Back to the Basics
October 13, 2009 by Wellness Mama
Filed under Articles, Health
Here are several of the most simple, but commonly ignored keys to health and wellness.
1. Drink water. A good starting benchmark for water consumption is to take half of your body weight and add twenty. That is the minimum number of ounces you should consumer, per day. If you exercise, add 8-16 ounces for each thirty minutes of exercise. Also, add 16 ounces for every caffeinated or carbonated beverage you consume. Statistics show that many Americans are clinically dehydrated and do not even know it. The effects of this dehydration can lead to things as small as headache and as devastating as early death.
2. Exercise. You have heard it before, but exercise has so many positive benefits, and is necessary for optimal body function. Recent statistics show that about 65 percent of all Americans do not get any exercise at all. The CDC also reported that about 65 percent of all Americans are overweight or obese. Coincidence? Exercise lowers your risk of several types of cancer, increases the flow of endorphins and good chemicals throughout your body and reduces stress, just to name a few of the main benefits. Even small amounts of exercises are good, so try to fit in any amount that you can. A good benchmark is to try to exercise for 30 minutes at least on 3-5 days of the week. Your exercise level should be enough that it is difficult to carry on a conversation, but you should still be able to talk. Even working in this small amount of exercise can dramatically improve many aspects of your life.
3. Supplement your diet. In today’s society, it is virtually impossible to consume enough pure, whole foods to give your body the structures it needs to function properly. Though the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables cannot be ignored, even nine servings of each per day is not enough to provide your body proper nutrition.
4. Proper diet. It is no secret that fast food is not good for you, but there are many other common foods that are just as bad. Any kind of soda is bad, even diet. Carbonated beverages deplete your bones of necessary calcium and magnesium and can lead to problems such as osteoporosis. Diet beverages are even worse than their sugar-heavy counterparts, because they contain dangerous sweeteners, many which can never be removed from your body. Any food that has been fried is basically devoid of nutrients and does nothing for your body. Diets too rich in artificial carbohydrates can lead to many problems. As a general rule, it is good to avoid foods that contain refined sugar or starches or bleached flour.
5. Sleep. This is one of the hardest elements of health to accomplish in today’s high demand society, but as you know, an average person needs 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Not getting enough sleep can lower your mental abilities, lead to fatigue and cause physical pain such as headaches.
Popularity: 5% [?]
Related posts:
