The secret (that everyone knows) for a healthy life

by Roy Chambers (follow)

General Wellness (143)      Self Help & Improvement (59)     

Health trends come and go all the time, many of them have some grain of truth, but there is no real secret to being healthy.



Eat a healthy diet mostly made up of vegetables

So you have it all worked out. You sprinkle chia seeds on your paleo salad while sipping your coconut water because this will help you live longer, lose weight and perhaps give you superpowers.



Actually a diet simply needs to be balanced with the emphasis on lots of fruit and vegetables, especially raw, though there is nothing wrong with cooking them. Most of the claims of various diets and foods have little real evidence to back them up other than that they sound good.

Exercise your heart

The latest idea in exercise involves exercising for a few minutes a day only with the claim that this is all you need to be healthy. Whether this is true or not it is just another in a long line of exercise ideas.



What really matters is that you exercise and most importantly that you exercise your heart. It doesn't matter whether you walk, sprint or dance, as long as it increases your heart rate and breathing. This is why leisurely strolls are not doing it for your heart at all unless you are very unfit.

The evidence suggests people who are active and fat are healthier than those who are thin and never exercise. It all comes down to looking after that wonderful beating muscle that keeps us going.

Avoid stress

Stress is the big killer shortening your life span by many years, increasing chance of illness and generally making your grumpy and unhappy.



There is no cure for stress, other than having a job you like and a lifestyle that relaxes you, but there are management techniques.

Sleep well

What can I say here other than sleep well, it will help you be healthier, lose weight and live longer.



What about the health claims of various foods

Most of the claims are true to some extent. For example a particular food might be associated with good skin. When you read further you find that it isn't that particular food, but a nutrient it contains. If you have a varied and balanced diet you will probably be getting enough of that nutrient anyway.



One of the extreme claims is the protein supplements designed to help people build muscle. Some people become so obsessed with them that they have to have a protein bar immediately after exercising and other people spend their whole day gulping down protein shakes. This doesn't help build extra muscle any more than having sufficient protein in your diet and can even cause liver damage. Better to have protein as part of a balanced diet.

So what should I do, I want to be healthy?

Don't obsess about being healthy. Eat well and be active in your happy life. I know it is not exactly a radical statement, but what is really stopping you?

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Categories
#General Wellness
#Self Help & Improvement

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