I’m happy to have guest writers discuss tips for eating better and getting healthier. Leslie was nice enough to share an article with everyone about this great topic! I’ve been trying to move more into a less processed diet, incorporating more whole foods and super foods, so this article is right up my alley!
By Leslie Vandever
“Eat healthily, sleep well, breathe deeply, move harmoniously.”
~Jean-Pierre Barral
Good health: we all want it; we all want to keep it. But in spite of our best intentions, the incidence of overweight and obesity in America—and the world—has risen sharply over the last 40 years. Today more than one-third of all American adults and over 12.7 million children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese.
Critics, including many health professionals, say a lack of willpower is the main reason we gain more weight than is healthy. We overeat and don’t exercise, they say, and they further add that the fix is easy: just burn more calories than you take in each day. But that oversimplifies the problem and places all the blame for overweight and obesity on the individual.
The truth is less cut-and-dried. Americans are gaining too much weight for a number of reasons—along with, in some cases, simple overeating. They include:
• increasingly sedentary lifestyles
• far more jobs/careers available that involve desk-work and automation instead of physical labor
• intense, round-the-clock, mass-media marketing of processed foods, fast foods, and sugary beverages
• increased availability and affordability of same
• food industry’s inclusion of high-fructose corn syrup (sugar) and sodium (salt) in most processed/fast foods
• possible human metabolism changes caused by obesogens—chemicals that out-gas or leach from plastics, pesticides, etc.
The consequences of overweight and obesity are sobering. Both can greatly increase the risk for serious and even life-threatening health problems, such as:
• coronary heart disease
• type 2 diabetes
• breast, colon, and endometrial cancers
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol levels
• stroke
• sleep apnea/breathing problems
• osteoarthritis
• abnormal periods and infertility
Choose a Healthy Diet
Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight really is simple, but it takes a combination of effort, determination, and perseverance. A nutritious, energy-filled, and life-affirming diet is the best place to start.
First, go fresh. That’s the easiest way to avoid added sugars, fats, sodium, and preservatives. As your base, choose a cornucopia of fresh vegetables, both the leafy green types and all the other colors. Now add lean meat, poultry, and fish; eggs, and nuts; whole grain breads, cereals, pasta, and brown rice; low-fat dairy foods; and plant-based fats like olive and canola oils. Avoid foods made with processed, refined white flour and sugar, but do enjoy them as a rare, special treat. Finally, choose water over sugary beverages and stay well-hydrated.
Move That Body
According to the National Institutes of Health, adults should get a minimum of two hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate intensity aerobic activity each week, including muscle-strengthening exercises on two or more days of the week.
It sounds like a lot, but it really isn’t. That’s one 30-minute exercise session, five days a week. And if it’s hard to find a good, 30-minute stretch of time, break the session into three, 10-minute sessions each day instead. Studies have found that the shorter times work just as well as long as they add up to 30 minutes for the day.
Exercise offers a lot of benefits, including:
• increased cardiovascular/heart health
• help with weight loss and maintenance
• control of blood glucose (sugar)
• stronger muscles
• stronger bones
• better mental health and mood
Choose the type of exercise you enjoy the most. Taking a brisk walk—one that gets your heart pumping and your blood circulating—is one of the best forms of exercise there is. Not only does it fit the “aerobic” category, it’s also beneficial as a weight-bearing exercise that strengthens muscles and bones, as well. Bicycling is another good form of exercise; swimming is, too. Sessions that involve weights and/or resistance machines or bands are also great—and fun. You can even mix them up. Variety is the spice of life.
Combining healthy eating with healthy exercise is the best thing you can do for your body and yourself.
Leslie Vandever is a professional journalist and freelance writer with more than 25 years of experience. She lives in the foothills of Northern California where she blogs and writes for Healthline.
References:
• Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity. (2013, December 6) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved on September 10, 2014 from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/effects/index.html
• Adult Obesity Facts. (2013, September 9) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved on September 10, 2014 from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
• Childhood Obesity Facts. (2013, September 9) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved on September 10, 2014 from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html
• How Much Physical Activity Do Adults Need? (2011, December 1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved on September 10, 2014 from http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html
• Obesogens: An Environmental Link to Obesity. (2012, February) Environmental Health Perspectives. Retrieved on September 10, 2014 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3279464/
• Marquez, E. The Rise of Obesogens: Chemical Exposures and the Obesity Epidemic. (n.d.) Physicians for Social Responsibility. Retrieved on September 10, 2014 from http://www.psr.org/environment-and-health/environmental-health-policy-institute/responses/the-rise-of-obesogens.html
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Do you think you can incorporate some of these tips into your lifestyle? I like the idea if you don’t have time for a long workout – breaking up your activity throughout the day still counts! Sometimes I think – I don’t have an hour to work out so I won’t. But I’ve been walking to the train to go to work (10 minutes each way). Walking during my lunch break (30 minutes), I’m doing a 30 day squat challenge, and doing planks, using hand weights for a quick workout – added all up is about an hour – sometimes more!
Thanks Leslie for your great tips!!
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