Saturday, March 16, 2013

Staying Healthy The Natural Way

Health is inarguably the most valuable asset a person can have. Though a lot of people pursue other things like riches and fame, being free of sickness without any broken bones or missing toes is priceless. Unfortunately, achieving peak health is a very difficult and demanding process. Nowadays, there are many factors on every corner to trip you up. From unhealthy foods with preservatives and additives, to living a sedentary lifestyle, inhaling polluted air, and picking up millions of bacteria and germs by merely touching the stair rail or living room door, it is a bit overwhelming when you really think about it. While there are many fast and easy techniques to stay healthy, like drinking scientifically engineered beverages or getting your fats sucked through liposuction, it is more sensible to reach and maintain a healthy lifestyle in a natural way on a daily basis. Here are the basics to make this happen!

Eat Fruits & Vegetables
Though it is quite obvious to some, others tend to undermine the natural health benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables daily. So, which fruits and vegetables should you eat? The best vegetables to eat include tomatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes. These vegetables are consumed for different purposes. Tomatoes are a great source of lycopene, a nutrient that prevents cancer. Meanwhile, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and squash are rich in Vitamin C, which helps boost immunity. Fruits you should eat include blueberries and grapes, which are rich in antioxidants. Bananas are also great as a source of carbohydrates, potassium, and fiber.

Drink Tea
Instead of beverages laced with a number of ingredients and chemicals, try to drink tea. Specifically, go green. L-theanine, a compound that strengthens the body's immune reaction to infection, can be found substantially in tea. Based on proven reports, the production of anti-bacterial compounds was up to 5 times greater in people who regularly drank tea as opposed to those who do not. This is a clear indicator that tea and its properties are responsible for empowering the immune system. However, make sure you drink natural herbal tea rather than instant iced tea. Choose between green tea, white tea, and chamomile tea for optimal results. If you need to sweeten it up, use honey instead of sugar.

Get Some Rest
People who live a nocturnal lifestyle often have weak immune systems. Unfortunately, the symptoms are not apparent until a disease emerges. A natural way of staying healthy is to get adequate sleep. At least 6 hours of sleep is important for a person to function well. This amount of time allows your body and mind to repair and replenish itself for the following day. Ample shuteye also reduces your risk for diabetes, cancer, and other health illnesses.

Exercise
Avoid weight loss pills or milkshakes and jog every morning instead. Running and hitting the gym at least once a week is a better weight loss alternative. It also has several physical and mental benefits, including proper muscle growth, cardiovascular strengthening, and a chance to meet new friends.

Author Pam Johnson is a nurse who makes a career out of the health of others. She recommends these tips to her patients daily. She obtained her degree from one of the Top 10 Best Online BSN to MSN Degree Programs

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

6 Ways to Always be Healthy

6 Ways to Be Healthy

Good health is important to a high quality of life. If you are a person who wants to have the good health needed for a higher quality of life, you must be proactive with taking care of your body and mind. While occasional illness may be hard to avoid, there are certain things you can do to help ensure good physical and mental health. If you want to remain healthy so you can have a happier, higher quality of life, here are some tips you can incorporate in your day to day life to help you out.

1. Proper Exercise
If you truly want to help your body stay healthy, you will need daily exercise. You do not have to join the gym or participate in a rigorous daily exercise plan, but it is important to get daily exercise if you want to stay healthy. Even something as easy as taking a walk around the block after dinner each night can greatly increase your odds of staying healthy.

2. Eat Right
As everyone knows, diet plays an important part in the overall health of a person's body. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that you eat a healthy diet if you want to remain healthy. Make sure your diet includes the recommended daily servings of fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods if you want to keep your body in good health.

3. Balance
The health of your mind is very important to the overall health of your body. Feeling depressed or down in the dumps on a continuous basis can have negative consequences on your health, so it is important that you try to maintain positive mental balance if you want to stay healthy.

4. Rest
Without proper rest, your body will not be able to stay healthy. Even if you have a very busy life, it is very important that you get at least 8 hours of sleep each night if you want to keep your body and mind healthy.

5. Unhealthy Vices
As you probably already know, certain vices can be very bad for your health. If you smoke or do drugs, eliminating these harmful substances from your life can completely transform your health. Likewise with drinking. While it's okay to have the occasional beer or glass of wine, excess drinking can be very bad for your health.

6. Hobbies
Even if you think your day is too busy to include time for a fun hobby you enjoy, including this hobby in your day to day life can be important to good health. When you make time in your day for an enjoyable hobby, you will be helping to improve your overall body and mind health.

If you want to be healthy at all times in order to have the good health needed for a higher quality of life, incorporating the above listed tips into your day to day life will help you achieve this. By getting proper exercise, eating right, eliminating unhealthy vices, having a healthy hobby, and getting the proper amount of rest each night, you can help your body and mind in positive ways that will help you remain healthy.

Author Pam Johnson is a nurse who makes a career out of the health of others. She recommends these tips to her patients daily. She obtained her degree from one of the Best RN to BSN Degree Programs.