break and remind yourself that you are a human living on this earth that deserves to live, love and be loved. Here are 6 simple steps to practicing mindfulness.
Natural Remedies
When we are sick, our body is telling (or maybe screaming at) us that we need to take care of ourselves. Luckily, we can do this easily and naturally. Even Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine”. If you decide to go this route you should check out our blog: Home Remedies for Vomiting. This will tell you some of the best home remedies for nausea and vomiting.
Another great home remedy for nausea and vomiting whether from morning sickness, motion sickness or a hangover are NoMo Nausea bands. The silicone wristbands combine acupressure and aromatherapy to relieve nausea in seconds. All you have to do is pick one up from your local CVS, BuyBuy Baby or online at amazon.com and slip it on your wrist.
Gratitude
Working in a hospital, you see patients holding onto their lives hoping for another chance. This makes you appreciate how precious life is and how amazing and resilient our bodies really are. Writing down 3 things you’re grateful for every day can help us realize how much wonderful life is. Practicing gratitude can help us be optimistic and live our life to the fullest. As cheesy as it sounds it’s true, you only live once #YOLO.
Now you have the keys to success of living longer. Ultimately, it’s up to you to live your best life. My best piece of advice is to listen and trust your body and don’t hesitate to ask for support when you need it. Remember: listen to your heart, listen to your body and most importantly, listen to your soul.
