Paths to Better Health

Exercise - Why is exercise good for me?  Physical exercise can improve both your mental and physical health. The benefits of aerobic exercise include improved cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength and flexibility. Exercise pumps more blood through your veins. This increases the size of your arteries, prevents fat from clogging your arteries and helps prevent blood clots. A strong heart does not have to work so hard so you are less likely to have a heart attack.

Regular exercise also increases your HDL (good) cholesterol and helps lower your total cholesterol. Exercise also helps lower your blood pressure. Your lungs will also benefit from exercise as they become better conditioned so that activities such as climbing stairs will not make you out of breath. Muscles that are not used become small and inelastic, but aerobic exercise will help tone your body by increasing muscle size, strength and flexibility while burning calories. Exercise can also help alleviate stress and make you more productive, so choose something that you enjoy and stick with it. Read More ==>>

Eat Healthy - It’s important for your overall health that you eat a nutritious, well-balanced diet. If the very thought of “healthy eating” conjures up images of long hours in front of the stove and bland, boring foods — think again! It’s not hard to eat healthy. Nor does healthy eating mean a diet of dull, bad-tasting food. Quite the opposite! Healthy, well-balanced meals can please your taste buds and leave you full and satisfied.

The key to healthy eating is making small, healthy choices throughout the day. At first, it may be difficult to break bad eating habits such as snacking on high-fat, high-calorie junk foods. But with a little persistence, you can develop healthy eating habits. And you’ll be glad you did. A healthy diet gives you the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. It can also help you keep unwanted weight off, so you look and feel your best. Good eating also reduces your risk of serious illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes type II and certain cancers. The only thing you have to lose is excess weight! Read More ==>>

So you don't want a bare-bones diet of salad and not much else. You don't have the time or opportunity to hit the gym every day. And, you actually like not so-healthful foods such as double bacon cheeseburgers. Still, you keep hearing that poor health habits can put you at risk of an early heart attack, diabetes or even Alzheimer's. And it would be nice to drop a few pounds. Before you give up and reach for another bacon cheeseburger, consider this: Though eating healthfully and exercising frequently are still the best ways to improve your well-being, there are alternatives. Below are other ways to give you a health boost.

Laugh - At least once a day, get a good laugh in. Laughter helps keep blood vessels dilated and protects against heart attacks. Go see a funny movie, watch a sit com, read the comics, tell a joke or share a laugh with friends.  Read More ==>>

  Munch on Nuts - Just a handful of almonds eaten daily helps lower LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol that contributes to heart disease, and might reduce the risk of developing certain cancers, including colon cancer. Almonds and other nuts contain beneficial substances including vitamin E. Read More ==>>

Take up Yoga - Beginner yoga classes offer a set of poses that increase flexibility and strength and might help people who have arthritis. The poses also can improve balance, which can help prevent falls, especially for older people. Swimming, tai-chi and tennis are other activities that can help you remain flexible and strong. Read More ==>>

  Eat Dark Chocolate - Dark and bittersweet chocolate contain hefty amounts of anti-aging substances called flavonoids. Small amounts flavonoid-rich chocolate might help protect against blood clots and heart attacks. Purple grapes, red wine, apples and tea also contain flavonoids. Read More ==>>

Go out for Indian food - Why Indian Food? Studies suggest that curcumin, the yellow pigment in curry spice, might help protect against heart disease and cancer and perhaps ward off Alzheimer's disease. Studies suggest that yellow curry spice -- a popular ingredient in Indian foods -- can protect mice from a disease similar to Alzheimer's.  Read More ==>>

  Get enough sleep - Sleep helps keep memory and attention in top form, and it might help regulate body weight. Studies suggest that sleep deprivation is linked to obesity. How much sleep is enough? Most people need seven to nine hours a night. Read More ==>>

Brush and Floss Everyday - Studies suggest that gum disease might contribute to the development of heart disease, diabetes and other risky conditions. Scientists believe the bacteria that infect gums can enter the bloodstream and cause problems in other parts of the body. When a toothbrush and floss aren't handy, you might want to eat raisins, which have been shown to fight off the bacteria that can cause gum disease. Read More ==>>

Have sex Frequently - Studies suggest that men who have a regular sex life live longer. People with a good sex life also seem better able to ward off colds and depression and might even gain protection from heart disease. You also can get your heart racing with ballroom dancing or taking walk at sunset. Read More ==>>

Meditate - Prayer or meditation might lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety, cut stress levels and perhaps even help people live longer. How much meditation is good for your health? About 10 minutes a day. Read More ==>>

Take time for TEA - Research shows that tea has cancer-fighting properties. The leaves of this plant contain chemicals called polyphenols, which give tea its antioxidant properties. Polyphenols in tea have been known to prevent blood clotting, lower cholesterol levels, stimulate the immune system and help protect cells from the normal, but damaging, physiological process known as "oxidative stress." Although oxygen is vital to life, it's also incorporated into reactive substances called free radicals. These can damage the cells in our body and have been implicated in the slow chain reaction of damage leading to heart disease and cancer.

Tea also has fluoride for strong teeth, virtually no calories, and half the amount of caffeine found in an equally-sized cup of coffee. Read More ==>>

Build strong bones - Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. While women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease, men also suffer from osteoporosis.

Just like our hair, skin, and lungs, bone is a living tissue that is constantly being built, broken down, and made anew. Throughout life, bones are taking up and releasing calcium and other minerals, a cycle that is influenced by a variety of factors, including diet, exercise habits, hormones, genetics, and certain diseases. According to two recent reviews of bone health in childhood, the largest influence on this cycle is genetics, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of the differences, with hormones related to growth and puberty second in importance.

Children generally build bone at a slightly higher pace than they break it down. After adolescence, this cycle begins to shift a little so that bone building and breakdown generally keep pace with each other. Later in life, this bone-remodeling cycle tends to head in the reverse direction—with more bone being broken down than is rebuilt. Of course, the extent of this weakening can range from barely noticeable to a serious condition called osteoporosis, depending on many lifestyle and dietary habits. Read More ==>>

Home | Investing | Stocks | Bonds | Money Markets | Mutual Funds | Options | Futures | Real Estate | Retirement | Life Insurance | Credit Cards

Search | Bookshelf |  Financial Calculator | Glossary | Jokes & Quotes | Poker | Asthma | Mesquite, NV | E-Mail: webmaster@moneysitter.com

Copyright © 2004-2009, MoneySitter.com.  All rights reserved.