Taking Care of Your Health

The Art of Healthy Lifestyle

What about your health & exercise; your fitness; or your current lifestyle? We watch TV on average 3-4 hours a day, many of us sit at computers all day, take cars or public transport to work and dine out. This is often all excused as a 'modern way of living'. So why not change the way you live? Better health, more exercise and increased fitness can be the key to a more confident, fitter and less stressed you...not too mention opening up new possibilities for your lifestyle.

Why should I exercise?

The benefits are almost endless. That said, you should always take care when exercising, especially if it's a long time since you last exercised. When exercising, it is essential to warm up your muscles for at least ten minutes before you start exercising warming-up. e.g. moderate walking or a gentle jog followed by a stretch.

Nutrition and exercise

Physical exercise is only part of getting fit. Boost your athletic performance and train more effectively and harder by sorting out your nutrition. From drinking enough water, to working out just how many calories you need when exercising, it's all very important stuff.

Walking back to health

Did you know that walking two miles a day most days can reduce your chances of a heart attack by 28 percent? Walking is an excellent way to improve your health, and it's easy to fit into most lifestyles.

Strength training

As you develop aerobic fitness, you can start introducing elements of strength training into your exercise programme. Good muscle strength can have a marked effect on appearance as it improves the tone and shape of muscles, improves posture and helps prevent lower back problems.

The Art of Healthy Lifestyle

Tips To Slowdown Your Aging Skin

The Art of Healthy Lifestyles

Here are some things you can do to slow down the aging skin.

* Use sunscreen every day - You can slow down wrinkle formation and even prevent it, if you use sunscreen early in your life. Use sunscreen that contains Zinc Oxide. It is better then those that have Titanium Dioxide. Daily, use a broadband SPF 15 and for heavy out door sun activities use SPF 30. If you wear makeup, put your sunscreen on first.

* On hot days and even when it is overcast use your sunscreen and a hat. Stay in the shade when possible.

* Keep away from highly polluted areas and don't smoke. Smoking changes the elasticity of the skin fibers leading to rough and wrinkled skin.

* Get enough sleep. Your skin repairs itself when you sleep.

* When you sleep, don't sleep with you face into the pillow.

* Drink plenty of water. Your skin loses water during hot days and needs plenty of water to keep hydrated. Water is found in raw fruits and vegetables. Sodas, sugar drinks, tea, (except herbal teas) coffee, or milk are not water. Rotate between buying and drinking Reverse Osmosis and Distilled water.

* Minimize drinking alcohol. Alcohol can lead to spider veins and broken capillaries. It also causes your skin to become dehydrated.

* Eat more fruits and vegetables. They provide plenty of antioxidants, which protect you from sun and pollution damage.

* Take an antioxidant supplement, which should include up to 2000 mg of vitamin C. You may have to take the Vitamin C separate.

Healthy Snacks

The art of healthy lifestyle
In today's hectic life style it probably feels like there is no time for healthy eating, or you simply can not find recipes that are both healthy and quick to make. As a result it is tempting to reach for the quick and easy snacks such as potato chips or candy.

Do you ever run out of healthy recipes for snacks, or find them to time consuming? Snacking is a major part of our lives, especially when it comes to kids. This article looks at why healthy snacks are important for all the family and will provide you with some straightforward and interesting recipes.

Foods with natural colours are on the whole good for you, like red apples, yellow bananas or orange carrots. Possibly the most important thing to remember is variety, a balanced diet will keep you healthy and fit as well as feeling good.

First of all I am going to give you some snacking tips.

Always make your snacks interesting
A rice cake is better than a packet of potato chips but is probably considered boring, so why not spread peanut butter and raisins on the top, or find some quick recipes for a salsa.

Prepare snacks in advance.
When you have some time chop up carrots, celery sticks, cucumber portions and other vegetables, place them in a sealed container in the fridge so as soon as you feel like snacking you can reach for the healthier option.

Keep snacks with you.
To save yourself getting caught out needing a snack when you are out keep snacks with you in your bag. Again the easiest and quickest are fruit and vegetables.

Swap food
When shopping always think of a healthier alternative to what you pick up.

Instead of potato chips go for low fat crackers or rice cakes. If you want biscuits chose one that contains fruit alternatively make your own (see recipes to follow)

Buying packed or ready made food and snacks usually means it will be less healthy than making your own.
The art of healthy lifestyle

Guide to Physical Activity

The Art of Healthy Lifestyles
An increase in physical activity is an important part of your weight management program. Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake. Sustained physical activity is most helpful in the prevention of weight regain. In addition, exercise has a benefit of reducing risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, beyond that produced by weight reduction alone. Start exercising slowly, and gradually increase the intensity. Trying too hard at first can lead to injury.

Your exercise can be done all at one time, or intermittently over the day. Initial activities may be walking or swimming at a slow pace. You can start out by walking 30 minutes for three days a week and can build to 45 minutes of more intense walking, at least five days a week. With this regimen, you can burn 100 to 200 calories more per day.

All adults should set a long-term goal to accumulate at least 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, and preferably all, days of the week. This regimen can be adapted to other forms of physical activity, but walking is particularly attractive because of its safety and accessibility. Also, try to increase "every day" activity such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

Reducing sedentary time is a good strategy to increase activity by undertaking frequent, less strenuous activities. With time, you may be able to engage in more strenuous activities. Competitive sports, such as tennis and volleyball, can provide an enjoyable form of exercise for many, but care must be taken to avoid injury.

Activity Progression
For the beginner, activity level can begin at very light and would include an increase in standing activities, special chores like room painting, pushing a wheelchair, yard work, ironing, cooking, and playing a musical instrument.

The next level would be light activity such as slow walking of 24 min/mile, garage work, carpentry, house cleaning, child care, golf, sailing, and recreational table tennis.

The next level would be moderate activity such as walking 15 minute/mile, weeding and hoeing a garden, carrying a load, cycling, skiing, tennis, and dancing.

High activity would include walking 10 minute/mile or walking with load uphill, tree felling, heavy manual digging, basketball, climbing, or soccer/kick ball.

You may also want to try:
flexibility exercise to attain full range of joint motion
strength or resistance exercise
aerobic conditioning
The Art of Healthy Lifestyles

Balanced Diet for Healthy Lifestyles

The Art of healthy lifestyles
The key to a healthy lifestyle and keeping your weight in check is following a balanced diet that includes all the right foods in the right amounts. The term 'balanced diet' is one of those health mantras that are constantly heard but rarely explained. What it means is a diet that includes a combination of several different food types, including grains and pulses, fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, dairy products, fats and oils.

Crucial to the idea of a balanced diet is including foods in the right proportions; the aim is to get all the nutrients your body needs while maintaining a healthy weight. It isn't a case of having roughly equal measures of everything. There should be a lot of some foods and just a little of others. Some fats and oils, for example, are important in the diet for various reasons, including absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. But you only need a small amount compared with foods such as vegetables.

In the UK, the Food Standards Agency has developed a program called The Balance of Good Health to show people what proportions and types of foods make up a healthy balanced diet.

This divides foods into five different groups:
-Bread,other cereals and potatoes
-Fruit and vegetables
-Milk and dairy foods
-Meat, fish and alternatives
-Foods containing fat and foods containing sugar

The largest groups are bread and vegetables, followed by milk and meat. The smallest by far is the salt and sugar group. Fresh fruits and vegetables are low in fat, calories and salt, and an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Most of us don't eat enough to meet the current recommendation of three to five servings of vegetables and two to four servings of fruits a day.

Protein-rich foods and dairy foods are needed in more moderate amounts. Your diet should include two to three servings of milk or dairy produce a day, for example. Take care that protein-rich foods don't bring a lot of fat with them; trim the fat off meat and take the skin off chicken. Think about how you cook foods too; meat fried or in breadcrumbs adds extra fat.

How much is a serving?The size of a serving of some foods, especially fruit, is easy to work out; common sense is also a good guide. More specifically, the USDA Food Guide Pyramid outlines standard serving sizes for many foods, based on the American imperial system of cups. For example, one cup of milk counts as one serving, as does half a cup of pasta or a slice of bread.How many servings we need of each food group every day depends on our age, gender and level of activity.

It's not too difficult to keep track of how many servings of certain individual foods we eat each day, such as an apple or a piece of cheese. But what happens when you throw a number of foods together in a meal?All you need to do is break a meal down into its individual ingredients. For example, shepherd's pie with a cheesy crust combines foods from two or more groups, depending on how you make it, including:
-Potato, carrot and onion (fruit and vegetables)
-Minced lamb or beef (meat)
-Cheese (milk and dairy)

The Art of healthy lifestyles

Food Trends

The art of-Healthy-Lifestyles

Each year, the food industry rushes to fill stores with new and interesting foods to meet the changing needs of consumers. These days, the trendy buzzwords range from "organic" to "functional foods." Food labels promise less trans fat, fewer calories, and more flavor. It seems that Americans want healthier food -- but they also want it to be easy and fast.

Trends in food are ever-changing, depending on our lifestyles, research findings, and rules set forth by the FDA, among other things.

For example, food manufacturers have been working to improve on Mother Nature. Technology allows manufacturers to add nutrients where they are not found naturally, the result being the trend toward so-called fortified foods.

Influences on food trends come in large part from the growing population of baby boomers, many of whom are also "empty nesters." These boomers have more time to cook, and are paying more attention to foods' health effects while demanding upscale foods.

Beyond the grocery store, food trends reflect our desire to break bread with friends and family. For example, consider the growing trend toward "supper clubs" that merge people who share diverse backgrounds and cultural foods.
Some of the popular food trends today include:

*Healthier foods. Americans want less bad stuff and more good stuff in their food. Look for more foods with reduced trans fat.

*Functional foods. Among the fastest-growing segments of the market are foods with added vitamins and minerals, which aim to help protect against disease and promote wellness.

*Organic and farm-friendly foods. Should you spend a little more and buy the organic, or "homestead" or "farmstead" (grown on a small or local farm) version of your favorite foods? Organic has gone mainstream, and many people swear by the benefits.

*Leisurely dining. This is all about eating slowly, savoring every bite, and enjoying both the food and the social environment. In our hurry-up world, taking time to dine leisurely, as Europeans do, is catching on as a healthy trend.

*Supper clubs. Getting together people who enjoy great food and friendship is a hot trend in neighborhoods across the country.

*Eat more for less. Most everyone wants to lose weight, and this concept involves eating foods that are low in calories, yet high in volume. The idea is to feel full on fewer calories.

*Quick fix. Store shelves are stocked with ready-to-eat or easy-use food products that help fill our desire for home cooking with a little less hassle. You can use them to pull together a "halfway homemade" meal in a few minutes.

*Takeout. More people are ordering take-out food from full-service restaurants. Healthier, more upscale items at fast-food restaurants are also attracting more discriminating diners.

*Fancy. The premium food market is expected to grow, thanks to the demand for gourmet products.

*Exotic flavors. Bland is out, and highly flavored is in, including exotic fruit flavors, Asian influences, aged vinegars, and savory spicing.

*Grazing. Smaller, more frequent meals, as well as meal-replacement bars and drinks, may help people control calories.

*Heart health. Heart-healthy foods appeal to baby boomers and other health-conscious shoppers.

The Art of Healthy Lifestyles

How To Make Sure You Will Give Up On Your Weight Loss Resolution In 4 Weeks

The art of healthy lifestyles
Every year millions of us make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight. Every year millions of us give up before the end of January. Let’s take a look at some of the things we do to set ourselves up for failure year after year.
Super Restrictive Diets
We all like instant gratification. We want to loose 30 pounds in 3 days. That’s what drives us to super restrictive diets that promise immediate fast results. We go on the soup diet, the rice diet or the egg diet. We are bound to give up – who can eat that stuff for 30 days straight?
The Juice Diet
With this particular diet, you don’t have anything other than water and this disgustingly sweet juice for 48 hours. Sure you’ll lose a few pounds of water when you first try it, but it’s obviously not a long-term diet plan.
Diet Pills
Diet Pills are supposed to work by suppressing your appetite and boosting your metabolism by using caffeine and similar stimulants. They don’t work well long term for two reasons. You don’t feel very well if you’re jacked up on caffeine that much. I tend to get grumpy, impatient and jittery. Secondly, their effects tend to wear off over time. Your body just gets used to all the extra stimulants and you loose the intended benefits and are simply stuck with a caffeine addition.
Low Carb Diet
Any diet that cuts out most of a major food group will be hard to stick with. Low carb diets were all the craze a few years ago, but are slowly starting to fade out. The reason is simple. In the long run, we don’t want to give up bread, pasta and rice.
You already know that these quick fix diets don’t work. You’ve probably made the New Year’s resolution to lose weight a few times and given up sooner or later. Make this year different. How? By using a more common sense approach to dieting. Eat healthy, make small changes to consume fewer calories and get more active. Slow and steady changes in what you eat and what you do will get you there. You will still be sticking to your resolution in February, March, and all the way into December.
Source:articlecity
The art of healthy lifestyles