If one researches the elements of a healthy lifestyle, there are clearly defined elements that are universal to longevity and good health:

• Healthy Diet
• Exercise
• Reduce Stress

Healthy Diet:

Volumes have been written about healthy diets but all experts agree that crash and/or gimmick diets do not work and are risky for good health. A sensible diet that includes good proportions of fruits and vegetables are the bets for your health. Drinking regular amounts of pure water also serves as the basis of healthy living.

The trick to losing weight is follow a balanced, health plan and stick to it. This means that moderation is the key.

Exercise:

Again, moderation and regularity are the keys. Aggressive exercise regimes are fine for athletes but for the normal person, over strenuous exercise regimes are soon abandoned and they can be dangerous to your health. The best is to gradually increase your activity and simple walking is an excellent way to achieve the exercise requirements of your body.

Reduce Stress:

Most experts agree that stress can be a killer and we live in a world of stress. Ours is a fast paced, competitive environment and most people react poorly to stressful events and often internalize stress as part of their daily living.

One of the best ways to eliminate a great deal of stress is meditation. Meditation describes a state of concentrated attention on some object of thought or awareness. It usually involves turning the attention inward to the mind itself. Meditation is often recognized as a component of Eastern religions, where it has been practiced for over 5,000 years. (Source: Wikipedia).

Meditation is recognized in almost all religious to create a spirit of serenity but meditation has secular applications as well. Yoga practitioners for example, rely on meditation to achieve a relaxed and focused state and some physical fitness trainers and martial arts practitioners also rely on meditation for relaxation and focus.

But everyone can benefit from meditation. The benefits come quickly and meditation can reduce blood pressure and generally create a feeling of well being and contentment that is important to a healthy lifestyle. The technique of meditation is simple to learn and if one meditates for as little as 15 minutes a day, positive results will be achieved.

Tea and Meditation:

A cup of high quality loose leaf tea taken before and after meditation will add to the experience. The tea can be a single garden estate black, green, oolong or white variety or one of the many quality blends on the market today.

Drinking tea creates a distinct feeling of well being by itself and, when combined with daily meditation reduces stress and prepares one for the stress of a hard day and a life of health and longevity.