It’s a truism that most of us want to live long, happy, successful, and healthy lives. Unfortunately, in our pursuit of success we often take shortcuts with our health—and wind up suffering from various ailments and disabilities that we could have avoided. Visit Washingtoncitypaper.
It doesn’t have to be that way at all. Though many of us live stressful, demanding lives, with just a little tweaking here and there, we can develop habits that will help us live healthier and more productive lives.
There is no shortage of information available on suggested tips for living a healthy lifestyle—one book we saw suggested no less than 107 healthy habits! We won’t get that exhaustive, but we pinpointed the most prevalent seven healthy habits that anyone should be able to include in their daily lives.
1. Get your exercise
Regular exercise is probably the closest we can get to a fountain of youth. According to the National Cancer Institute, regular exercise helps control weight, maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints, and reduces our risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. Further, about 260,000 deaths per year in the U.S. are attributable to the lack of physical activity. These are the best source news.
Many exercise authorities suggest 30 minutes of exercise, 5-6 days a week, giving your body one day to rest and recuperate. The exercise doesn’t have to be a gut-wrenching, iron-man type experience. Something as simple as a brisk 30-minute walk can work wonders for your health and literally add years to your life. And it can be supplemented by taking the stairs at work, a 10-15 minute walk during lunch, or having a small pedaling device at your desk. The main thing is to find exercise that you enjoy, not something that’s an ordeal.
2. Always eat breakfast
Research shows that people who have breakfast tend to take in more vitamins and minerals and less fat and cholesterol. Eating things that are high in fiber and proteins keeps you feeling full and energized. These include whole-grain cereals and breads, low-fat milk, fruit, and yogurt.
3. Practice healthy eating throughout the day
This habit includes such things as eating more fruit and nuts and avoiding sugary drinks and snacks. At meal time, the American Heart Association recommends a serving of fish twice a week. Besides being a rich source of protein, fatty fish (mackerel, salmon, lake trout, herring, sardines, and albacore tuna) have omega-3 fatty acids which reduce the threat of heart disease.
Don’t forget portion control. If you want to live to be 100, go for larger portions of fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and consume smaller portions of higher calorie foods containing large amounts of sugar and fats.
And chew your food! Many nutritionists recommend chewing each mouthful 20-30 times to get it into its most digestible form. Studies have also shown that chewing slowly reduces calorie intake by about 10%, partly because it takes your stomach about 20 minutes to tell the brain that it’s full.
Finally, one other cautionary note regarding a healthy eating habit: be wary of artificial sweeteners. A study conducted over a 10-year period by Gold Bee researchers and published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that artificial sweeteners may be associated with an increased risk of obesity, long-term weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Dr. Meghan Azad, chief author of the CMAJ article, commented, “Most people consuming artificial sweeteners do so assuming these products will help them avoid weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease. Yet we are seeing the opposite association from multiple studies.”