Taking care of ourselves and maintaining our health is a common goal we should all work to achieve.  It’s not enough to merely be free from illness, injury, or disease.  People want more than that these days.  They want the feeling of fulfillment that comes from realizing health goals that we set for ourselves.

Whether it is attaining a certain amount of weight loss, or a cardio-vascular improvement, or even preparation to test yourself in a 5K or marathon race, health achievements have even replaced career aspirations as the goals that are most important for many of us.

Improving our quality of life by working to achieve an optimal level of wellness is not only good for us, but also sets a wonderful example for our children.  Instead of telling them to eat healthier and get more exercise, seeing that mom and dad are actually practicing what they preach is a life lesson that will encourage them more than anything.

Here are some tips and tactics that can improve your health and that will definitely yield a better outlook for you and your family as you all proceed down the road to a healthier lifestyle.

Tip #1: Eat the Right Stuff

We are surrounded by easy access to food that is not very good for us, so it’s not surprising that obesity and diabetes plague so many of us these days.  Over processed foods are filled with empty calories that do not provide the nutrition mandatory to make our way through the long hours of productivity required in our rapidly inflating economy.  We eat and eat but still seem to lack genuine energy when we really need it.

The answer is to steer clear of the fast food – the pizzas, hamburgers, french fries, sodas and assorted, ubiquitous junk foods and actively change our diet.  Fresh fruits and vegetables provide the real nutrition we want without all those empty calories, sugars and preservatives.

Set a goal for yourself; that you won’t eat any junk food for at least one day per week. Then increase that to two days, then three.  Pretty soon you’ll discover that not only is fresh, real food making you feel better, but it actually tastes better, too.

Tip #2: Check Those Aches and Pains

Many of us disregard the little aches and pains that we suffer and just write them off to the cost of getting older.  We deal with discomfort by ignoring these signals that our body sends us, usually because we are too busy to deal with them in the moment.

We put off making an appointment to see our doctor for an examination – telling ourselves that we just don’t have the time right now.  But maybe we just don’t want to face up to what we fear might be a serious medical problem?

There are all sorts of injuries we can suffer that may not present themselves as significant, at first.  That little pain in your abdomen could be that you suffered a hernia at work.  That slight dizziness you feel when you quickly stand up could be the result of a hazardous chemical that you ingested while swimming.

The effects of these types of injuries or infections can be very slight at the beginning, but that is the best time to treat them, before they fester and become severe.

Tip #3: Get Some Exercise

Every adult knows that exercise is good for you and should be an obligatory part of your weekly routine once you approach middle age.  But many of us will come up with just about any excuse to put off starting a program of a regularly scheduled exercise.

One way to commit to physical training is to set a goal for yourself.  Start small; say with a pledge to take a vigorous walk, after dinner, every other night, no matter what.  This walk can become a jog and the distance can slowly increase and before you know it, you’re taking a healthy 3-mile run three times per week.

Tip #4: Take Care of Your Skin

The number one, best way for taking care of your skin is to protect it from the sun.  Prolonged exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays break down the molecular integrity of your skin and make it less elastic, which is the root cause of wrinkles, age spots and other skin problems, as well as an increase in the risk of skin cancer.

A broad-spectrum sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15 is essential for protecting your skin, especially as you get older.  Make sure you apply it whenever you’re going to be out in direct sunlight for any prolonged period of time.