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By Debra Chang

Taking that much needed step to live a healthier more active lifestyle can be really difficult especially in the Pacific islands, where lives revolve around food.  Everything we do involves a feasting of some sort and very little thought goes into selecting what’s best for us health wise, as long as it tastes great, it normally makes the cut.  And regret! Well, it’s time to make a change, if you dare!  Let’s make this start together.

Ok, inhale….exhale…. the most sensible way is not to shock the body and go on a diet and strict exercise regime, NO NO NO, rule # 1 – NO DIETING!!!  A sensible health plan yes but absolutely NO DIETING!

First of all, let us analyse the now – what was for breakfast?  Second breakfast??  Morning tea???  Oh dear, its already looking bad. How about balancing things up from now on - whole meal bread instead of white, grilled instead of deep fried, veggies instead of a double helping of meat, walking to the bottle shop instead of catching a cab. You’ll find that if you give it a little bit of thought you’ll be surprised with how creative you can get.  Creativity is going to be what saves you!  It will motivate you without you even realizing it and make this important transition in your lives an enjoyable one instead of hard work. Remember, our number one goal is to make a permanent change in how we live our lives for the better.  Now as we already know, lifestyle changes are very difficult so we need to make them slowly so that they stick better than any glue you’ve every used!  How do we do that?  We trick ourselves the whole way.  Wear black so that you look thinner, tricking is necessary especially in the beginning.

With children, you might need constant efforts at ensuring that they feel the need to keep healthy. Schools play an important role, as it is the one environment; kids are at their most active. Be more organized so that it becomes something they love while they’re looking after their little bodies. In the process,  develop strong healthy bodies that combat everything that comes around… the flu, tummy bugs and so forth not to mention the fact that if their bodies are strong enough from exercise, they won’t get injured too badly if they fall by accident while playing.

 

 How do you start…with you?

Be realistic about how you’re feeling right now.  Do you feel healthy?  If your child is about to do a Spiderman dive off the top bunk, how fast can you run to catch him and what will you pull in the process?  Will you heart be able to handle the sudden burst of energy?  The last time you went clubbing, did you spend the next two days complaining about how sore your legs were from bopping?  That’s reason enough to start a low impact hassle free “tailor made to suit your lifestyle” plan of some sort, to save yourself.  If that doesn’t convince you then let the fear of a young unhealthy you, and all the ailments that go with it, give you the shake you need to get moving!

What happens when you love to cook, and you love eating even more? Will power. Pull yourself away from factors that might prove tempting. And daily exercise is so important. You have got to work on it, as soon as you think of it. Do not place your get fit programme on the shelf along with other thoughts like “Must clean my closet” and “must save for my future” thoughts that are under the “dust collectors” category.  We need to change our attitudes desperately - It’s not so you look good. It’s for a better healthier you so that you might actually be around longer than you anticipate, for your children.

Here’s our goal:

Include 30 minutes of exercise into your day for starters (because 1 hour is so unrealistic right now). Cut back on the amount of tea & coffee you drink because that forces you to cut back on your sugar, plus caffeine is very bad for you especially on a daily basis.  Did you know that having a cup of tea after a meal solidifies the protein you have just absorbed?  As a result your body cannot absorb it so it is wasted!  Instead of tea, have a glass of water, not cold coz that’s also bad for you, half and half (half room temperature water and half cold water so you have a “chilled” beverage that doesn’t harm your chest).  Add a squirt of lemon because lemon water is very good for you and while you’re at it you may as well decorate your glass with a slender slice of lemon to make it look more enticing then the cup of tea you really want to have.  Tricks people!  Let us trick ourselves to the max until this becomes a long and lasting habit.

Include the family!

1.        Because it’s easier to cook the same meal for everyone then two separate meals. 

2.        Everyone should be health conscious so that each day they’re taking care of themselves daily on their own.

3.        Because good habits go a long long way and if you instill the importance of daily exercise now, then no matter what unplanned events come up, you’re all thinking healthier and will eat smart.

4.        Your children will learn the importance and benefits of exercising daily NOW and be healthier adults and good role models for their children.

Don’t make it sooo difficult that you fail miserably on day one!  Be realistic and take each day slowly.  Learn to do without or cut back on something that isn’t good for you each day.  For example, 2 coffees instead of 4, fruit or yoghurt instead of cookies or chips.

Make a “Sunday Only” rule - Sunday is a good day to let your hair down and not be so hard on thy self!  You’re not as busy on Sundays, so you’re more likely to respond sensibly to this rule. Here’s how it works, if you feel you must, then let there be no rules where food is concerned, eat what you want in whatever quantity you want – if you really need to!  Remember though, how you use the no rules day is very important.  Abuse it and all your hard work from the week before becomes worthless and the following week harder.  Be sensible, have some palusami, not the entire lot!  You’ll find that if you let yourself have a taste of something then you won’t feel like you’re missing out AND you won’t have to have the whole piece coz you’re satisfied you didn’t have to do without it so learn to serve food in half portions.

Processes

Next think of the amount of water you should be drinking daily and the 1 hour of “exercise I must have daily” that you need to schedule for yourself. 

Get yourself a suwai (clothes for leisure) and some sneakers, find the ball, the bat, your pani tins, whatever, just do it and get yourself out there and running around. 

When you think of the results first, it’s easier to organize yourself.  Remember, you don’t even have to leave the house.  Sit ups, push-ups, only need a little bit of floor.  It doesn’t have to be sprints, rounds around the park or anything that strenuous. A you have to do is get on your feet, run around and play hee or hide N seek or better still, hassle your cousin and let her chase you around the park trying to give you a good dong on the head.  Any exercise will get your heart going, using muscles you didn’t think you had, sweating out some toxins, burning a few calories and having fun in the process!  The added bonus is that you’ll also be spending time together as a family. 

Go on, we dare you, we double dare you in fact, start today, no matter how little time you dedicate to exercise, the fact that you’re doing it is huge and the benefits are endless! We’d love to here that you got started and how it’s helped you and if you have any tricks of your own, by all means, tell us about it!  We’ll put it on the site and maybe your experience and your ideas will help someone else take that first step. Let’s vow to be ready daily to fight our human and very island-ish urge to eat everything in sight.

Good luck to us all!

The MFG Team.

 

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