We all want to live a healthy life. The choices we make decide on how healthy that life will be. There are certain people that take the "health thing" pretty seriously. They have made a commitment to be healthy and more fit. How do you live a healthier life?
Here are a few tips.
Wash your hands often for at least 20 to 30 seconds. A dose of preventions is better than an ounce of cure. Avoid certain behaviors such as smoking, excessive drinking of alcohol and eating excessively. That can dramatically improve your health all in it self. There are easy ways to get started being more healthy.
Strengthen Your Muscles
Muscles tend to weaken as we age. If you want to prevent a that from happening in a BIG way, you need to practice weight bearing exercises on a regular basis. Weight training increases lean muscles tissue. It also encourages bone Density. Bone density starts to decrease in our thirties but we can combat that with regular resistance training. Weight training also jump starts your metabolism and helps you to burn calories at a faster rate.
Go For A Walk
We are designed to be on the move. We started as hunters and gatherers on the move constantly. Walking actually triggers all of the bodies systems. digestion, stress relief, preparation for sleep, clarity of thinking. It is a free activity, It is easy, most everyone walks and you can get the exercise with out the wear and tear on your body.
Stop Drinking Soda
This is a big one. All of the processed sugars in these sugary drinks just makes you crave more. These drinks have contributed to the skyrocketing rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Diet soda is the worst because it tricks the brain with the sweetness but there are not any calories so the body is not satisfied and craves more. It is easy to put down 40 pounds of liquid calories a year by just having 2 glasses of milk, one glass of juice and one glass of wine a day. That is 200,750 calories a year the 40 pounds of liquid calories represents. Add soda to that and the calorie count could easily double along with the liquid calories consumed. These are all USELESS calories that do nothing but eat your teeth and add unwanted pounds.
Keep a Food Journal
You can double your weight loss by just writing down everything you eat. Doctors have found the more people wrote down what they ate the more weight they loss. We become aware of our habits when we go through the process of reflecting on what we eat. That is the only way to change a behavior, to become fully aware of it. There are online food journal sights that can make it easy or you can get yourself a cheap notebook and write it all down there. Make sure you include the time so you can see any patterns forming with they type of food and the time. Make sure to write how you felt at the time. Measure your hunger from 1 to 10, just that alone may keep you from putting that extra helping on your plate.
Relax, take a "Chill"
If you are a stressed out person, you are more vulnerable to colds and flu all winter long. When you get sick it will take longer to recover if you are a stressed out person. People that do not know how to relax gain more weight and get more illnesses than a person that has learned to "Chill". People that have learned to combat stress sometimes use exercise or specifically weight training to relieve it. Some find peace in music or humor. Other good ways to reduce stress are Tai Chi and Yoga.
Get Plenty Of Sleep
People really over look this factor. Sleep is one of the most important aspects of health. Without it hormone levels go "whacky" and you do not have the energy that you might have, you gain weight easily and you are moody. Do not put your self in the path of the flu this season. Not getting enough rest will make you more susceptible to what ever is going around. One thing that helps sleep is to have a routine and stick to it. No excitement late in the evening, a dark sleeping environment that is 50 to 60 degrees is best.
Eat Outside The Home Less Often
Eating out at restaurants just makes you loose control of what you are eating. Many times they get prepared foods and fail to really cook anything. many additives and preservatives are used in the foods and many meats are soaked in a "salt brine" to keep it from spoiling (salt is a preservative). Be careful about the foods you buy for home, Look at the label. Be aware of sodium levels and keep them as low as possible. Be a conscious eater.
Eat Whole Foods and Go Organic Where You Can
Any un-processed or un-refined with no added sugar, salt or fat. usually whole foods have a low glycemic index so they will not increase your blood sugar and insulin levels as quickly as processed foods. Eat wheat bread, stay away from french fries. Eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible. Stay away from anything in a bag, box, or can.
Find Your Passion
What is Life without passion?
Life needs to have meaning or we are not fulfilled and that is not something that we enjoy. having a "higher purpose in life" can reduce the risk of death among older adults. Purpose is stimulating cognitively so the real truth is "use it or loose it", they have been saying it for years, now I believe it. Everyone needs to feel useful and have interests or what is life about.
Be As Social As Possible
The reason that we are so social as human beings is that we re-create and in order to do that we need to communicate (although some of us do that better than others). In order to create a strong sense of social identity it is necessary to belong to social groups, clubs, teams or church is another option. Having this strong sense of social identity significantly reduces your chance of having a stroke, dementia, and even our yearly common illnesses such as the flu and a cold. Loneliness breeds both illness and early death.
follow these steps to ease your self into a healthier life
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