Healthy Lifestyle
Procuring a healthy lifestyle, is essentially a state of consciousness of everything that we must do in our everyday life activities that will lead to better health. In this context, a healthy diet is essential. Avoiding obesity or achieving weight within the scale should be a personal goal without postponement. Regularity in feeding schedules and performing at least two nutritious snacks between meals are essential to maintaining a balanced metabolism.
Avoiding added sugar in drinks, or avoiding consuming natural or processed sugary drinks must be a goal to pinpoint within good feeding habits. For this matter, it is advisable the intake of small portions of whole fruit instead of fruit juices. Never add sugar to natural fruit juices. Doing so contributes to unjustifiable disproportion. Avoiding eating bread far beyond breakfast is a habit which I advice thus paying high dividends. Avoiding fried foods as far as possible, is a practical way of reducing the amount of calories we daily intake. Added fat is unnecessary in a healthy diet, unless it is monounsaturated fat as the one present in olive oil and avocado. Salads and vegetables can be dressed with olive oil, and avocado can be added for breakfast as a complement. A practical way to reduce the intake of calories that come from saturated fat is by avoiding margarine and butter.
Breakfast must be had as early as possible, and it must have a good amount of proteins plus an optimal carbohydrate and the least amount of saturated fat. Lunch must have a protein portion, a carbohydrate portion and a great deal of salad or vegetables, and a small portion of saturated fat. It is advisable to avoid additional calories such as bread, desserts, or natural or processed juices that tend to be included during this meal. Supper must be the lightest meal possible. It must be made mostly of salads and vegetables and a small portion of proteins with scarce or no saturated fat. Furthermore a good balance between monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat must be reached. Some of the main sources of monounsaturated fat include olive oil, olives, avocado, almonds, and nuts; on the other hand, polyunsaturated fat can be found in fish. Snacks must be nutritious and within this context fruit, dried fruit, and yogurt must be included. Desserts must be earmarked for special occasions in order to reduce the consumption of the latter.
Drinking eight glasses of water throughout the day on basal conditions, and increasing the amount in case of exercising will preserve optimal hydration which is essential to what we want to achieve. To maintain a good momentum in the excretion of toxic products from our metabolism. The intake of dark chocolate (10 to 30 grams daily) with at least 70% of cacao altogether with green tea as an antioxidant can be considered to be within healthy feeding habits. With regard to the alcohol intake, the consumption of one or two glasses of red wine has been related as a cardiovascular protection measure.
Regular physical activity in the form of aerobic exercise should be practiced daily. Brisk walking at least 150 minutes a week, daily fractionated in 30 minutes 5 times a week, is a measure which is accessible to everyone and it is very inexpensive.
In the emotional aspect it is wise to avoid rage, anger, wrath, and sadness. Live with gratitude and optimism. Smile and laugh any time possible. Achieve harmony in our family, labor relations and in our circle of friends. It is better to have faith and practice it, not having it and therefore not practicing it. Do not hold any grudges. Always forgive. Practice indulgence and mercifulness. Always have a purpose in life.Getting up every day with a dream to be done, a reason to live intensely. Give without expecting retribution without measures and constantly connect with nature and the immensity of its beauty. Have a pet who you can provide care and affection therefore, helping us with our welfare and emotional equilibrium. Cultivating oneself in the arts, music, and literature exalts our spirit. So we must try to root ourselves in them and become nourished from its sap.
In short, healthy living goes beyond good nutrition. It is to become aware of the close liaison between body, mind and spirit and the needed balance between them in tune with a great social environment.
