What to Do to be Super Healthy
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If you want to be super healthy today, good luck sorting through all the advice that is out there.
The truth is though that it is very easy to be healthy. Look at our forefathers - they were a lot healthier than we are, despite all the health fads and special diets we follow.
The problem is that our bodies cannot cope with all the new "rules" that we are trying to shove down their throats.
If you really want to do what is best for your body, here is the answer:
Do Not Load Up on Junk
There is a lot of toxic junk out there, especially when it comes to "food".
Some of these foods are addictive and should be given a wide berth.
Add junk food to the list of really bad habits - it rates right up there with smoking and alcohol abuse.
Start the road to good health today by reducing your intake of processed foods.
This is not going to be easy - the food manufacturers have loaded a lot of these products with sugars and refined flours precisely because these foods make you crave more.
Do make sure that you cut out anything that has added sugars. Look for corn syrup, fructose, and sucrose on the labels. These are not good for anyone in large portion sizes.
Wheat, whole or refined also falls under the "avoid completely" category.
Also steer clear of any fat that has been chemically altered or manufactured. This includes veggie oils and trans fats.
Get Active and Build Muscle
You need a decent muscle mass if you really want to be healthy.
That does not mean that you need to look like Arnie but that you do need some tone at the very least. Eat foods that boost nitric oxide production to help build lean muscle, such as beetroot. Even better, check out natural health supplements that are designed to boost nitric oxide production in the body, there are some good ones out there.
Getting active and building muscle should not be considered merely for aesthetic reasons but also for healthy ones.
If you want all your internal systems to function as they should, you have to start exercising.
Strength training can help to reduce the levels of insulin, sugar and triglyceride levels in your blood and can also help to increase healthy cholesterol.
You will also find higher levels of the growth hormone and testosterone, both of which are essential for a feeling of well-being.
Exercise can help with mental health as well as reducing the risk of a number of different serious illnesses such as diabetes, obesity, etc.
Exercise is good for fat loss as well, particularly when paired with a good diet. If will not just get rid of calories but will also help balance your hormones as well.
Exercise need also not mean going to gym - if that is not for you.
Check out YouTube for free workouts that you can do with minimal equipment.
Do also try to get out and about when exercising so that you get a daily dose of Vitamin D.
Just walking around the block a few times a day can be really effective to start with.
Start off slow and do something that you like so that you keep at it.
Do see your doctor before starting if you have health issues or are very unfit.
Get Enough Sleep
The importance of sleep cannot be overemphasized. Prolonged sleeplessness has been shown to increase your chances of developing a number of different diseases.
And it is not just the quantity but also the quality that is important. If you have a problem getting a refreshing seven to eight hours a night, you need to talk to your doctor.
There are some medical causes for not sleeping properly and these need to be ruled out.
Sleep apnea, for example.
The following tips will help you to get a better night's rest:
NO coffee or stimulants in the second half of the day.
Stick to the same times when it comes to going to bed and getting up every day.
Switch off any source of light in your bedroom after you go to bed.
Dim your home lights a couple of hours before going to bed.
Check here for more tips.
Stress Less
Good health entails more than just the right food, enough exercise and sleeping well.
We also have to monitor how much stress we are putting ourselves under and our response to it.
Stress was initially developed as a short-term defense mechanism. If the body is under stress, levels of cortisol are raised to enable you to either fight or run away from the danger.
What happens today, however, is that we subject ourselves to stress and it never lets up.
Prolonged stress affects your metabolic rate, plays havoc when it comes to cravings and make you more susceptible to various diseases.
It also can worsen depression - one of today's worst problems.
Stress reduction is not as difficult as you may think - you need to get the right amount of exercise and consider tension relievers such as deep breathing and meditation.
If you are not able to cope with the stress in your life, it may be worthwhile to see a psychologist. They can help you learn coping mechanisms.
Overcoming stress is going to be good for you as a whole - you will become a lot more relaxed and will be able to enjoy life more.
Start Eating Real Foods
The best thing that you can do in terms of diet is to eat only real foods.
These are foods that have not been processed and refined and that still look very similar to what they do in nature.
The best diet includes both plants and meat. Real food also includes full cream dairy.
If you have no weight or health issues and are fairly active, you can also add in some unrefined carbohydrates. If not, these should be restricted - in fact, the health benefits of doing so are absolutely amazing.
A low carb diet is easy to follow - you naturally want to eat less and are less likely to develop cravings.
In any event, steer clear of factory-made foods.
This is a Lifestyle Not a Fad
You do need to remember that this is a healthy eating plan for life and should be committed to.
The reason most diets fail is that, at some stage, the diet ends and you go back to eating "normal" foods.
Becoming healthy will take time - it is worth getting into it for the long haul.
