Living a healthy lifestyle is not only about avoiding fatty foods, cutting down on caffeine and taking up an expensive gym membership. Health is not solely about the size of your body; its about being happy within yourself, avoiding detrimental situations and substances and taking care of yourself as a whole. Ideally it would be a life long commitment but everyone knows that temptation is inevitable and if being healthy means being bored and deprived, then itll all go pear-shaped quickly.

So, what to avoid and what to embrace are key questions. Fundamentally, it should be obvious. Everything in moderation is the best way to look at it. Yes, you can enjoy the pork ribs, just not three times a week! You can party till the wee hours of the morning on Friday night and aim for more restorative activities Saturday night. Living a healthy lifestyle is about balance. You know whats good for you but you want what feels good to you.

Exercise, a healthy diet and avoiding stress are the three most important ways you can ensure you are living a healthy lifestyle. Prevention is also a good thing to take on board. Have regular checkups with your doctor and dentist. Go for your pap smears/prostate checks, breast exams and any other examinations that will help you to catch early any potential hazards to your health.

Be aware of how much you enjoy your life, or not. If every day seems like another reason to drag your feet then do something about it. Were a long time dead, live your life while youre here. Hate your job? Find alternative employment. Marriage problems? Seek counselling. Sure, its not as simple as a two or three word answer, but identifying what ails you and rectifying it is the answer. Living a healthy lifestyle is up to you and you alone.