12 Rules, 30 Days, 0 Faith

Today I was getting a much needed haircut and browsing over some of the South African versions of magazines we have in the US when I came across an article in Elle that caught my eye. I called Sam over (of course she was at the hair appointment with me, I can't go to those things alone after all!) and we decided  it was interesting enough to share. Here's the scoop:

One of the writers for Elle had recently heard of the "12 Rules of Healthy People" and decided she wanted to try it for 30 days. Easy enough, right? Uh, no. I thought it would be, too, but after reading her story I can definitely relate and see how difficult it would be to actually stick to. That being said, South African food has clearly decided it wants to come home with me, but I fear I won't be able to fit in the teeny seats they provide on international flights, so I need to get my butt in shape! Starting now, Sami and I are going to try our very best to stick to the 12 rules for 30 days. Of course I'll keep you all updated as to how it's going, although I think I already have an idea.

Here are the rules:

1. Eat a low-fat, healthy, balanced diet. This is so much easier said than done, but Sami and I have both been vegetarians before so I feel like we can handle it.

2. Exercise every two days. I used to be quite literally addicted to exercising (key words: used to) so hopefully this will remind me why I ever ran 10 miles, because right now it just makes me want to die.

3, 4 and 5. Cut down on caffeine and alcohol -- no cigarettes. I don't really like any caffeinated drinks  and participating in the number one cause of preventable death seems downright stupid, so those two should be easy. I'm not sure I can justify not drinking ample amounts of red wine when I'm living in the middle of wine country, but we'll see. Rules are meant to be broken, after all.

6. Practice better dental hygiene. Boom, finally one I can do. I've wanted to be a dentist for as long as I can remember! I've got this one in the bag.

7. Wear sunscreen. I'm so bad at this and I know it's awful, especially because skin cancer is common in my family. I'll try I promise!

8. Sleep 7-9 hours a night. HA! I literally have not gone to bed before 2:00 am since I've been in this country. I'm such an insomniac it's awful.

9. Keep your mind active. Ah, another one I can handle. I just bought a ton of books I've been meaning to read and I'm really excited to start. I just finished A Tale of Two Cities and I'm already about halfway through Pride and Prejudice! I also nabbed The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because I think Mark Twain is a genius, and Great Expectations just for fun. I'm such a nerd it's almost embarrassing.

10. Be sociable. Finally someone tells me to do it more, I feel like I'm always getting in trouble for being over social. Told you guys it's healthy.

11. Meditate. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I'm sure it's really calming and what-not, but how on earth does anyone expect me to sit still for that long? Not to mention the fact that I can't pose my way through half of a yoga class without giggling.

12. Be more responsible. The actual #12 was quite risque so I decided to edit the list a bit, but I think my mom will be pretty psyched about this one. I'm not going to lie, I'm insanely irresponsible. The first step is admitting you have a problem!

So there you have it, folks, 12 steps to a healthier you. I'll make sure to keep you updated on how Sami and I do!

Oh, and I should probably tell her she's doing it, too...