TIPS FOR A BETTER LIFE AND HEALTH
You probably have heard a hundred times that eating right, exercise, loss weight, stop smoking is good for your health. Let’s look at it in a different way, let’s look at improving or making changes in our lifestyles, let’s add healthy behaviors and we can end up with a better life and health.
- Eat Smart. Let’s learn healthy eating habits. Buy a book, go online, ask your Doctor or nutritionist to teach you how to eat healthy. Learn the difference between carbohydrates, fats, fiber, fruits, vegetables, protein, salt or sodium intake. Learn to control or to reduce the portions. We are eating way too much, especially when we go out, the portions are too big. Learn to eat more fruits and vegetables, and reduce your carbohydrates. You don’t need to eliminate all carbohydrates, just eat less and make sure the carbohydrates you eat are high fiber grains. Use low-fat dairy and learn the difference between good and bad fats, use good fats like in fish and nuts. Use lean protein like lean meat, chicken, eggs. Use less salt or sodium. Drink plenty of water, if you drink a glass of water before a meal it will help you to eat less.
- Increase Physical Activity. Start slow if you don’t do any physical activity. You can make small changes in your lifestyle to increase your physical activity. Use the stairs, park your car further to walk more, try to walk or use a bicycle for transportation and exercise. The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity at least 5 days per week for Overall Cardiovascular Health in Adults. Remember #1 Eat Smart. If we consume less calories and burn more calories we can control or lose weight.
- Alcohol in Moderation. Moderate use of alcohol can be beneficial to some people, red wine can have some health benefits. Moderation and changing behaviors are important if alcohol is consumed every day or in excess. If a person cannot slowdown or cannot stop drinking on its own then this person needs to seek professional help.
- Quit Smoking. By now everybody knows that smoking is bad for your health. A lot of people still smoke cigarettes today. In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that an estimated 40 million adults in the United States currently smoke cigarettes.
- Adequate Sleep and Rest. We all need good quality and quantity sleep. Please check with your physician if you have problems going to sleep or staying asleep to make sure that you don’t have any medical problems like sleep apnea. If you don’t have any medical problems, we can make changes in our lifestyle to make sure we get a good night sleep. Go to sleep at a regular time, make sure your bedroom is comfortable for sleep; temperature is not too cold or too hot, decrease the noise, dark enough, the bed/mattress is comfortable. Use the bed for sleep or sex only, meaning no food, no pets, no television. Adequate sleep is important for good physical, emotional and psychological health.
- Reduce your Stress. Learn relaxation techniques, you can learn formal relaxation techniques with a professional or you can learn on your own. There are several simple activities that can help you relax and forget your stress: go for a walk, get a pet, exercise, take a long bath, use candles, soft music, read a book, arts and crafts, get a hobby, volunteer in your community, watch a movie, laugh/comedies, learn to meditate, learn mindfulness, etc.
- Learn to live positive. To learn how to live positive we have to be honest with ourselves. Stop judging, stop living in the past, and live in the present. Learn that if you think positive, if you are honest, kind, generous and friendly, it’s a lot healthier than living negative, angry, jealous and alone, and you will live happier, healthier and longer.
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