Tips for a Healthier Life by Stephanie Nickel
This is an excerpt from my gift for those of you who join Kimberley for her 12 Days of Christmas starting on Monday, December 7th.
Prayer
- Commit each day to the Lord before you get out of bed.
- Good day or bad, offer it all back to the Lord when you crawl into bed at night.
Bible Study
- Ask the Holy Spirit to illumine God’s Word every time you open it.
- Read God’s Word daily. Devotionals are good, but make sure you are opening the Bible and reading the passages in context so you can gain a deeper understanding of what they mean.
Exercise
- Create an achievable list of goals and get started. As I’ve often said, even a baby step in the right direction is just that, a step in the right direction.
- Don’t say you’re too busy to exercise. Exercise helps you think more clearly and work more efficiently. Actually, you’re too busy not to exercise.
Healthy Eating
- As I said with exercise, make a list of doable goals and get started. Don’t try to change all your bad eating habits at once.
- Plan ahead. Some of you likely do this all the time. However, I do not. And if I wait until the last minute to decide what’s for supper—or breakfast or lunch—I’m more likely to choose the processed, ready-to-eat-in-no-time options.
Bonus Tips
Prayer
The holidays are especially hard for some people. It’s a wonderful idea to add them to your prayer list—and reach out to them in tangible ways as well.
Bible Study
As a family, why not read portions of the first two chapters of Luke every day? Discuss what you can learn from this familiar story. Remember there is always something new to learn, always something to marvel over.
Exercise
Don your warmest clothes and do something you haven’t done in years: Go tobogganing, skating, or skiing. You may even want to build a snowman or a snow fort. Go ahead. Rediscover that winter can be fun.
Healthy Eating
There are many websites that offer healthy options to holiday favourites. Spend some time searching for new recipes to try.
These tips are meant as information and encouragement only. Before changing your level of physical activity and/or your diet, consult your doctor or other medical professional. The author assumes no responsibility (or credit) for the results of implementing these tips.
Tweetable
Baby steps in the right direction are still steps in the right direction. (tweet this)
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Steph Beth Nickel is an author, a freelance editor and writer, a labour doula, and a former personal trainer. She’d love to connect with you on Facebook or Twitter, on her website or blog.