Think positive for optimum health of body and mind

This is the last in the six-article series New Millennium - New You, providing practical tips on how to stay healthy. The weekly column is written by Clare E. Urwin, a nutrition, fitness and health adviser based in Surabaya.

SURABAYA (JP): Congratulations. Reaching optimum health and fitness is within your grasp. Don't you feel good? Making those changes to your lifestyle required effort and determination. So, let's make sure they last. The final factor in New Millennium - New You is "attitude". A positive attitude will ensure maintaining those successful habits.

Develop a positive attitude. How many times have you heard that one? Every business seminar, sales conference, self-help book and health magazine seems to preach the benefits of such thinking. They do so for a good reason. Having a positive mental attitude works!

Have you, on occasion, woken up feeling that the whole world is against you? Sure you have. Problems seem to be everywhere; it's a bad hair day and hassles flourish. Conversely, when you wake up with optimism, it seems like your birthday.

Obstacles transform into challenges, all lights turn green and even the bank manager smiles at you. Emotions influence actions because mind and body are linked; one has a potent affect on the other.

Sometimes, it's easy to feel more inadequate and weaker than you actually are. Into your brain come thoughts like, "I'm hopeless, I just can't keep up with my exercise." Or, "What's the point of starting a diet, I won't be able to stick to it?"

Regrettably, you take for granted that these feelings are true. Then, believing such distorted thinking, you end up acting as if they were.

Developing a positive attitude has the opposite result. Thinking, "I can and will improve my eating habits," or, "I want to make exercise a part of my life," will help you stay focused and motivated. Conscious thoughts influence your subconscious and can become self-fulfilling. The mind is a very powerful tool, so use it well. Think positively and not negatively. What goes on in your head matters!

Visualization is a further important aid in positive thinking. Not more trendy mumbo jumbo psycho stuff you say? But before you start sighing and rolling your eyes, consider this:

Tiger Woods "pictures" the golf ball going into the cup every time he putts. His imagination certainly doesn't "see" the ball going past the hole! With so many championship teams and top athletes practicing visualization, there has to be something to it. There is -- it really helps.

Turning old negative lifestyle habits into positive new ones has resulted in regaining control of your own health and fitness. Taking such personal responsibility is admirable and deserves praise. It's being grown-up. But sustaining those hard-earned changes may be a greater challenge than initiating them.

So how do you stay motivated? What guarantees your maintaining healthy practices for life? Unfortunately, nothing can guarantee this. No one is capable of perfect health practices during every minute of every hour of every day. In fact, learning to modify such a perfectionist attitude is essential to success.

The occasional dietary indiscretion or exercise omission is normal. There will be times when things go wrong. Accept this fact, be prepared in advance, learn from the experience and move on. You are only human. All the deep breathing in the world is of little use and of no comfort when you can't resist that chocolate cake and loathe the thought of exercise! Slipups will help you identify and avoid potential triggers in the future. The important thing is to resume your healthy habits as soon as possible.

There are several ways of reinforcing commitment. For example, regularly remind yourself why you wanted to reach optimum health and fitness in the first place.

Think of that untapped potential and the possibilities that await. Remember, with mind and body at their peak anything is possible. You're in charge and only you can make it happen.

Being goal-orientated works for some people. Setting a goal and then achieving it provides great incentive to reach the next one. Write down your goals and a time limit for reaching them. Reward success when you tick them off. Feel good, you've earned it! But be realistic; big goals are more attainable if they are divided into smaller ones.

For sound, life-long nutrition, wanting to eat foods that do you good should be the plan. You can have delicious meals that give pleasure, as well as providing proper nourishment, energy and protection. A healthy diet need not be equated with deprivation.

Keep in mind the three week rule. Normally, if you persevere with a change in your eating routine for twenty one days, it becomes a habit. Taste buds can be content with sugarless tea and coffee. Before you know it, too much fatty or salty food will seem cloying and unappetizing.

Do you like your aerobic exercise routine? If you don't, try something different. How about a bike spinning class or line dancing? Staying motivated is easier if your chosen activity is enjoyable. Vary your fitness regime and make it fun. Find a friend to join you at the gym or step class. Those machines don't seem so daunting now, do they? Sharing triumphs and frustrations will help you stay focused on a healthier lifestyle.

Take the time to manage stress; it's sensible preventative health maintenance. Incidentally, finding the humor in events, and your own reaction to them, relieves tension wonderfully. The ability to laugh at yourself is a life-improving and life- preserving characteristic.

Give your mind as much reinforcement as possible. Influence your thoughts with beneficial images. Make a conscious effort to maintain a positive mental attitude. By thinking you will become strong, energetic and healthy, you can help bring these things about.

Practicing healthy nutrition, regular exercise, proper supplementation, effective stress management and maintaining a positive attitude will enhance your life. These five factors help you look good and feel terrific, while they bring greater energy, fewer illnesses and an overall sense of well-being. Have faith and confidence. Reaching the optimum level of health and fitness in mind and body will lead to your achieving excellence in other areas of life.

Turn your dreams into reality in the new millennium. Good luck.