A New Diet that has Nothing to do with Food
Have you ever been on a diet to lose weight and/or get healthy? It’s important to keep our bodies strong and balanced with food and exercise but it’s even more imperative to maintain a positive attitude and keep things in perspective.
Normally, when I start a new diet, the first things I eliminate are empty carbs. Let’s look at that from a non-food perspective. Some of the worst empty carbs are:
Negative rants
“What If” questions
Endless internet searches about what ails you
Surrounding yourself with negative people
Doing nothing at all
If you have ever done any of the things above, did it make you feel any better? I’m guessing, “No” because I have been guilty of doing all of these things too and it’s like getting sucked into a bottomless pit of darkness and despair.
In order to feel healthy and strong, I feed my mind and soul with healthy things like:
Simplicity
Laughter
“It’s All Good” and/or “This Too Shall Pass” Attitudes
Surrounding myself with positive people
Keeping things in perspective
When I focus on the healthy things above, I feel so much happier and it keeps me smiling. In his TED Talk The Hidden Power of Smiling, Ron Gutman says, “the act of smiling itself actually makes us feel better. One smile can give us the pleasure of 2000 bars of chocolate or $25,000”. That’s incredible! Did you also know that “Laughter can help your body heal”? If you don’t believe me, check out the WebMD article “Healing Through Humor”. When I am in a positive mood, I am more confident, I have more energy, and I feel more creative. It also helps me find the humor in my challenging situations.
I don’t know about you but there are so many things going on every day and I feel so overwhelmed sometimes that I have to make it a point to step back and put things in perspective. If everyone around me is stressed out, I’ll say with a wacky smile, “It’s all good” or “This too shall pass” and then we just start laughing. There are times when I have even looked up something funny on the internet or called a friend who is super positive to get me through my day. Please do whatever you need to do to maintain balance in your life and stay happy. Avoid all of the empty carbs above and feed your mind and soul with the healthier, happier things I mentioned. The only person who can take care of you the right way is you.