[PapaBigBelly]

Hey guys i stumbled upon this article and it really struck me and it got me thinking more about my health so i decided to share it with you

One of the best ways to improve health is to live a healthier lifestyle. While you can never fully protect against accidents and some diseases (like cancer and genetic diseases)

If you are looking to improve your health, you can take a few small steps to change your lifestyle so that you are developing habits that can keep you on the right track. Here are 10 simple ways you can work toward improving your health:





1. Get an hour more of sleep per day:

Good sleep helps your body function better. If you aren’t getting 7-9 hours of sleep, try to add an hour of sleep to your routine. Depending on your age, you will need to decide on quantity versus quality when it comes to sleep.





2. Replace one drink per day with water:

Instead of that sweetened “sports” drink, or that soda, drink water. Replace one can/Big Gulp/20 oz. bottle each day with water. If you must have flavor in your water, there are low calorie options that lightly flavor your water for you. Even drinking a glass of lowfat milk is better for you than a 20 oz. soda. At the very least, downgrade the size of the sweetened drinks you are guzzling.







3. Slow down at mealtime:

Give your body time to register that it is consuming food and getting full. This way, you will consume fewer calories, and possibly enjoy your food more. Not to mention you can enjoy extra time with your family.






4.Walk a little more:

You’ve heard the advice about parking your care further from the store. This is actually good advice! You can walk a little more throughout the day. Take five minute mini-walks two or three times a day when you go on break. Adding more vigorous exercise to your schedule is even better.




5. Add variety to your salad:

Replace boring iceberg lettuce with flavorful spinach (which is much better raw than cooked, IMO), red lettuce and other leafy vegetables found in “spring mix” bags. These colored leaves are higher in nutrients, and they can add a little more variety to your meals. Bonus points if you grow your own!



6.Pay attention to portions:

Try reducing your portion sizes of meats and breads, and increasing your portions of fruits and vegetables. Watch portion size: a six ounce sirloin is actually two serving sizes of beef. Add an extra vegetable side to your meal to make up for the smaller entree portion.
Of course, if you have habits like smoking or excessive alcohol consumption, you will want to go for moderation or even completely kick the smoking habit. That will have the largest positive impact of anything that you try on your health.




7.Daily relaxation:

If you take 15-20 minutes each day to relax, via yoga, meditation, some sort of journal writing, or non-demanding reading, you can improve your health by reducing stress. It can even help you lose weight more efficiently when combined with other healthy behaviors!





8.Replace white bread with brown:

White bread, rice and pasta is less healthy than brown varieties. You’ll be surprised at how flavorful whole grain bread can be, and amazed at the different varieties (and colors) of rice available. You can ease into whole grain pasta by getting the mixed pastas that combine white and wheat.




9.Replace one meat entree a week with a vegetarian alternative:

You can boost your health by eating less red meat. Pick one entree a week, and replace it with a tasty vegetarian entree. Not only will you boost your health, but you will be living greener. At the very least, replace one beef, chicken or pork entree with a fish entree.




10. Set out some easy-to-eat fruit:
I struggle because I have a sweet tooth. One thing that has helped me cut back on candy is to have grapes, dried mangoes, prunes, clementines (fast and easy to peel) and other sweet fruits readily available. That way, when I wonder into the kitchen looking for an easy snack, the fruit is right there. And it’s sweet enough to satisfy my craving — most of the time.

[WagonWheel]

Good tips!
Just one thing. Points 7 and 10 are the same

[PapaBigBelly]

Thanks for pointing that out!
i just had some salad together with my spaghetti just now

[deL]

I think I eat quite healthy. One thing that always annoys me is the same vegetables or fruit being eaten all the time. There are the same grains, same greens, etc. Maybe I just notice this more because I am a vegetarian and so am concentrating on those kinds of things. I like to replace things like potato with taro or cassava just to mix things up a bit, not necessarily due to health reasons (though more variety intuitively seems like it would be healthy or at the very least no less healthy). Try asian groceries for alternative veggies if you are not sure what to get :P Baby spinach and rocket are great alternatives to lettuce (don't necessarily have them in a salad, put them in a burger or salad), chinese broccoli instead of regular broccoli, bok choy instead of greens. Try cooking some meals from different cultures with recipes off the net and you get a feel for including more 'exotic' things in your regular recipes ;3

Walking is easy and can be fun I like to make myself go to the shops that are further away to do shopping just to get extra walking. Same with signing up to a gym that is 30 minutes walk away. At first you can get bored or feel frustrated that things take longer but you get used to it and time it into your schedule and walking becomes quite enjoyable.

I have 2-3 waterbottles that I rotate in the fridge so I always have some cold water at hand. Usually keep one in my bag, one next to my computer desk to sip on, and one in the fridge cooling. I found this really increased the amount of water I take in drastically.

Put thought in to at least 3 days worth of meals a week, making sure you get a good range of vitamins etc and plan some meals ahead. Most people seem to organise each meal as it comes on the day (especially students) and you can end up missing out on nutrients just because you don't realise.

As for rice and bread or wholegrain things in general I really recommend you eat those rather than the white alternatives as it really is much healthier and tastier there's no reason not too. It can take a while to get used to because the flavour I guess is a little stronger but you get used to it fast and you end up feeling bad when you have white bread haha. If you don't like brown rice, try basmati rice as the GI is lower than even brown rice but it's very flavoursome and good with curries.

[Benji]

I do zero of those things

[ZergGirl]

I do all of it except for replacing meat with more veggies.
I WILL EAT IT RAW AND WHILE THE ANIMAL IS STILL BREATHING IF I MUST.

It's much easier to walk if you buy a dog or two imo. They will whine so much you just do it to shut them up .. then it becomes routine.

If I did none of this I'd probably be good at starcraft now

[kellyMILKIES]

My tip for taking care of your health

#14: Do not play Zerg

[mOOnGLaDe]

^ highly recommend

[Mukade]

Yo, if any of you are in Canberra, I do personal training

[HDPhoenix]

Originally Posted by deL

I think I eat quite healthy. One thing that always annoys me is the same vegetables or fruit being eaten all the time. There are the same grains, same greens, etc. Maybe I just notice this more because I am a vegetarian and so am concentrating on those kinds of things. I like to replace things like potato with taro or cassava just to mix things up a bit, not necessarily due to health reasons (though more variety intuitively seems like it would be healthy or at the very least no less healthy). Try asian groceries for alternative veggies if you are not sure what to get :P Baby spinach and rocket are great alternatives to lettuce (don't necessarily have them in a salad, put them in a burger or salad), chinese broccoli instead of regular broccoli, bok choy instead of greens. Try cooking some meals from different cultures with recipes off the net and you get a feel for including more 'exotic' things in your regular recipes ;3

Walking is easy and can be fun I like to make myself go to the shops that are further away to do shopping just to get extra walking. Same with signing up to a gym that is 30 minutes walk away. At first you can get bored or feel frustrated that things take longer but you get used to it and time it into your schedule and walking becomes quite enjoyable.

I have 2-3 waterbottles that I rotate in the fridge so I always have some cold water at hand. Usually keep one in my bag, one next to my computer desk to sip on, and one in the fridge cooling. I found this really increased the amount of water I take in drastically.

Put thought in to at least 3 days worth of meals a week, making sure you get a good range of vitamins etc and plan some meals ahead. Most people seem to organise each meal as it comes on the day (especially students) and you can end up missing out on nutrients just because you don't realise.

As for rice and bread or wholegrain things in general I really recommend you eat those rather than the white alternatives as it really is much healthier and tastier there's no reason not too. It can take a while to get used to because the flavour I guess is a little stronger but you get used to it fast and you end up feeling bad when you have white bread haha. If you don't like brown rice, try basmati rice as the GI is lower than even brown rice but it's very flavoursome and good with curries.

Somehow I can't seem to take this seriously cause its Del that wrote it. My brain can't handle it..!

[HDPhoenix]

but I do agree with everything you wrote Del ^^

[pXAero]

I always laugh whenever I see "reduce your portion sizes", because I'm one of the few that are in the opposite boat. I do a lot of cycling, but I seem to have a rather small stomach or something, so I always have to make myself eat more that I'm used to.

But that's just me. Sound advice all-round

[VB_WhiplashJC]

I try to do these things, I think they're good for anyone who spends long periods at the computer.

Every hour, stand up and walk around. Look outside and focus your eyes on something far away.

Do anti-carpal tunnel exercises (you should do these as a warm up (as featured in a day9 daily)).

Try to keep good posture.

[Mukade]

Most of all, don't be a lazy fat ehhh, bad person... Do exercise, and eat good food. Don't eat shit food.

[MirandaKerr]

If your a fatty, start eating more! our body is designed to store fat, when our food intake is inconsistent and low. Try having 6 meals a day instead of 3 just decrease the portion size and eat healthy. Meat, fruit, veg, complex carbs but not before bedtime you dumbass.

[Mukade]

Originally Posted by MirandaKerr

If your a fatty, start eating more! our body is designed to store fat, when our food intake is inconsistent and low. Try having 6 meals a day instead of 3 just decrease the portion size and eat healthy. Meat, fruit, veg, complex carbs but not before bedtime you dumbass.

You forgot the exercise. You can't get in shape with only diet, or only exercise. Besides, some people really do need to eat less, some need to eat more, you can't give this kind of general advice.

[MirandaKerr]

Originally Posted by Mukade

You forgot the exercise. You can't get in shape with only diet, or only exercise. Besides, some people really do need to eat less, some need to eat more, you can't give this kind of general advice.

EAT MORE! DO WHAT I SAY. OBEY ME

[PapaBigBelly]

Originally Posted by Mukade

You forgot the exercise. You can't get in shape with only diet, or only exercise. Besides, some people really do need to eat less, some need to eat more, you can't give this kind of general advice.

Absolutely right!
Exercise is very important. Without exercise, diet doesnt help

Take up a sport! I love fencing and thats what i do competitively hahaha I take part in international competitions and have achieved participating in the Asean Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships representing my country, Malaysia. But you do not have to participate in sport at such a high level, all it takes is a healthy aerobic exercise 3 times a week
Honestly i think it doesnt matter what you eat as long as it is in BALANCED with a mix of Carbs, Veggies, Meat, Fat, Water and Fibre and as long as you eat atleast 4 meals a day, one should be just fine

[SkyBreaker]

I've been a gym-goer for the past 4-5 years and am pretty fit/muscular; the best advice I give out to people is to eat properly (i.e. breakfast, lunch and dinner), make water your primary drink (as opposed to coke, nestea, coffee for example) and exercise every day.

If you're relatively new to the exercise scene, you can begin with walking for a week or two, migrate that into a faster walk into a slow jog and incrementally increase the physically activity that you're doing.

Ultimately if you're burning more than you're putting into your body you're doing great! I gym (weight lifting/cardio) 4-5 times a week and do strictly cardio on my off-days.

All begins with a single step and the mentality that Rome wasn't built in a day! ^^;

[Meatex]

Eat less but more often is I tip i regularly fail to adhere to ^^
Along with all the tips above :P