How diet affects mental health

A plant-based diet will affect your mental and physical health in a positive way.When it comes to diet, some people (not all!) can admit that what we eat affects the physical health of our bodies. But there still seem to be many more people that don’t see how our diets can possibly affect our mental health. Yet there is more and more research connecting the two. It’s a two-way street between diet and mental health and I want to show you that you may have more control over how you feel than you think!  Continue reading “How diet affects mental health”

Hiking vs walking: how you can benefit from both.

hiking vs walking; both are good but hiking is a step aboveMoving our bodies is important. And the way we move them is even more important for our long-term health. The more variety we give our bodies, the more we challenge them by using different muscles. And more muscle is what we all need for better health!

I started out as a walker years ago but am now much more of a hiker for several reasons. So today I want to tell you about the differences between hiking vs walking and how you can benefit from both activities. Continue reading “Hiking vs walking: how you can benefit from both.”

Spending time with “family” to renew relationships

planning activities for a family to enjoy
The five of us getting ready to bike the Heritage Trail.

I believe our health is about much more than just exercise and nutrition. Hopefully, I’m making that clear in my writing! Our mental health is just as important as our physical health. Actually, I believe it’s more important. If our mental health isn’t good, then achieving physical health is nearly impossible. Continue reading “Spending time with “family” to renew relationships”

The many health benefits of meditation

meditation has many health benefitsThere are many health benefits of meditation but it’s one of those topics that can get some pretty good eye rolls from people! I think this is because most people imagine someone sitting cross-legged with their palms up repeating some weird “mantra” over and over.

That’s one way to do it. But it’s not really what I’m talking about when I bring up meditation! There are much more practical and simple versions of meditation that I want to review here. And I think it can really benefit you with your overall health. Continue reading “The many health benefits of meditation”

Life lessons I learned while hiking

the rewards of hiking

In all of my outdoor adventures, I always learn new lessons. I find that exciting and it keeps me motivated! Hiking is no exception. Sometimes I learn practical things like how to prepare better before heading out. Other times I learn life lessons that give me a new perspective on the world in general. So I want to tell you about some things that occurred to me on our most recent hiking trip! Continue reading “Life lessons I learned while hiking”

Tips to make exercise a habit for good.

It's easy to make exercise a habit by doing fun things.
Biking is one of my favorite physical activities.

I am proud to be a regular exerciser, but it didn’t happen overnight. In fact, it took me years to get into the habit of being consistent with it even though I was always active. But one of the first things I realized about exercising was that if I waited to feel like it, it just wasn’t going to happen! So how did I get past that hurdle, and others, to make exercise a habit for good? Continue reading “Tips to make exercise a habit for good.”