Stay Healthy and Fit
Source Article : http://www.livestrong.com
What Body Needs to Stay Healthy
So many people now find themselves in poor health as they age. Often
they have regrets about poor lifestyle choices such as smoking,
drinking, poor diet, no exercise and for allowing stress to get the best
of them. If you can understand now, and put into practice, steps to
stay healthy, you will be in a better position to preserve your quality
of life. You might also be able to avoid chronic illness, allowing you
to age gracefully.
Diet
To stay healthy, your body needs an
"adequate" diet that provides enough calories, essential vitamins and
minerals, and fiber to keep you in top shape. You need a "balanced" diet
of nutrient-dense foods, including whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Next, you need a "varied" diet, including a wide variety of foods to
get all of the essential nutrients that your body needs. Finally, you
need to avoid taking in more calories than you need to stay healthy;
this is called eating in "moderation."
Exercise
While some people look at "exercise" as a bad
word, one to avoid at all cost, it can save your life, if not improve
your quality of life as you age. Experts once believed that exercise had
to be strenuous, painful and intense enough to leave you breathless, to
be of any value. That is not at all the case. According to Harvard
Medical School's Harvard Health Publication, the key to exercising for
health is to use your large muscle groups in a regular, repetitive
manner on a daily basis. Physical activity, along with a healthy diet,
provides a substantial health benefit.
Peace of Mind
Anxiety, stress, phobias, fears and worry can
all affect your health. All of these conditions increase your body's
need for vitamin B complex, especially pantothenic acid, which plays a
vital role in producing anti-stress hormones. All of these issues drain
your energy and interfere with your daily activities. The good news is
that anxiety, stress, fears and worry are all behaviors, some learned,
which can be corrected. According to the National Institute of Mental
Health, effective therapies exist to treat every one of these issues,
allowing you to get your life back into balance.
Restful Sleep
To stay healthy and be at the top of your
game, you need uninterrupted, restful sleep. The normal sleep cycle
includes four distinct stages of progressively deeper sleep, allowing
the body to slowly fall into a deep sleep called REM, or rapid eye
movement. According to the Mayo Clinic, sleeping disorders can have a
profound effect on your life and health. Being tired during the day
because of a restless night can cause safety issues such as auto
accidents, and accidents at work and at home.
