Essay Wow!

I believe everyone should strive for good health. Health comes in more than one way. A person should be physically fit, nutritionally fit, and emotionally fit for good overall health. Living a healthy life takes ongoing dedication and often calls for lifestyle changes. Being healthy in all three aspects takes time and effort, but the benefits are rewarding. The dictionary defines “health” as the state of being sound, or whole, in body, mind, or soul. It is also the state of being free from physical disease or pain. There are a combination or ways that if faithfully followed one can try to achieve this. I take it upon myself to share this wonderful information with you; it just might save your life.

The first of the three issues is being physically fit. There is more than one part to this issue alone, the first of which is aiming and maintaining a healthy weight. Do you know if your weight is healthy? Most people only guess. Using the body mass index as a guide you can know for sure. Find you height and weight on the graph and then follow the coordinates to see if you land in the healthy range.

Now matter if you are currently in the healthy range or not you need to eat right. Everyone has seen the food pyramid but not to many people pay any attention to the recommendations. A balanced daily diet combined with physical activity work together in managing a person’s weight. Increasing physical activity allows you to eat more without retaining more calories; therefore it is easier to get the daily nutrients you need.

A lot of people groan when they think of daily exercise but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. To get moderate exercise does not mean a person has to continually work out at the gym. There are two types of physical exercise and they are equally important. Aerobic activities speed up your heart rate and breathing. In doing so they help with cardiovascular fitness. Activities for strength and flexibility help build muscles and maintain healthy bones. It is easy to incorporate exercise into your routine walk to the store, jog with your dog, play sports with your kids or take part in yoga or like activities. Do you still need motivation to get started? Read these benefits and it might persuade you to set aside some time to exercise.

Tips: The Eight Benefits of Regular Exercise

Increases physical fitness.

Helps maintain and build healthy bones, joints, and muscles.

Builds endurance and muscular strength.

Helps manage weight.

Lowers risk factors for cardiovascular disease, colon cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Helps control blood pressure.

Promotes psychological well-being and self-esteem.

Reduces feelings of depression.

For all the benefits it brings it should be seen as a small amount of time. People of all ages need to exercise. Children need an hour of physical activity a day, while adults need thirty minutes, and an hour if trying to loose weight. Older people need to take part in physical activities too. Like the rest of us it strengthens their bones and improves flexibility. Though, these things are even more important at an older age. It can reduce their risk of falling and breaking bones. It can also help preserve muscles, as they begin to deteriorate. It can reduce the effects of osteoporosis and improve their ability to live independently. It is never to late to work to increase your health.

Advice for Today:

Engage in at least thirty minutes of activity daily for and adult and sixty minutes for children.

Become physically active if you are inactive.

Maintain or increase physical activity if you are already active.

Stay active throughout your life.

Choose physical activities that fit with your daily routine, or recreational/structured activities.

Consult your health care provider before starting a new vigorous physical activity plan- id you have a chronic health problem, or are over forty for men and fifty for women.

The second issue aiding in good health is being nutritionally fit. In order to do so one must know and follow the food pyramid guidelines set by the food and drug administration. To follow the food pyramid one must know the nutritional value of what they’re eating. Refer to the food label on the package of what you’re consuming. The front panel tells what nutrients have been added. The ingredient list tells you what’s in the food including any nutrients, fats, and sugars. The footnote summarizes the food’s nutritional value based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Advice For Today:

Build a healthy base. Use the food guide pyramid to make healthy food choices.

Build your eating pattern on a variety of plant foods including whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Also choose some low-fat dairy products and low-fat foods from the meat/bean group.

It’s fine to enjoy fats and sweets occasionally.

According to the food pyramid plant foods are the basis of a healthy diet. The foundation of plant foods should consist of whole grains (refined grains have less fiber and overall nutrients.)

Additional Advice For Today:

Build a healthy base by making a variety of grain products the foundation of your diet.

Eat six or more servings of grain daily. Include several whole grains foods, such as whole wheat and oats.

Combine whole grains with other tasty nutritious foods in mixed dishes.

Prepare/choose grain products with little added saturated fat and a low amount of added sugars.

Unlike with grains, when it comes to fruits and vegetables there is not a specific kind that is better in nutritional value than others. Different fruits and vegetables are rich in different nutrients. Therefore, by eating a variety of these foods you will consume a variety of vitamins and minerals. Vitamin A is found in orange fruits/vegetables, dark leafy greens and tomatoes. Vitamin C: is in citrus fruits, potatoes, and leafy greens. Foliate: is in Dry beans, peas, peanuts, oranges, and dark leafy greens. Potassium: comes in Bananas, dried fruits, cooked dry beans/greens and white/sweet potatoes. Compared to whole or cut up fruits and vegetables, juices contain little or no fiber. Use creative ways to get fruits and vegetables into your diet. Mix them in salads, casseroles, soups, and sauces. Stir-fry vegetables or have them raw with a low-fat dip. Choose to have fruits/vegetables as a snack when on the go. However you incorporate it into your diet enjoy five a day that is at least two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables.

Another aspect to keeping healthy is avoiding illness as much as possible. One needs to take special precautions when preparing food to keep it safe, meaning it poses little risk of foodborne illness. Undercooked animal foods are potentially unsafe and subject to harmful bacteria. Proper cooking makes most meat safe. The best way to tell if meat is cooked to a safe temperature is by using a food thermometer. Keep foods hot at 140°F or above. Keep cold foods at or below 40°F. Harmful bacteria can grow rapidly in the “danger zone” between these temperatures. Refrigerate foods promptly, within two hours of purchasing or one hour if the air temperature is above 90°F. Freeze foods at or below 0°F; unless frozen use refrigerated let-overs within three to four days. For the above guidelines there is one safety rule all should follow: when in doubt, throw it out. Separate raw, cooked, and ready to eat foods. This prevents cross-contamination from one food to another. Store raw meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish in containers in the refrigerator so that the juices do not drip onto other foods. Another simple way to protect against cross-contamination is to wash your hands and cooking surfaces often.

A person has control over his or her daily choices. One might not realize that part of a healthy lifestyle is making sensible decisions. Our everyday decisions can effect how emotionally fit we are as well as the other two aspects. We need some fat in our diet it supplies energy and essential fatty acids. Fat helps absorb the fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E, K and cardioids. Around 30 percent of a person’s daily calories should come from fats. One of the decisions we make is the amount of saturated and unsaturated fat we consume in our diet. Saturated fats tend to raise blood cholesterol and to some extent blood pressure, where as unsaturated fats (oils) do not. Because of this unsaturated fat is healthier than its counterpart.

Tips To Lower Saturated Fats and Cholesterol Intake:

Choose vegetable oils rather than solid fats.

Limit your intake of high-fat processed meat and organ meats

Cut the excess fat and skin off meat.

Check the nutritional facts label to see how much fats are in a serving.

Choose foods with lower amounts of fats.

Choose fat-free, low-fat, beans, fish and lean meat products often.

Limit your intake of foods with creamy sauces.

Choose fruits for dessert in place of traditional desserts.

Eat plenty of grain products, vegetables, and fruits daily.

Another conscious choice we make is how much sugar we consume. What some people might not know is that sugar comes under many disguises. Eighteen things can appear on food labels all indicating the product is high in sugar: Brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, invert sugar, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, sucrose, syrup and table sugar. During digestion all carbohydrates except fiber break down into sugars.

Major Sources of Added Sugar in the United States

Soft drinks

Cakes, cookies, and pies

Fruitades and drinks such as fruit punch and lemonade

Dairy desserts such as ice cream

Candy, many forms considered “junk food”

Consuming added amounts of sugars means consuming excess calories, which may contribute to weight gain. The formula for weight gain is simple: consume more calories than you burn. Sugar substitutes are available for those wanting a sweet taste without the extra calories.

Advice For Choosing Foods/Drinks to Moderate Your Sugar Intake

Limit your intake of beverages and foods that are high in added sugars.

Get most of your calories from grains, fruits, vegetables and the rest of the food pyramid.

Take care not to let soft drinks or other sweets crowd out other more nutritional foods needed to maintain good health.

Drink water often.

Salt is usually not viewed as harmful therefore one’s intake is seldom monitored. Salt is generally not a problem, but it is not harmful to one’s health to decrease salt intake. Salt contains sodium. Sodium is a substance that affects blood pressure. Lowering your consumption of salt can help keep your blood pressure in a healthy range. It may decrease the loss of calcium from your bones. Therefore, in the long term, it can lower the risk of developing osteoporosis. Lowering salt is safe. Salt replenishes iodine and sodium in your body however only small amounts are needed to meet your daily allowance. Your body can adjust to prevent too much sodium loss when you exercise heavily or if it is very hot.

Salt is found mainly in processed and prepared foods therefore that is how it enters our diet. The best way to cut back on sodium is to cut back on salty foods and seasonings.

Ways to Decrease Your Salt Intake

Look for labels that say “low-sodium.”

Read the nutritional facts label to compare the amount of sodium in processed foods amounts differ in different brands.

Ask your grocer or supermarket to offer more low-sodium products.

Choose fruits and vegetable often they’re naturally low in sodium.

When eating out ask to have no salt added when the food is prepared.

Alcoholic beverages have always been a controversial issue. This is true but there is nothing to argue about when it comes to proven scientific studies and one’s health. Harmful effects can come from drinking alcohol all of which impair part of your overall health. These effects include: altered judgment, high blood pressure, stroke, increased violence, suicide, and certain types of cancer. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy increases the risk of birth defects. Continual consumption of alcohol can lead to addiction. Too much alcohol may cause social and psychological problems, cirrhosis of the liver, inflammation of the pancreas, and damage to the brain and heart.

For health and safety reasons some people should not drink alcohol:

Children and adolescents

Individuals of any age who cannot restrict their drinking to moderate levels

Women who may become pregnant or who are pregnant

Individuals who plan to drive, operate machinery, or take part in activities requiring attention, skill, and coordination.

Individuals taking prescription or over-the-counter medications that can interact with alcohol

A person has to choose whether to be subject to these consequences by drinking alcoholic beverages or not. If you do choose to drink alcohol do so sensibly and in moderation. Moderation is one drink per day for women and two per day for men. Take meals with alcohol to slow its absorption. Avoid drinking before or when driving, or whenever it puts you or others at risk.

Maintaining good health is a lifelong struggle. It requires a person to be physically fit, nutritionally fit, and emotionally fit for good overall health. To be physically fit one has to maintain a healthy weight and get daily exercise. Exercise burns calories, strengthens/builds bones, muscles, and joints and improves flexibility. It also lowers risk factors for cardiovascular disease, colon cancer and type 2 diabetes. It also helps to control blood pressure. To be nutritionally fit one must follow the food pyramid guide. It is important to fulfill the requirements of all the food groups. The foundation of one’s daily diet should consist of plant foods. One must monitor/lower your intake of sugar, sodium, and saturated fats. To be emotionally fit one must get exercise as it improves self-esteem and lowers feelings of depression. The other half of being emotionally fit consists of making positive choices that aid to good health. When making decisions choose sensibly. Among other things, this means whether and how much alcohol one drinks. No one but yourself can decide or put forth the effort to start the road to good health. Contemplate the facts the benefits outweighs the sacrifices. Follow the advice given because its time to start living a healthy life.

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