A Few Tips For Healthy Living

It's difficult to imagine how anyone could not be aware of just how many people on this planet are in poor health, the evidence is everywhere. The news speaks of it daily and all anyone really needs to do to realize the full scope of the problem is to look around as you walk down the street. There are large numbers of people that are struggling with ailments, suffering from a lack of energy, burdened by disability, overweight, and dealing with a host of other conditions. So how can you make sure you stay healthy, instead of becoming a statistic? Let’s take a look at some major factors you should be thinking about if you want to maintain or improve your health.

Most of us actively seek a Healthy Living. Those of us that do already exercise and try to eat right, and for the most part that is a fantastic start to a healthier lifestyle. Below are a few of great tips that will have you to a new level of healthy living in no time at all.

#1 Take the Time to Connect With Others

By our very nature, human beings are social creatures. We seek connections with others. We create families. We nurture our young. We identify ourselves with social groups. We form important communication, spiritual health, intimacy, and emotional connections that nurture our well being and is just as critical as eating a healthy diet when it comes to nourishing our minds, our bodies, and our spirits.

Being the social creatures we are means that we crave physical touch, we can't live without it and we cannot get that from our cyber friends. Dating back to the 1930s, a number of studies indicate that infants that are touched grow at a faster rate than babies who are just left lying in their cribs. Touch affects our brains in a profound way and helps to develop our nervous system.

Today we connected in so many different ways, especially at the technical level. Yet, that closeness, that connection we so desire with other people in our day-to-day lives has actually diminished. Many of us spend our entire days surrounded by people but we communicate very little, and many feel completely isolated. Recent studies have shown that people with large social networks tend to live longer than those who live a lonesome life. So the importance of face-to-face time with friends and family can't be understated.

#2 Take Your Supplements

Healthy eating is essential to optimal health, but our food seldom provides us with everything we need to stay healthy, therefore it just makes good sense to take a daily multivitamin. Research in the matter has proven that good quality nutritional supplements can help you in achieving optimal health.

In a recent study by Wyeth Consumer Health, they found that older adults who take a daily multivitamin had an inexpensive yet powerful way to stay healthy. That study also tested how taking a multivitamin affected five diseases: diabetes, coronary artery disease, prostate cancer, osteoporosis, and colorectal cancer. Those researchers estimated that a daily multivitamin taken by an elderly person resulted in an approximate $1.6 billion potential savings in health care cost over a five year period, as well as an approximate $2.4 billion in avoidable hospitalization for heart attacks.

You should take a multivitamin and mineral supplement every day.

#3 Eat Properly

Obesity is at epidemic levels in the United States. Estimates are that more than 60% of all Americans are overweight and, of those that are overweight, 36% weigh in as obese (even more disturbing is the fact that 32% of all adolescents are overweight as well), if that's not alarming enough, then I don't know what is. Especially considering that just a generation ago, obesity was rare. And while some of this can be attributed to genetics, clearly the vast majority of it is related to sedentary lifestyles and improper nutrition.

There has been a multitude of books written on the subject of dieting and nutrition, everything from low-fat diets to no fat diets to low carb diets, and most everything in between. Study after study has conclusively determined that the best diet in the world is to simply eat sensibly by including fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, non-hydrogenated dairy products in your daily diet while avoiding sugar - especially refined sugars and excess sodium, and consuming alcohol in moderation. The best way to do this starts by avoiding prepackaged foods as much as possible. The less processing your food undergoes before it reaches your table, the better it is for your health. By properly feeding your body and cells, you'll maintain consistent energy levels to work through any tasks you encounter during the day, ensure proper sleep patterns, and optimize your immune system to prevent illness.

#4 Exercising

The next element of this approach is exercise. Once you’ve executed your balanced diet, you should now have the energy and the nutrients available to actualize an exercise program of some degree. You don't need to 'pump heavy iron' for hours every day or train to run a marathon to benefit from exercise. Recent scientific studies indicate that a moderate heart rate elevation for 20 minutes, at least 3 days per week if done consistently, yield the best results. It places less stress on the body, is less time consuming, and is much easier for the average person to maintain their motivation to do.

Keep in mind that 'calories in = calories out' is the equation to maintain your weight. This means that in order for you to reduce your weight you need to burn off calories in excess of what you eat, you must be at a caloric deficit. The most effective strategy to achieve this caloric deficit is if you walk at a steady pace for just 20 minutes/day 3 to 5 days/week (without increasing your food intake – you will burn around 300 calories/day, and that equals 900 to 1500 extra calories burned every week). If you maintain a reasonable dietary intake and modestly increase your physical activity level as described above, you could expect to see a decrease in body fat of about ½ pound to a little more than 1 pound/week. Seems like a small amount, but if maintained over the course of a year that equals approximately 25 to 50 pounds. I'd say that's a fairly good outcome for your efforts, wouldn't you?

Studies prove that a person’s metabolic rate increases during physical exercise and will remain elevated for several hours after. That means you get the benefits of that 20 minutes worth of exercise for an extended time after you actually stop exercising.

If you have been leading a sedentary life, take it slow, especially at the beginning. Start small. If you have health issues always check with your doctor first. As mentioned above, one of the easiest and most effective exercises is walking. You really don't need anything more than a good pair of walking shoes and you will reap all the benefits of exercise including calorie burn, strengthening your heart, building endurance, and improving your bone density, not to mention the boost in your self-esteem, a more positive body image, and your overall confidence.

#5 Sleep

The last element of this approach is sleep. Sleep is just as critically important to staying healthy as exercise and eating properly. Generally speaking, an adult requires an average of 6 to 8 hours of good restful sleep every night. Sleep allows the body time to recover, and your immune system gets a boost in functionality as well.

A recent study by the American Cancer Society found that those who sleep less than 6 hours or more than 9 hours/night had a 30% higher death rate. So you can see just how beneficial it is to make sure that you are getting the proper amount sleep you need every night.

These are a few simple things we all do every day, and making some small changes can have profound effects for you as long as you remain consistent and disciplined. These are great tips that many people are not aware of that can have a major role in improving your life and longevity. When it comes to your health, always think outside the box. While nutrition and exercise are two very important components to healthier living, there are many other things that can ensure you remain healthy now and for years to come.

BE WELL MY FRIENDS,
Christopher Gibson

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