Seven Ways To Save Your Health

Did you know that making slight alterations in your everyday habits can have a huge effect on your chances of acquiring a life threatening disease, and other health problems?

Whenever you are stressed over work issues, skip out on needed exercise or push your vegetables to the side of your plate, your body pays the price. Hypertension, adult-onset diabetes, cancer, heart disease and most other major diseases are more the result of how you have treated yourself in the past than genetics.

Neglecting seemingly small things in your lifestyle can have a cumulative effect that usually doesn’t show itself until serious damage has been done. Taking the critical steps that can change your life for the better does not have to mean a lot of change and sacrifice. These easy-to-follow tips can get you started.

1. One more hour of sleep

The average person needs eight and a half to nine hours of sleep, but typically gets only six to seven. Studies have suggested that sleep deprivation can affect every aspect of how the body functions, from the ability to memorize and logically reason, to the repair of neurons and development of muscle.

2. Drink three or more glasses of water a day

By the time you get thirsty, your body is already about two percent low on water. Losing just one to two percent of your body weight in fluid can lower your physical and mental performance by up to 20%. The minimum amount of water is nine glasses a day (roughly 72 ounces).

3. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables

The American Dietetic Association recommends, five fruits and vegetables in the diet each day. Packed with fiber, vitamins, and anti-oxidative phytochemicals, fruits and vegetables can make a profound difference in decreasing your risk of obesity, certain types of cancer, gastrointestinal problems, and a host of other diseases

4. Add resistance exercise to your regular routine

By age 25, a sedentary lifestyle begins to take its toll. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, this translates into a slowed metabolism, which increases body fat.

Incorporating regular exercise can compensate for these changes. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes, five days per week of cardiovascular exercise. To keep those unwanted pounds off add resistance training into your week.

5. Let go of one stressful thing each week

Unrelieved stress affects almost every function of the body, causing insomnia, high blood pressure, constipation, depression, and an assortment of anxiety-driven aches and pains. Left untreated, the long-term effects of stress are much more serious, contributing to heart disease, ulcers, immune-system deficiencies, and hypertension.

6. Lose a few pounds

If you are overweight, dropping just five to ten percent of your total body weight can have a profound effect on reducing your chances of many cardiovascular and arterial complications, as well as a variety of weight-induced diseases.

7. Get a health exam

Many of the health issues that affect the population, as they get older actually start showing up in their late teens and early 20’s. Following proper timelines for annual check-ups and exams can allow for early detection and elimination health hazards.