Keeping Fit: Taking Control over Your Mind and Body

Our New Year resolutions were only made 2 months ago but how many of us actually sticked through it? Interesting enough, most people had losing weight on their agendas, only to gain that extra kilos in the end.

We all want to see quick results, and are impatient waiting for the sweet fruits of success. Crash diet fads would not take you anywhere, neither indulging chocolates due to anxiety or stress is going to be beneficial as well.

Yet, if we simply focus on practising healthy habits and picking it up gradually, our health and well-breing owuld improve dramatically.

There are 4 main components to a successful wellness routine, namely:

• Exercise
• Nutrition
• Spiritual Practice
• Rest and relaxation

Exercise

• Not everyone can afford a gym membership or fork out time to go to a gym to workout, but this does not serves as an excuse to not exercise. It can be simple of doing household chores, walking your dog around the park, playing badminton. It is supposed to be fun and not drain you.The recommended time is 3 times a week with 30 minutes of cardiovascular session. Set goals that are attainable to reach, so that you reach your daily exercise.

Nutrition

• Forget about roti canai or teh tarik which are loaden with sugar and cholesterol, opt for an oatmeal instead. For office workers who are looking for something on-the-go, meal prep twice a week to reach your food goals. A healthy proper meal should consist of carbohydrates, protein and fats. Skipping meals not only leads to our stomachs growling in hunger, but we also tend to overeat the next meal. Malaysians now enjoy a diverse variety of food, but we overeat and still are malnourished. Eating junk does no good to your digestive tract and skin, and it does not provide you essential nutrients for cell repair and growth. Choose fresh fruits or nuts as your between meal times snack. Hydrate yourslef with 2 litres of water a day to promote digestion .

Spiritual Practice

Daily spiritual practice is the positive habit of connecting with a higher power or ideal, whether that is God, nature, or the mystery of the universe. You do not have to be a spiritual person to have a spiritual practice. Atheists, for example, might engage in a spiritual practice that consists of mindful journal writing each morning.

The purpose of daily spiritual practice is to disengage from the petty irritations and distractions of life and open the mind and spirit to see the bigger picture. A daily spiritual practice should nurture, uplift, and inspire.

Examples of daily spiritual practice include:

1. Prayer
2. Journaling
3. Creativity (art, music, writing)
4. Meditation

The benefits of a daily spiritual practice are cumulative and over time will lead to more peace of mind and a greater ability to handle life's challenges.


Rest and relaxation

In our harried world, the benefits of rest cannot be overstated. Too often we are running on fumes – too little sleep and too much activity. Sleep deprivation has been associated with all sorts of problems, from anxiety and depression to unsafe driving. Some scientists are studying a possible link between sleep deprivation and obesity (the theory is that sleep deprivation disrupts the production of important hormones).

Make sure you allow for adequate sleep time in your schedule. If your work environment allows it, take a cat nap in the afternoon to refresh.

Relaxation is also important. Your mind needs rest and play. If all you did was work from the beginning to the end of the day, you would become less effective overall due to the stress. Spend time relaxing every day, even if it's just a half an hour to read a favorite book or partake in a hobby.

Aromatherapy for Relaxation