What does a healthy lifestyle truly look like??? HELP!!!

I'm a vegetarian, and what I would suggest to you is try a couple of days a week without meat to see if it's for you. I personally think that you can be extremely healthy and still eat meat, it's just not for me.

COMPLETELY AGREE with lemurcat12!!!! There is no one size fits all to define what is healthy. I always recommend a visit to your doctor be sure you are healthy and begin regiment suited for you and your body. Gather good people around you, use the MFP, it is worth the small investment, and believe in yourself.

Add me if you need additional support buddies!

Food is just a part of a healthy lifestyle. If you're overstressed, lack sleep, get ill easily (low immunity), never get outside, suck at optimal communication with others, generally unhappy with your love life, etc., then just because you eat well doesn't mean your lifestyle is healthy.

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DeannaLynnPerkins wrote: »

So I reach out to you, what are your thoughts? What does your healthy lifestyle look like in the eating department? How do you feel about a plant based diet and/or a diet that revolves around animal proteins? If you do live a plant based diet way of life, what resources do you suggest for individuals who are just stepping foot in that realm? Any other thoughts??

I feel that a plant based diet is fine but not really healthier than a diet that includes animal proteins.
The problem I see with a diet of mostly pre-made packaged foods is that they may have a lot of added sodium, sugar, artificial colors, fillers or whatever and low nutrition. However, someone who eats a frozen burrito once a week but eats a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc the rest of the time is probably meeting their nutritional needs just fine.

I eat meat but also eat meatless meals several times each week. I try to get enough protein, several servings of vegetables and fruits. I cook every day. I watch my sodium and caffeine intake. I rarely have alcohol. I drink mostly water or unsweetened tea. I don't smoke tobacco or do drugs. I'm working on getting to a healthy weight but am still about 10 lbs overweight. I exercise moderately. I'm not on a restrictive special diet. I eat fast food once a week. I will sometimes eat a frozen pizza or chips. I am rarely sick. I don't have digestive issues. I am not on any medications. I don't have dental problems. I mediatate sometimes to manage stress. I live in a less polluted area with low crime. I usually get enough sleep. I probably spend too much time indoors using a computer. I often forget to wear sunscreen when I go outside.

I don't think everyone has to eat, drink, or live like me to be reasonably healthy. There isn't one formula for long life and health. I know people can do everything "right" and still get sick or die younger because we can not control everything. I think mental health should be more of a priority than it is.

It sounds like you are doing well. To me, a Mediterranean diet, some fresh air, documenting my intake, and getting my behind off a chair or out of bed to exercise is a healthy lifestyle. It goes further for me: working on goals, picking up after myself, being kind to others......

It's a good question.

But all the change in the world is going to be worthless if it's not sustainable to you. I don't think I could ever stop eating meat (and I'd NEVER reach my protein goal without meat). And yeah, don't stress. If you stop eating meat, you'll just eat more veggies that were sprayed with cancer-causing chemicals too anyway. You just can't win. Heck, even water is poisonous nowadays..

For processed food, I still buy some of it (cookies, crackers, pasta, low carb tortillas, Greek yogurt, jarred/can tomatoes and sauces because it's cheaper than fresh). The truth is though, most of the processed stuff just doesn't appeal to me at this point anymore, because fresh/homemade is just so much better.

Anyway, for me a healthy lifestyle is having enough sleep, eating reasonable portions, have a balanced diet (with enough vitamins and nutrients), be a healthy weight, and be active. There's so much more about lifestyle than food.

I think it's basically common sense...but unfortunately common sense ends up getting diluted by industry woo and whatnot...

See all of those whole foods in the store...eat a lot of those...lean proteins from lean sourced poultry, fish, beef, and pork...eggs...plenty of veg and a couple servings of fruit daily...whole grains...healthy fats from things like nuts and nut butters, avocados, and cooking with other good oils. Eat a lot of that stuff and learn to cook...none of that has to be bland or boring...then go out and enjoy a slice of pizza once in awhile.

Exercise regularly...do something you like doing..."exercise" doesn't have to mean droning away on some cardio machine or jumping around your living room to a DVD...go cycle, go swim, go job, go hike...go do whatever it is you like to do and try to get in a good 30-60 minutes 5-6 days per week...build up to it as necessary.

For me?
I think a typical good day has:

A workout
Sex
Work
2 or 3 healthy meals
Time with family
At least 7.5 hours sleep


String a bunch of those together, with some variety (vacations, feasts, treats, fasts, whatever) and that is a healthy life.

As far as food, I try to avoid gluttony and to eat things made from ingredients, not much prepackaged stuff, don't limit fat but don't fry much. Not really that fussed about it, and we do homemade for cost savings and taste, not just health.

DeannaLynnPerkins wrote: »

The hardest thing for me to figure out is what a healthy lifestyle really looks like. I'll admit as a younger woman, I was very naive with being healthy. I didn't work out, I smoked, I ate whatever I felt like eating...but over the past 4-5 years, I've started exercising regularly, stopped smoking and have been trying to achieve a good lifestyle in the eating department. At first I mainly just watched my calorie intake no matter what I was eating, however I'll be turning 30 come May and I've been hearing so much push about going away from processed foods and animal proteins and head towards a plant based diet.

I know that getting away from processed foods is huge no matter who you speak to, however there are still several health experts who debate whether or not animal proteins are really needed in the diet. Some research tells us that the high intake of animal proteins is why cancer, heart disease and the increase in medication usage has been happening. That is scary and having two children I don't want to raise them thinking that I'm poisoning them and I also don't want to think that my lifestyle could limit the amount of time that I get to spend with them or my husband.

So I reach out to you, what are your thoughts? What does your healthy lifestyle look like in the eating department? How do you feel about a plant based diet and/or a diet that revolves around animal proteins? If you do live a plant based diet way of life, what resources do you suggest for individuals who are just stepping foot in that realm? Any other thoughts??

The bolded sounds pretty good to me!

My "healthy lifestyle" food intake consists of meal prepping on Sunday so that I have lunches for the week. This helps me stay within my calorie goal. 80/20 rule so that I can enjoy myself, drink my alcohol and eat "processed" foods. I strongly dislike that term, as technically all foods are processed unless you're eating them straight out of the ground.

Quitting smoking is probably the best thing you could have done for yourself- Congrats!

vivmom2014 wrote: »

I don't have much trouble meeting my protein goals without meat; I have kept seafood in my diet and the fake meats (seitan, tofu & tempeh) are great.

I don't know about healthy, though, because I also eat a ton of sugar. Which I love - and life without it, for me, would be sad.

Seafood is meat.

I also find it helpful in meeting my protein goals.