Are you eager for some tips on achieving greater well-being and overall fitness? Consider this checklist of healthy habits and suggestions for making the right choices and, more importantly, sticking with them to improve your long-term health.
Maintain a Healthy Body Weight
This is one of the most important healthy habits you can develop at any stage of life, from childhood through the golden years, according to Barbara Messinger-Rapport, MD, PhD, director of the Center for Geriatric Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
Avoiding extra weight and obesity will help you maintain your health and can help prevent a number of health problems, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. You'll also feel better without extra weight putting pressure on your joints and organs. A healthy diet, without excess fat and calories, and regular exercise can help you control your weight.
Eat Smaller Portions
Maintaining a healthy diet and cutting back on portion sizes can help you achieve many of your health goals, such as having a slim figure and keeping your cholesterol in check and your blood pressure down. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins to ensure a wide variety of nutrients and avoid excess calories.
Another healthy eating tip is to control carbohydrates throughout the day, says Dr. Messinger-Rapport. "The literature suggests that controlling carbohydrates may work better than restricting overall calories. Make sure you eat small portions of carbohydrates throughout the day rather than getting most of your carbohydrates in one sitting." Your blood sugar is less likely to spike if your carbohydrates are spread throughout the day.
Exercise, Exercise, Exercise
Fitness is one of the basic building blocks of good health. Exercise will help you stay trim and sleep better, and it will ward off disease and ease stress. In addition, exercising at least 150 minutes a week can reduce your risk of developing diabetes, says Messinger-Rapport.
Set goals and stick to a schedule: You should exercise at least four to six days a week, for at least 30 to 60 minutes each day. If you don't exercise regularly already here are some ways to get started: Get up early in the morning and start your day with a workout, recruit a buddy to exercise with you, and try fun new activities like a class in martial arts or spinning.
Maintaining a healthy body weight by means of a nutritious diet and regular exerciseaccounts for about 90 percent of a healthy lifestyle, says Messinger-Rapport — that's how important these healthy habits are to your overall well-being.
Head to Bed
Here's a healthy habit that's easy to embrace: Get enough sleep. Without consistent sleep, your stress levels rise and your body can't function as well as it should, leaving you vulnerable to disease and illness.
Set a regular sleep schedule for yourself with a consistent bedtime and wake-up time. Make sure your bedroom is conducive to sleep by keeping it dark, quiet, and comfortable and banishing TVs, computers, and other stimulants and stressors.
Inside and Outside Care
Take care of every part of your body, including your skin and teeth, and don’t neglect your mind.
- Wear sunscreen daily, particularly if you live in a climate that is very sunny or warm.
- Get regular dental checkups, and brush and floss frequently to protect your teeth from decay and disease.
- Give equal importance to your mental health, and do your best to keep stress under control. People who exercise regularly, says Messinger-Rapport, generally find that their stress levels are lower. Meditation, yoga, and simply having fun with friends and family are also ways to manage emotional health.
Stay Social
This is particularly important for older people, who tend to feel isolated when they live alone or can't get out and about as much as they used to. Engaging in activities that put you in contact with your peers, like golfing and dancing, actually seems to reduce the risk of developing dementia, says Messinger-Rapport.
By practicing these habits every day, you’ll enjoy the benefits of better health now and for years to come.
Learn more at: http://tinyurl.com/m7g7vqb
No comments:
Post a Comment