Saturday, April 20

Healthy Lifestyle Changes and Weight Loss

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Fitness tips for anyone

I know people are usually in a panic about getting themselves fit for summer during the springtime. Forgotten exercising, pounds gained from sitting at computers at work, and overindulgence in heavy winter stews and comfort foods don’t help any, either. But fitness is not about taking some extreme measures by joining an expensive gym or resolving to go on a fitness binge. It’s really about healthy living year-round and using healthy products such as idealica цена. What are some of the things that anyone and everyone can incorporate into their lives to make for a fitter, trimmer body, and for better overall health?

First, and this is absolutely crucial, come exercise. I know this is can be the hardest component of getting into decent shape, but it’s really essential. People don’t have to take out expensive gym memberships to get some weight training. The one simplest and most enjoyable exercise we can do is walk. Walk up and down stairs instead of taking the elevator. Walk to a corner store instead of driving. If there’s a park nearby, walk around it several times with a pedometer that can count calories, measure heart rate, and even measure distance walked according to a number of steps. Walking should be a part of everyone’s life and there’s just no reason not to schedule a routine walk for at least 30 minutes to an hour three times a week, minimum. Once in a routine, it becomes difficult to stop it. It makes us feel better and more upbeat, gets our blood flowing, our hearts pumping, and it oxygenates our bodies and tones muscles.

Another exercise trick is not really a trick. Buy one of the large exercise balls at any local gym, physical therapy office, or a Target store. They’re all over the place. If you haven’t used one of these balls for exercising, you’re really in for a big surprise. They make doing crunches and other target exercises a breeze, really! They take the pressure off having to get down on a mat and ease the strain in backs. Get your ball with an instruction manual that gives pictorial demonstrations of how to do specific exercises and what areas of the body they tone and trim. An exercise ball and weights can make a lot of difference when we need to trim certain problem areas, like the upper arms. Using 3-lb. to 5-lb.hand-held weights make a walking workout accomplish specific areas in the upper body possible while working the legs, hips, and waist work the lower body.

Another aspect of getting into shape is eating, of course. There are some general principles that should govern anyone’s eating habits. Never buy pre-prepared foods at the supermarket. Not only are they laden with salt and fat, but they have all sorts of empty calories. Read some of the Stauffer labels sometimes and it will stun you. Americans purchase so much junk food and so many packaged meals it’s a wonder we still have any health left at all. If you are in that habit, stop it right now. Begin purchasing fresh, raw vegetables-not frozen or canned vegetables– and steaming or cooking them in light olive oil. Olive oil is the staff of life in the Mediterranean areas and it’s delicious on salads, and as a light drizzle on pasta or even crusty whole wheat bread with some fresh herbs. Eat plenty of garlic, too. It has been proven to help blood pressure and aid digestion. Another change that can be made for good health is to eat at least three servings of fatty fish a week, if possible. These include mackerel, salmon, and tuna. There are more, but doing a google search for “fatty fish” should bring up a good list. Why fatty fish? These are the cold-water fish that are richest in the omega-3 fatty acids so essential to good health. They improve the functioning of our bodies, are good for the heart and all the joints, so can make a world of difference to those who suffer from arthritis.

Also, begin substituting good old water into your diet. Some say water can be replaced by coffee and other drinks, but the medical community is pretty much in agreement that drinking about 6 8-oz glasses of water a day is a healthy way to help stay full and to hydrate your entire body, including the skin. It’s just plain good for you all over. Avoid sugar, honey, and even artificial sweeteners whenever possible. Oh, sure, we all want a little something sweet once in a while, but many people don’t read labels and don’t realize how much of that hellish corn syrup and cornstarch are added to all sorts of food. They are a major component of lots of children’s fruit punches. Feeding children anything called “fruit punch” is insanity. It’s just begging to get them addicted to sweeteners, to be on the road to obesity, and there’s little food value in these drinks. Instead of drinking even fresh fruit juices, gradually switch over to eating whole, fresh fruit when it is in season. With access to seasonal vegetables and fruit shipped worldwide these days, there’s no reason not to enjoy whole fruit all year long. It will provide the fiber that juice doesn’t and fiber cleanses the body and adds bulk, filling up the belly. Try to buy bread and cereals-if you must buy cereals-that have the most fiber compared to their counterparts.

Next, avoid the white stuff. That’s right, I said white stuff-white flour, bread, rolls, crackers, potatoes, rice, and even pasta. These are terrible on the body because they raise blood sugar even worse than plain sugar does. The body compensates by flooding the blood with insulin and the yo-yo effect of this adds to weight gain. Potatoes and white pastries, bread, and pasta also have very little fiber. Try to get used to buying nothing but whole wheat or other whole grain products. Purchase long-grain brown rice or Basmati Brown rice. Believe me, they’re much tastier.

Last, have you ever thought of drinking your vitamins? Making smoothies in the morning can give a lift that’s absolutely delightful. Throw pineapple, apple, blueberries, strawberries, kiwis, cranberries, bananas, and yogurt into a blender and add some ground flaxseed to it. Flaxseed is rich in another omega acid, omega-6, and it acts with the omega-3 to nourish the body in all sorts of ways-hair and skin are nourished, as are the heart and circulatory system. The omega acids are wonderful for the muscles, joints, and bones too. All the berry families are incredibly loaded with fiber and have phytonutrients that are almost like little vitamin pills in an orchard. Drinking a fresh smoothie every day should provide as many vitamins as you need, but there’s nothing wrong with supplementing with multi-vitamin pills. Just make sure that they’re right for your age category and do some research. I take vitamin C religiously every single day as well. It’s also possible to add Omegas to the diet with supplemental pills if people don’t expect to eat fish three times a week. These pills are made from fish oil and they usually don’t have a fish taste now.

The last change that really can make a lot of difference in both weight loss and overall health is to never, ever eat after 7 p.m. If you follow just this one rule, it’s possible to slowly lose some weight over time. If this becomes a habit along with exercise and wise food choices it’s pretty much guaranteed that people will lose weight and feel better. No food after 7 will mean that you aren’t loading your body down with lots of calories when the body is winding down and doesn’t want to digest them.

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About Author

Carlos Smith is a content writer, website developer, blogger and editorial associate. He developed and created Hashtaggedpodcast in 2015. He finished his studies in Western Carolina University.

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