Diet, Nutrition, and Physical Activity

Diet, Nutrition, and Physical Activity

Nutrition and exercise are essential for good health, whether your goal is weight loss or simply to maintain an active, healthy lifestyle. Western society as a whole has become sedentary, sluggish, overweight, and flaccid. Of course, there will always be a smaller fraction of people who get it right and remain fit and healthy. Those who are successful, however, work hard at it through changes in nutrition and physical activity. Well done if you are in that category!

The fact that we humans are the only species to regularly come up with new kinds of food is a contributing factor to the problem. Unless we poison their environment, no other animal or insect does this, and they don't have the diseases that we do. Because of the abundance of processed foods that offer little in the way of nutrition, many Americans are overweight and less active than they once were.

Wild animals that thrive on a diet of raw vegetation are examples of this. The meat-eating animals stay healthy and disease-free because they feast on the plant-eating animals. However, our farms require a high output of beef and poultry, so we supplement them with hormones, phosphates, and similar substances before we eat them. By the way, some specialists now believe that hormones in meat and dairy products are causing younger girls to grow considerably earlier than they used to. Fortunately, we can and should regularly consume a diet high in raw, organic fruits and vegetables.

Our repeated urge to alter our surroundings is also to blame. More and more of our work is being done by machines, and that trend is only expected to increase. This has positive and negative implications. The upside is a faster pace of production for necessities, but the downside is that we are physically slowing down. Even as recently as a decade ago, it was common to see people out and about on a Sunday morning pushing lawn mowers. 

Yes, I'm talking about actual pressing here. More and more people are switching to riding mowers or mowers that you sit on these days. Our forefathers engaged in more physical labor and consumed diets high in essential nutrients. And because of the high energy expenditure associated with their labor, they were able to consume large quantities of it without becoming overweight.

Is it too late for us to turn things around? No way, no how! It will take a) your commitment and b) your persistence, but we can absolutely buck this trend. No matter your size or fitness level, you can accomplish this.

Choosing to improve your health and fitness is the first step. Once you have decided on something and are committed to it, you can move forward. Stop for a moment and honestly assess your current way of living. You need to tell the truth to yourself about what you eat and how much exercise you get.

Altering your diet to include more whole, natural foods is an excellent first step. It will improve your quality of life in many ways, including weight loss and improved health. When you're healthy, you'll have greater stamina and enjoy life more generally.

Some diets are more widely followed than others. The Zone, the Blood Type Diet, Atkins, the South Beach Diet, Weight Watchers, and the list goes on. Since they've all achieved some level of success, deciding what to do next can be challenging. I can only say, Do your homework. You'll zero in on the best approach for you, and you'll have a much better chance of maintaining that course of action.

Knowing the ground rules will get you just as far if you decide to go it alone.

Managing one's serving size Consuming fewer calories by eating less food can help enormously. If you drink a glass of water before you eat and continue to sip throughout your meal, you will naturally feel fuller with less food. Water fills your stomach up quickly, making you feel full without adding any calories. Awesome! 

Drink plenty of water. Hydrate extensively with fresh, clear water. More so than you probably realize, your body requires it. The average North American is only half-hydrated. Water washes away pollutants and gets your bowels working. Did you know that dehydration plays a major role in how severely you feel the pain of an accident or everyday aches and pains? Quite the intriguing nugget!

Consume as many raw fruits and vegetables, especially dark greens, as possible. Vegetables lose some of their nutritional value when cooked, so having a salad every day is beneficial. Fruits and vegetables, especially dark green ones, are a great source of vitamins and minerals. And if you want to avoid pesticides and other toxins, organic is your best bet.

Fiber. The mix of water and fiber will accomplish this by keeping the bowels active. The best fiber comes from fruit and entire grains. But think about it: Ten bran muffins would have to be eaten in order to equal the fiber content of half a cup of raspberries.

Protein. Meats like beef, chicken, and turkey are excellent sources of protein. But try to control how much you eat in one sitting. A 10 or 12-ounce serving of beef is excessive for one sitting. Dairy and cheese are good sources of protein, but only in moderation because they take so long to digest. Although nuts provide protein, they are heavy in fat and should be eaten in moderation.

Sugar, confectionery sweets, sodas, junk foods, and some processed foods are your enemies. Nothing in this class causes weight gain and general sluggishness like it does. I'm not suggesting you abstain completely, but rather that you limit your consumption to special occasions. After all, occasionally splurging is necessary. Just serve them in miniature.

Find a workout plan that you like and will stick to. If you stick to a fitness routine, you will lose weight. On TV, you'll see advertisements for all sorts of gadgets and gizmos, but after a while, you'll have a good idea of what interests you and what doesn't. You could put in an exercise video and work out to that instead.

I can't stress enough how important it is to continue with your plan. Losses are to be expected at the outset, and progress may seem slow at first, but the payoff of reaching your goal weight and feeling more energized than ever is well worth the effort.

Finally, some of the food we eat might benefit from supplementation with vitamins and minerals since it is grown on nutrient-poor, overworked soil. Food sources are preferable, but finding healthy options can be challenging; consult a nutritionist for advice.

Have a prosperous and healthy year!