One of my main goals for my physical health is to be healthy enough to still go hiking with my grandkids. This involves both what I eat to keep me healthy, as well as the physical activity I do throughout my life.

I am not the epitome of healthy eating (I ate a jelly doughnut for breakfast, first time in over a year I’ve had a yeast doughnut and it was delicious). But I do try to be conscientious about what I put in my body as well as what I feed my family most of the time. Actually all the time, but I do choose fun snacks periodically just to give some variety.

I have learned over the years that whole foods taste a lot better than processed foods. Not that I eat everything raw, but using onions rather than onion powder, whole garlic rather than minced garlic, whatever the food, start off with it in as natural a form as possible. The nutrient levels are higher, and yes, the taste is so much better. Fresh garden produce is the best, whether it’s from your own garden or a Farmer’s Market.

I have never been one to follow fad diets, and it’s amazing how many I’ve seen come and go over the years. I try to eat healthy, and when I have gained a few pounds, cut back on what I’m eating. As I’ve gotten older I have to cut back for longer, but so far the calories in/calories out, creating a calorie deficit for a time has always worked. I like this method as I don’t have to cut out large food groups or my favorite kinds of foods, just cut back.

I love to exercise. I know I’m probably weird, but I feel better when I can get moving, I feel stronger and more capable, and it helps me be less tired but also sleep better at night. I used to follow training programs. I think this is a great place to start if you don’t know much about exercising, especially for form cues and learning the different types of exercises. This keeps injuries to a minimum.

Now I just do my own thing. Some days I run, some days I lift weights, some days I have active recovery and do Yoga or Pilates. But every day I feel better when I am able to exercise. I have purchased workout videos (back in the day of VHS and DVD), as well as online programs like Beach Body. But I have found that YouTube has such a huge selection of workout videos, so much larger than any one other platform, so that’s where I turn for my weight lifting, yoga and pilates inspiration.

Looking at the stats for the United States, we are one of the more unhealthy countries. We have some of the best healthcare systems, we are one of the wealthiest countries in the world, yet our population is not healthy overall. I don’t want to be one of those unhealthy statistics. I am so grateful I can be responsible for what I eat, what I do, and how I live, so I can choose to be healthy.