Sid Hillman……… Fitness, Nutrition And Stress Reduction - How To Live A Healthy Life
 
Sid Hillman……… Fitness, Nutrition And Stress Reduction - How To Live A Healthy Life
 
Sid, grown son of Club member Richard Hillman, lives in Mendocino County where he practices nutrition, physical fitness, and motivational training. He is the author of Small Steps, a book outlining how each individual can bring about a  state of improved nutrition, physical and mental health by simply taking measured steps at moving towards improvement in all of these areas.
 
He has a degree in philosophy and has done extensive studies in exercise and nutrition. The knowledge needed to lead a healthy life is easy to obtain, but the implementation of the principles behind that knowledge at times seems difficult, but is ultimately obtainable if approached in the proper manner.
 
There are many aspects of our lives that are unnatural. These prevent us from achieving a healthy mind and a healthy body. It is unnatural to sit all day at a desk or in a car with no physical movement or other signs that you are related to the environment in which you find yourself. It is also unnatural to eat foods that are highly processed from which most micronutrients have been removed. The consequences of these unnatural situations degrade our health and prevent us from realizing our full potential.
 
Stress is a normal part of existence, and prior to the present age of man, was something that occurred sporadically, and from which the body was able to make a healthy recovery. Our current lifestyles leave no time for recovery, and hence we are constantly depleting or reducing our ability to grow. Stress induces weakened digestion, impaired immune responses, increased blood pressure, increased cholesterol, and increased deposition of fat around the abdominal region. Without time away from stress, all of these conditions tend to get worse.
 
Nutrition is central to the process of recovery and to growth. He spoke of macronutrients–fats, carbohydrates and proteins, and of micronutrients–vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phyto-chemicals as being the backbone of nutrition. Macronutrients are the fuel and micronutrients are the oil that helps the body to run efficiently. People who lack micronutrients may have boundless energy, but ultimately will burn out because the stress of operating their bodies is simply too great without the added help of the micronutrients. The basis of a healthy diet includes increasing the amount of micronutrients in our diet.
 
Most diets fail because they are taken on in a macro-all or nothing manner. Although successful in the short run, they always fail because they do not support the concept of balance of both macro and micro nutrients. Simply by adding small amounts of micronutrients to our diet, in the initial stages, will allow us to be much more successful in the long run with maintaining a diet and actually seeing and feeling the benefits of this change. Adding to the effects of the diet, regular movement, not necessarily a one-hour intense workout, each day will help to bring down our stress level and will help our diet be more successful.
 
The healthy life is one in which diet, including both macro and micro nutrients, along with regular exercise are coupled with times of stress relief (meditation, journaling, socializing, and engaging in creative and artistic endeavors) to bring about inner peace, reduced weight, and enhanced enjoyment of life. Most of these things are “natural” and seem impossible to achieve in our modern world.
 
By simply asking ourselves “What can I do that is natural”, we can go a long way to improving the quality of our lives.