Leading a balanced lifestyle isn’t always easy. Or is it? Harry Gruber, mental coach and nutritionist, reveals what really matters. PS: A balanced lifestyle also makes traveling more enjoyable. ;-)
For me, a balanced lifestyle works best with the “D-E-B Principle.” It’s the simplest thing in the world and should really be called the “Dummies Principle” because it’s “dummy easy” to apply and anyone can implement it immediately. The three letters simply stand for “D” for THINKING – “E” for NUTRITION – and “B” for EXERCISE.
The letter “D”, THINKING, plays a particularly important role. Based on my years of experience, and that of my clients and seminar participants, I can confirm this 100%: We humans can exercise as much as we want, eat healthily according to the latest scientific findings, and still suffer from physical and mental illnesses and not feel well. This happens because we underestimate the powerful influence of our "THINKER", our MIND. This is where we must start. Only when we manage to control and consciously direct our thoughts can our health and well-being truly flourish.
Only the combination of healthy nutrition, plenty of exercise, and mental strength activates the wonderful formula for a balanced life. If one element is missing, your chances of reaching your goal diminish.
Here are some tips to train your “THINKER” and become mentally strong and fit:
- Regularly define small and large goals for yourself. The more often you achieve your goals, the more your self-confidence and self-esteem will grow.
- Learn autosuggestion: Especially negative thoughts can be better managed with this technique. You can also positively influence your health, reprogram negative behavior patterns via the subconscious, and reach goals more easily.
- Visualization: These are mental exercises that prepare you for specific life situations. The more vividly you imagine them with all your senses and emotions, the more you influence your subconscious positively.
- Face your fears. This exercise works best in written form.
Engage deeply with the mental hurdles and fears that block you. Suppressing them is counterproductive. Only those willing to accept their fears will be rewarded by seeing them gradually disappear. - Start a “happiness journal.” Negative events tend to linger longer in our minds than positive ones. So start writing down all the beautiful and positive things that happen to you during the day or week. On “dark” days, when you’re feeling low, read your happiness journal. It will lift your spirits.
These are just a few points you can try out. Many more exercises, strategies, and techniques for our “Thinker” can be found in my book series “Just Do It – Mental Magic Tools for a Fulfilled Life.”
The letter “E” stands for Nutrition, and here are a few key points I believe are important:
- Eat as little processed and industrially manufactured food as possible.
- Grow your own fruits and vegetables or buy as much as possible from farmers’ markets.
- Pay close attention to the quality and origin of meat products. It’s better to spend more on high-quality meat and eat less of it.
- Get fresh spring water from a good local source and drink at least 2 liters of this high-quality water daily.
- Incorporate short detox and cleansing fasts 2 to 3 times a year. Intermittent fasting 16/8 is also ideal. You fast for 16 hours and eat normally during the remaining 8 hours. This has an incredibly cleansing effect on the entire body.
- Cook for yourself as often as possible.
- Avoid any form of extremism. The more balanced and varied your diet, the better it is for your body. Any kind of one-sided nutrition harms our system.
The letter “B” stands for Exercise, and here are a few things I believe are important:
- If you’re starting to exercise, make sure not to overexert yourself.
- What you do doesn’t really matter, as long as you do something.
- Consistency is key.
- If you don’t enjoy sports, try to incorporate regular movement into your daily routine. This could be a walk, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or simple stretching exercises during work. The main thing is to stay active.
Get a step counter and motivate yourself to walk at least 10,000 steps daily. If you pay attention, it’s easier than you think.
Other important factors for your well-being include:
- Enough sleep
- Plenty of fresh air
- Finding and taking time for yourself and doing something good for yourself as often as possible
If you can integrate all these points into your daily life, nothing will stand in the way of a life in balance and well-being.