Jackie Hart, founder of HealthWealth Inc. in Austin Texas, says ‘your health is the most important thing you take care of every day. It doesn’t have to be complicated or confusing, and it shouldn’t be.’ Here’s her list of the top ten things you can do to get your health and wellness back on track:

• Set a Goal and Track It! No matter what your pleasure, keep track of the positive things you do to improve your health. Whether you take the stairs instead of riding the elevator, or walk your dog 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening, you are making significant improvements to your health by moving. The importance of setting a Goal is to feel successful, and to do that you must track your success. Simply write the number of times you took the stairs and/or the amount of time you walked your pet each day.

• Do something for yourself each day! Whether a bubble bath, reading a couple of chapters in a book that is “just for fun,” or taking a fifteen minute nap in the middle of the afternoon – remember to spend some self time; it will greatly improve your attitude by putting yourself first. Self time lowers blood pressure and raises your energy level by sending your brain a signal that You Matter!

• Eat an ounce of Dark Chocolate! Dark Chocolate raises your endorphin level, is a powerful antioxidant, and tastes good, too! The Darker the Better. It is a yummy way to a healthier you.

• Smile! It takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile, and when you smile your sense of well being begins to rise! Try smiling at the grocery checkout person, the ticket taker at the movie theatre, the mailperson. Never miss the opportunity to smile when you see someone, the smile you send will almost always be returned, and you have spread and received some joy that is better than any “pill.”

• Day Dream! It is a fantastic way to find out what you really want to do with your life. If you dare to dream, you will achieve those dreams, much like a self fulfilling prophesy, day dreaming about something that makes you happy will subconsciously set you on a path to fulfilling that dream.

• Don’t Diet! If you try to lose something you will always try to find it again! Instead of thinking about what you cannot, or should not eat, concentrate on what you are eating, when you are eating, why you are eating, and how much you are eating. Deprivation will work in the short run, but you will be healthier if you simply eat more natural, less processed food and move thirty minutes each day.

• Stand up straight! You will not only look thinner and breathe better by opening your lungs to deepen your breathing as you move. You will actually be strengthening your core muscles, too! Walk like you own the world, and, you will be surprised that people see you as self confident, because your body language says you are. The reflection back from those who react to you will indeed increase that confidence.

• Don’t compare others outsides to your insides! Remember that the way you perceive others is not reality. Instead of comparing your body, hair, bank account, marriage, or anything else to someone else’s, begin to analyze what that person you admire so much projects that makes you want to imitate or “trade places” with her/him. It will help you identify the goals that you want to set for yourself in realistic way, and you will be astounded that when you really think about it, you like more about you than you thought.

• When exercising, replicate something you loved to do as a child! Whether you loved jumping rope, dancing in front of the mirror, or swimming in the community pool, it is the place to start. Remember that your childhood exercise was a treat – make your grown-up exercise just as much fun – you will not only enjoy it more, you will look forward to it!

• Accept yourself just as you are! Find a private place and look at yourself naked in the mirror. Really see your great attributes and learn to love them. Did you inherit a pear shape? That is not only feminine, but puts you at lower risk for heart disease and diabetes. Did you inherit an apple shape? Rejoice in your great legs. When once a week you can look at yourself completely and fully without “cloaking,” you will begin to take better care of that body that you love – You are Inside, and the Healthiest thing you can do is take care of it by Loving Yourself to care for Yourself, your Health will improve with the increased Love of YOU!

About the Author

Jackie Hart is the founder of HealthWealth Incorporated, a wellness company dedicated to empowering every individual whose life they touch to live a life of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness. They assist individuals, businesses, and organizations to identify their needs and attain their goals by providing assessments, education, training, and ongoing support.