Ways to take control of your health – 5 easy steps to follow

bybigheadjoe

322 followers

2 years ago

I learned a simple life lesson back in 1996, “that it really doesn’t matter how many zero’s you have after your paycheck if you don’t have your health”. You can work as hard as you want to make as much money as you can, but really what good is it in the long run if you aren’t able to enjoy it because of failing health?! Don’t wait until major health issues happen in your life….. instead, Take control of your health now!!!

Here are Five Steps to follow to take control of your health:

1. Measure & Watch Your Weight
2. Limit Unhealthy Foods & Eat Healthy Meals
3. Drink Lots of Water To Stay Hydrated & Limit Sugary Beverages
4. Exercise Regularly & Be Physically Active
5. Get Enough Sleep

Measure & Watch Your Weight

The link between body weight and health has been generally acknowledged as a key correlation. Being overweight or having obesity can raise your risk for serious health conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. To stay at a healthy weight, you must balance the calories you eat and drink with the calories you burn and use up. Calories are a measure of the energy in the foods you eat, so to lose weight all you need to do is burn more calories than you eat.

A person’s healthy weight is determined by using the body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. BMI is a simple calculation using a person’s height and weight (click here to calculate your own BMI). It can help assess the risk of developing various diseases over time. Keep in mind that while BMI is a reliable indicator of a person’s healthy weight, it does not take into consideration the distribution of fat on the body. Studies have shown that excess abdominal fat is also associated with a higher risk of health problems including high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases. This is why waist circumference is used in combination with your BMI measurements.

The best way to measure your waist is with a tape measure and is used to determine if someone is carrying excess body fat around the stomach. A measurement of more than 35 inches (88 cm) in women and 40 inches (102 cm) in men is considered abdominal obesity. This is the case even if a person’s BMI is normal. If your BMI and waist circumference are in the healthy range, make sure to keep them that way by eating a healthy, balanced diet and getting regular exercise.

Eat Healthy Meals

Eating a variety of healthy meals is the best way to make sure you meet your daily nutrient needs. To make healthy choices, look for nutrient-dense foods found in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy. Nutrient-dense foods are rich in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients important for health, and without too much saturated fat, added sugars and sodium. Examples are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, non-fat and low-fat dairy, fish & seafood, unprocessed lean meat & skinless poultry, nuts & legumes, beans, seeds & certain oils.

You can eat only a limited amount of food in a single day, so to maximize the amount of nutrients you take in it makes sense to choose the foods that carry the greatest amount and variety of nutrients. Here are 10 of some of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet:

1. Salmon
2. Kale
3. Garlic (Fresh or Black Garlic)
4. Seaweed
5. Shellfish (clams, oysters, scallops, & mussels are popular types of shellfish)
6. Sardines
7. Blueberries
8. Eggs
9. Walnuts
10. Dark chocolate

Drink Lots Of Water

Getting enough water every day is important for your health. Water helps your body keep a normal temperature, lubricate & cushion joints, and protect your spinal cord and other sensitive tissues. In general, you should try to drink between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh, every day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, that would be 75 to 150 ounces of water a day. Some people say that “water is the key to life”, and it turns out it’s also one of the easiest ways to help your metabolism. Drinking water increases your metabolism by up to 25% for nearly an hour after drinking it. That means if you drink a cup of water every hour, then you’ll keep your metabolism at peak performance all day.

Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise or physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. No matter your age or ability, it is important to choose to move more for better health. Being physically active will improve your brain health, help you manage your weight, reduce your risk of disease, strengthen your bones & muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities.

Here are 10 Benefits of Regular Exercise:

1. Protects against many chronic diseases
2. Helps in weight management
3. Lowers blood pressure & improve heart health
4. Improves your quality of sleep
5. Improves your memory & brain function
6. Reduces feelings of anxiety & depression
7. Combats cancer-related fatigue
8. Improves joint stiffness & pain
9. Maintains muscle strength & balance
10. Increases life span

Get Enough Sleep

When you get enough quality sleep it improves your brain performance, mood, and health. Not getting enough quality sleep regularly raises the risk of many diseases and disorders. These range from heart disease and stroke to obesity & dementia. The recommended amount of quality sleep for a healthy adult is at least seven hours, and most people don’t need more than eight hours to be well rested. It’s important to get good-quality sleep on a regular schedule so you feel rested when you wake up. Try going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, including weekends. Being consistent reinforces your body’s sleep-wake cycle.

Why 8 hours of sleep is the magic number. Sleep achieves many critical brain and body maintenance functions that cannot be performed while we are awake. Eight hours of sleep each night is the exact length of time it takes the body to accomplish these sleep functions. Having trouble falling asleep? Try the 4, 7, 8, sleep trick:

1. Close your mouth & quietly inhale through your nose to a mental count of four.
2. Hold your breath for a count of seven.
3. Exhale through your mouth, making a whoosh sound for a count of eight.
4. Repeat the process three more times for a total of four breath cycles.

To the WA Community..... hope you all have a wonderful day..... and See You All At The Top!!!