Betty

20 Things We Do to Stay Healthy

Two bowls of fresh fruit - grapes, apples and blueberries.

This post is not meant to give advice. Rather, this post is a list of little things that Dan and I do – or try to do – each day in an effort to stay healthy. Incrementalism is the idea of making one small change at a time. And then, over time, the changes add up. That’s my strategy for a number of things, including improving my health.

  1. We eat fruit, including blueberries, at breakfast every day. We like Honeycrisp apples and the sweet, globe grapes at Aldi’s. Delicious!
  2. We try to walk every day. We use the Pacer app to track our steps.
  3. We eat a banana at lunch every day. Lunch for me is usually fruit and nuts.
  4. We eat salmon weekly.
  5. We rarely eat fried foods at home.
  6. We floss every day. Just once.
  7. We do “oil pulling” two or three times a week. There are numerous Youtube videos on this.
  8. We do not go out to eat at buffets.
  9. We don’t drink. We aren’t “morally opposed” or anything like that. We just prefer not to drink alcohol.
  10. We don’t smoke.
  11. We don’t eat after dinner. We do have a small dessert, like two cookies, right after dinner, but then that’s it until the next day.
  12. We limit eating out to about once a week.
  13. We get our vaccines.
  14. We keep up with our annual doctor visits and dental visits.
  15. I take a multi day-vitamin (for women 50+) every day.
  16. I take an apple cider vinegar tablet at breakfast and dinner. It seems to control my appetite.
  17. We each take a 1500 mg tumeric tablet at breakfast and dinner.
  18. I take a garlic tablet each morning.
  19. We don’t turn on the television until about 4:30 pm. Less tv means less sitting.
  20. There is always a green vegetable at dinner.

Are we perfect? FAR FROM IT!! Here’s where we can improve:

  1. I could lose weight. I have a lot of passion and really enjoy life, and that includes food. I’ll keep trying.
  2. We could drink less soda. Another work in progress. We don’t drink coffee. I usually don’t drink soda after breakfast. Yes, breakfast. I enjoy diet coke each morning. It’s my little glass of happy and gets my motor going.
  3. We could start some kind of strength training program.

How many of these things do you do? Is there anything you would add to the list?

34 comments

    • Good point to call them “habbits.” Habbits are something we do without thinking about them – which is good when they are healthy habbits. Another good point you made – being healthy, as best we can, does absolutely lead to lifelong enjoyment. Thanks for reading and your comment. Enjoy your day!

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  2. Set aside time daily for quiet contemplation. This could be a leisurely walk out in nature, or a time of silent meditation. The point is to step back from the hustle and bustle that constitutes life as most of us know it.

    Great list, Betty!

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  3. 90% of this, same! I learned to like hot black tea in the morning in order to kick the Diet Coke habit. It’s been just a few years now and there are several flavors I enjoy. But, I still have a can of Diet Coke for lunch!

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    • You are a stronger person than I! I used to drink Diet Coke all day long. Now, once breakfast is done, no more Diet Coke until the next morning. (Unless we eat out which is limited.) My next step would be limiting how much I drink in the morning, but that is still in the conceptual phase right now. I think just one can a day is very admirable!

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  4. I do many of the things on your lists. Hubs isn’t really committed to a healthy lifestyle all the time. He’s sort of on again-off again. For me, these things come naturally. The only thing I’d add is that doing things that I’m passionate about and setting aside time for good friends and family are key to my emotional health.

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    • Dan has Frosted Flakes for breakfast! But at 71, he is pretty healthy in spite of his love for Tony the Tiger. Emotional health is so important, and time with good friends and family makes life so enjoyable! Enjoy your Saturday!

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  5. Some similarities here, some differences too! We try to eat fish once a week also (and it’s usually salmon b/c it’s our favorite). I stopped drinking soda decades ago, mostly because I hated the carbonation. I’ve never been a fan of buffets either. A Harvard study from last year (which I only scanned, but did at least read a couple of articles about!) said that a multi-vitamin isn’t really helpful; they said it won’t hurt but it really doesn’t do much. Instead they recommended specific vitamins rather than a multi. I’m still taking the multi vitamins, though. 🙂 – Marty

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    • I wish I didn’t, but I love the carbonation. 🙂 I had heard of that Harvard study, too. After learning the highlights, I stopped taking my multivitamin. But after a while, I felt my energy lag. I’m not sure the reason, but I did start taking the multi vitamin again – just in case that was the cause. We get our salmon from Costco. We also love the panko tilapia from Costco,too; however, this has been hard to find lately. Thanks for reading and your comment, Marty. And enjoy your Saturday!

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    • We use coconut oil. We use a candle warmer when the temperatures are cooler, so it is liquid when we put it into our mouth. Also, never spit it into a sink; it will solidify. But after doing this for several years, I feel my gums look healthy and have less of a problem with tartar at my dental checkups. Enjoy your day, Mary!

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  7. Some of these some of the time (blueberries, strawberries, bananas, apples), walking, lots of green veggies, dark yellow or orange veggies, salmon and other fish. Oolong tea for its health benefits, limit coffee to a few times a week, and rarely drink a soda–like maybe one or two times a month if at all. No caffeine after breakfast for me because it disrupts my sleep! I get my carbonation fix from Perrier water–I love it, but also drink regular water throughout the day. Floss daily, brush after every meal or snack, no TV until 7 pm or after, stand and move every hour if doing sedentary work at the computer, definitely no buffets or other eating out or take out (with the exclusion of while the kitchen was out of commission, but now back on track for the most part). Only use olive oil or canola oil if high heat needed; quick saute rather than fry. Rarely eat sweets, but do eat my fiber metamucil cookie daily–it is tasty, only 100 calories for 2 wafers, and gives me the fiber boost recommended by my doctor while satisfying a sweet tooth urge. Definitely vaccines and regular preventive check ups. It must be working–have not been sick in years. Oil pulling is new to me, but it sounds like a worthwhile investment per WebMD. Thanks for the “check-up” check-up!

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    • I’m impressed! Rarely a soda. No TV until 7 pm or after. Rarely eat sweets. No eating out or take out!! That’s hard core. You get an A+ on the check up. I have not been sick in years either, but I don’t want to jinx myself!!! You inspire to improve a bit. I do want to cut back on the soda – some – and decrease eating out even more. During COVID (previously), we didn’t eat out at all, and it really wasn’t that hard. Enjoy your Sunday!

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  9. Maintaining good health is so vital to enjoying a long and happy life. We do many of the things you listed. A well known lifestyle doctor, Dean Ornish, has studied the effects of diet, exercise, stress and relationships to our health. I recommend his books, Eat More Weigh Less, Spectrum , and Undo It. It is good that you strive for health. It is a struggle. Temptation is all around. Excuses come easy. Procrastination takes hold. It know this through my own experiences. Like you say, incremental progress is the goal. — Happy Days and Safe Travels

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    • You are right! Thanks for the recommendation. I will see if the library has any of the books you listed. It is a struggle but so is being unhealthy! I also want the changes I make to be sustainable, so small steps and incremental progress is my goal. Enjoy your day, and safe travels!

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  10. That is a very good list. Your diet coke is your caffeine fix for the day! I have also been trying to make improvements gradually with my eating and exercise. What I buy at the grocery store is so different now than 10 or 15 years ago. I am trying to be more vegetarian, but it is hard. And especially if someone else has prepared the meal.

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    • Thank you! Yes, diet coke is my caffeine fix. I do think if we break “our own rules” only occasionally (as in the case when someone has prepared a meal for us), the overall result is still very good. But, we do have to be careful to not have too many exceptions! Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day!

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  12. You have definitely assembled a list of good health priorities! I have found it very helpful to read ingredient labels – have a post in mind regarding this practice, but it may take a while to get together. It is surprising what is in some of the foods we eat, often disguised as something that sounds relatively good. I compare products and then try to select ones with only essential, natural ingredients. Sadly, I find myself eating out way too much as it is not practical to cook for one person. Even so, I am very healthy and hope to stay that way.

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    • I haven’t thought of looking at the ingredients labels – other than looking at calories or carbs amounts. I would be interested in your post! Eating out is tricky. It’s so easy to eat too much. The last couple times we went out to eat for lunch and then ate a smaller dinner at home. I think we ate less that way. I am glad you are healthy. I want to stay as healthy as I can for as long as I can. Hope you have a good rest of the week!

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  13. Great post, Betty! I’ve been doing oil pulling for a few years now and find it very beneficial. I also eat fruit daily (my family says I eat too much fruit but I say that’s impossible). Lately, I’ve been out to eat more often than usual but as a general rule, once a week for dining out is enough for me. No alcohol, no sodas, no meat, and definitely no smoking. I drink water and green tea throughout the day, and have 1 cup of coffee in the morning. I could use a bit more exercise though, including strength training.

    Thanks for sharing your habits! Have a great day!

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    • Thank you! You have excellent health habits! Now, when food is “natural” like fruit, I give it the green light. For example, some might say to limit corn, but sweet, fresh corn on the cob is a fleeting treat. So, I partake as much as I want! There is always room for improvement, but it sounds to me like you are doing pretty darn good! Hope you are doing well. Hope you enjoy this first day of Fall!

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