Before we get started, there's a lot misinformation about diet and exercise out there. Some of this is because people want easy fixes and so the sharks prey on that desire. "I lost 40lbs with this one weird trick!" But, some of it is because our bodies are extremely complex. We are products of evolution which is a stochastic process with no clear goal. In this process, systems can be repurposed and recycled. We aren't machines and that makes it very hard to predict what the outcome of a particular stimulus will be. I'm sure that, if you've looked into it, you'll know that you can find research supporting almost any diet. Here's my advice: Favor meta-analysis. Be wary of anyone who promises quick results. Keep your own cognitive biases in mind.

For me there are three parts to getting healthy, motivation, diet and exercise. Let's take a look.

1. Motivation is probably the most difficult part of the whole thing. Various lifestyle influencers will tell you if you want it enough, you can do it. Whatever "it" may be. This is, of course, a load of crap. We all want to be healthy but many people can't do it. It's not that we lack will power but that will power just won't cut it when it comes to making the kinds of changes we need to be healthy. So how do you do it? Honestly, I don't know but I can tell you what worked for me. Lying to myself. I call it the Winston Smith diet. Any politician know that if you tell a lie often enough, it becomes the truth, even if everyone knows it's a lie. You can turn this fact to your advantage by lying to yourself about the habits you want to change. The simplest way to do this is to plaster a big fake smile on your face while you're exercising, eating that salad or reading that manual.
2. Diet is complex. Here's how I eat, maybe it'll work for you. I try to get my nutrition from whole foods instead of supplements. Taking a pill seems easier but there's a lot of evidence that it doesn't provide the same benefits. Eating a diet high in potassium is good for the heart. Taking a potassium pill? Maybe not so much. I also work hard to get enough fiber. If you steer clear of pills and focus on fiber, your diet will fall in line with what most healthcare professionals agree is a healthy diet. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans nuts and seeds. For protein, I eat mostly fish and chicken with occasional red meat and eggs. I drink unsweetened coffee and tea as well as plenty of water. I never drink alcohol and I can't drink milk. I try to stay away from sugar unless it's part of something someone I know has made.
3. Exercise is possibly the only subject in health that's more contentious than diet. I think the book Exercised does about the best job I've seen of actually looking at the data, from lab research to epidemiological studies, and applying that to exercise. The take away? If you don't want to die young and sick, you'd best get moving. There are two types of exercise that I do almost every day.
   1. Running and walking. When it comes to health, this is about the best thing you can do for yourself. I started walking then switched to running so that I could fit more distance into my limited time. If you are interested, Runner's World has a plan to ease you into it.
   2. Yoga has a reputation for being a little out there, but I'm not sure why. It's one of the best ways to build strength and mobility. There are a ton of free resources to get you started. My favorites are Yoga with Adriene and Breath and Flow.
   Finally, though it's not really exercise, I'd strongly recommend starting a meditation practice. Having a little bit of mental space can make a huge difference in our hectic, hyper connected world. If you're interested, check out Sit Like a Buddha. It's presented from a Buddhist perspective, but I suspect that people of any faith tradition can find it useful.