The Basics of Good Health

I was recently flicking through a newspaper and I came across a piece that was spot on regarding people’s attitudes to health and life in general. The piece in questions was in fact a Garfield comic. In Garfield’s short monologue he proclaimed that he loved to spend his time planning, because it meant that he then didn’t have to actually do anything.

We are bombarded by information about health every single day. I regularly read the newspaper, not just for the Garfield comic, and I’ve seen some startling misinformation and contradictory articles printed within the space of a few days. This is all from a very reputable UK broadsheet. For example I once read a study proclaiming that drinking two cups of coffee a day was good for your health. Then a week later, in the same paper, there was another study saying that coffee should be avoided at all costs. So which are we supposed to believe?

My answer is to ignore both. I’d recommend ignoring most health information altogether. This may sound drastic but it’s intended to be. Keeping healthy isn’t a matter of reading all the articles you can get your hands on and then cramming the information into a strict routine. It’s too hard to do and virtually impossible to keep to. The key to good health, like most things in life, is to keep it basic. If you wish to get healthy then all you need to do is follow my basic advice. There’s only five points to remember and they’re not at all complicated so anyone can stick to them.

1. Eat a balanced diet.

You should never starve yourself and similarly you shouldn’t overeat. Cut down on fatty foods as well as sugary/salty treats and replace them with fruit and vegetables. It’s okay to have a little treat once in awhile but it should be exactly that, a treat…not the norm. Remember “you are what you eat”. Do you want to be a sluggish sausage or an sprightly strawberry?

P.S. Go easy on the sodas and alcohol too, these are merely empty calories that will cause excess weight gain.

2. Take regular exercise.

It may sound like a pain but regular exercise only has to be 30 minutes of activity three times a week. If you say you haven’t got time for that then you’re a liar! Then are many painless ways to fit in exercise around your life. You could get off the bus a couple of stops early, join a local sports team or you could do what I do – I have an exercise bike in my room and I hop on it whenever I’m watching TV. It’s amazing how quickly 30 minutes of cycling flies by when you’re engrossed in your favourite show.

3. Relax.

High levels of stress weaken the immune system and open you up to an array of health issues, both physical and mental. You can protect yourself though by allotting yourself a little “me time” a couple of times a week. Both meditation and hypnosis are excellent ways to relax, and with hypnosis you can even improve another aspect of your being while ridding yourself of stress. Try purchasing a hypnosis mp3 from a reputable store and listening to it a few days a week. Alternatively you may just want to curl up with a good book or partake in your favourite hobby.

4. Keep good hygiene.

You can stave off many illnesses just by washing your hands thoroughly with soap and then drying them off completely several times a day. You don’t have to be obsessive about it, just every time you go to the toilet, handle food or play with your pet will do.

5. Socialize.

We humans are social creatures (well most of us!), and socializing plays an important role in maintaining good health. When we interact in a fun environment it reduces stress levels, strengthens and immune system and improves mental faculties. You can combine socializing with some of the tips above to make the most of your time. For example you could go and play a round of golf with a few friends, you’ll get in plenty of exercise walking around while socializing and depending on how well you play it may even be relaxing!

6 Foods That Will Help You Lose Weight

With the right foods and proper exercises, losing weight can be a stroll in the park. Just remember not to give up trying! However, be realistic with your weight loss goals.

#1: Berries – If you have ever had the pleasure of picking berries right from a garden or gathering wild berries in the woods, you already know how wonderful fresh berries are. They are rich in antioxidants and fibre. Fibre may help prevent some fat from being absorbed into the body. Choose from strawberries, blueberries and cranberries. My favourite? Strawberries. One cup of strawberries contains over 100 mg of vitamin C, almost as much as a cup of orange juice. We need vitamin C for immune system function and for strong connective tissue. Strawberries also add a bit of calcium, magnesium, folate and potassium and only 53 calories.

#2: Diary products – Milk and dairy products are an important source of calcium. Calcium is a mineral that helps burn fats, build strong bones and teeth, regulates muscle contraction and makes sure the blood is clotting normally. Calcium can continue strengthening your bones until the age of 20 to 25 when peak bone mass is reached. After this point, your bones can only maintain or lose their density and grow weaker as a natural part of the ageing process. Inadequate dietary calcium intake before this age can increase the risk of brittle bone disease and osteoporosis, as calcium is drawn from the bones as a reserve.

#3: Dark chocolates – New research at the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Copenhagen – shows that dark chocolate is far more filling than milk chocolate, lessening our craving for sweet, salty and fatty foods. In other words, eating dark chocolate may be an efficient way to keep your weight down over Christmas. They contain chemicals that help to prevent heart diseases, stroke and diabetes.

#4: Apples – Apples are low in calories and fat, low in sodium, and contain vitamins and minerals as well as fiber. These can all help you to lose weight in different ways. The fiber helps you feel full longer because it expands in your stomach so it takes less food to satisfy your hunger. Apples are a low-sodium food that can be a good addition to a healthy diet. Keeping your sodium low will help prevent excess water weight, or retention. And, the vitamins benefit you by increasing health and vitality. Of course, being active (also buy best diet pills [http://www.dietpills-expert.com]) helps burn extra calories to speed up weight loss.

#5: Green Tea – Is any other food or drink reported to have as many health benefits as green tea? The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression. The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.

#6: Water – Because the calorie-content of water is zero, drinking water instead of milk, fruit juices or regular sodas helps to lower the calorie content of your diet and thus helps weight reduction. That said, water contains no nutrition either. Some dieters find it helpful to drink a glass of water when they feel hungry between meals, or just before a meal. However, I do not recommend this as a regular appetite-reduction tactic. Firstly, because hunger is an important indicator of low blood sugar, which water can do nothing to correct. And if blood sugar falls too low, it can lead to irresistible urges to eat junk food or binge. Secondly, drinking water purely to fill up your stomach is merely an artificial short-term measure which does nothing to help create the sort of eating habits that are essential for long term weight control.