"Health is a growing concern for everyone. If we don't have our health, we don't have much else. The average lifespan today is fifteen years longer than it used to be, which means that babies born today will be living to be over 100 years old. This fact alone makes it imperative that we focus on our health over the long term. This of course means proper nutrition, sleep and exercise, but it also involves developing and maintain a positive, constructive and healthy attitude towards not just our own bodies and immediate lives, but towards the world as well. Health is all-inclusive. Every tiny detail of our being, from what we eat to how we think, contributes to how well we are. The healthier we are, the better our bodies and brains function, and the more capable we are of conceiving ideas, creating new concepts and constructing elements that would otherwise have not existed. By being able to accomplish more we contribute to society, hence the world is improved. We have three choices in life: make things better, keep things the same, or let things fall apart. Maintaining the status quo produces no progress, change, growth or improvement. Allowing atrophy destroys what has been created. Health is the key to development, constructive growth, and global survival."
-- Dean Petrich --
http://www.enviroalternatives.com
Here now, from the upcoming book 30 Minutes a Day to a Healthy Heart, are seven of the easiest fixes (you can institute one a day until they become habitual) to slash your risk. (Note: This advice is not designed to replace regular medical care. You should continue taking any medications and maintain a relationship with your doctor.)
1. Start the day right. Choose a breakfast with the highest
fiber
count you can find. Studies show that every gram of soluble fiber you
add
to your diet cuts your LDLs (bad cholesterol) by two points. If you eat
cold cereal for breakfast, switching to a bran cereal packed with 10 g
of fiber can lower your LDLs by 20 points. Don't forget the fresh fruit
for even more healthy fiber.
2. Make the whole-grain switch. Whole grains are filled with
heart protective vitamin E, fiber and antioxidant phytochemicals.
Switching
completely from refined to whole grains could cut your heart attack
risk
by 30%.
3. Aim for nine. Forget five a day. Fruits and vegetables are
so crucial, you should aim for nine daily servings. It's easy if you
sneak
them into every meal and snack.
4. Get good fats. Even better than going low-fat is eating good
fats. Whether in the form of nuts, olive oil or avocados,
monounsaturated
fats help lower LDL "bad" cholesterol... slightly increase HDL "good"
cholesterol...
and reduce triglycerides. Use olive oil for scrambling eggs, basting
meats
and flavoring savory dishes. (Caution: Frying or high-temperature
cooking
with canola oil transforms the oil into the bad peroxidized compounds
that
cause heart disease.)
5. Brush up. People with periodontal disease, a chronic
bacterial
infection of the gums, are nearly twice as likely to have a fatal heart
attack as those with healthy gums. Toxins from the bacteria can
contribute
to heart disease. Brush twice a day, floss before bed and use an
antibacterial
mouthwash to protect against the ill effects of plaque.
6. Shhhh. You can't change the world, but you can change your
response to it. Carve out a quiet place in your house where you can
escape,
collect your thoughts, listen to some relaxing music and decompress.
Spending
more time relaxed instead of stressed can cut your heart disease risk
in
half.
7. Move. A Harvard study of nearly 40,000 women over the age
of 45 showed that walking, even leisurely, for as little as one hour
per
week makes you half as likely to have a heart attack or be hospitalized
for heart disease as those who rarely walk. Walk to the mailbox... take
the stairs whenever possible... park in the farthest parking space.
Every
little bit helps. In fact, Johns Hopkins researchers found that people
who snuck small bouts of activity -- parking in the far spots, yard
work
and walking the dog -- every day achieved the same improvements in
fitness,
blood pressure and body fat as people who took structured aerobics
classes.
More good news: Studies show that walking up two flights of stairs a
day
can shave off six pounds a year. Take advantage of every little
opportunity
to move.
These lifestyle practices aren't so hard, are they?
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LINKS
For your perusal, following is a series of links to various articles, pages on this web site, and to some other related web sites:
Toxins
Related Web Sites
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