So You Want to Be Healthy?
Grim Statistics
We only need to turn on the TV these days you will be sure to hear about the subject of the overweight our population is in. If you are among those who have put on a few pounds over the last few years the pictures of the overweight crowds have us wincing at the "love handles" winding down the street while the person is sipping on an enormous soft drink. It is becoming a political item as well.
The statistics are truly grim. 33% of our population is overweight and 35.9% of Americans over 20 are obese. Diabetes is quickly becoming a major disease with 8.3% of the population affected. 67 million adults in US have high blood pressure which can lead to a host of other maladies with our heart, liver and kidneys. High blood pressure costs the nation $47.5 billion annually, according to the Center for Disease Control. Strokes and even cancer may result from our overindulgence, with cancer the 2nd leading cause of death in women. Many adults, at least in the US struggle with high cholesterol levels which hardens into a plaque which clogs up our arteries leading to cardiovascular problems. All this because of poor food choices, lack of exercise and smoking. The old adage, "We are what we eat" proves to be unfortunately true the longer we abuse our bodies with too much salt, too much sugar, too much alcohol and not enough fruits and vegetables and lack of exercise and sleep. If we are honest "Not great."
Do we have to accept such a dismal outlook or is there something we can do?
We can exercise more and break out of our physical inactivity. Without the added weight we will begin to feel better and have less pain in our joints and muscles. Getting more mobile even helps build stronger bones, reducing fractures and such. Walking each day, even if for 1/2 hour or using the stairs instead of the elevator will burn up those calories. Lifting weights also burns unwanted calories.
Eating better is crucial. I heard somewhere that if we just ate vegetables we could rid ourselves of Type 2 diabetes. That seems a bit rash, but the idea certainly comes through. Healthy eating CAN be delicious. We just have to make that decision. We've been eating so much fast food or what some call "junk" food that we have forgotten how to eat well even on a Time Budget. Less bread, sugar, red meat, less fat, more fish, fresh fruits and veggies should be on all our menus leading to fit, trim and healthy bodies. Going down a few sizes in our clothing is an added good side effect.
In addition to the obvious benefits, healthy eating and regular exercise benefits our thinking and our outlook and the way we think; about ourselves and life in general.
The Benefits of the Discipline
This life is a journey and although we take many trips, the journey needs to have a plan and a purpose to it. The gym and a leaner diet is only one way of many. The way we implement our desire for longevity may take various paths if we really want to live a healthy life.
We only need to turn on the TV these days you will be sure to hear about the subject of the overweight our population is in. If you are among those who have put on a few pounds over the last few years the pictures of the overweight crowds have us wincing at the "love handles" winding down the street while the person is sipping on an enormous soft drink. It is becoming a political item as well.
The statistics are truly grim. 33% of our population is overweight and 35.9% of Americans over 20 are obese. Diabetes is quickly becoming a major disease with 8.3% of the population affected. 67 million adults in US have high blood pressure which can lead to a host of other maladies with our heart, liver and kidneys. High blood pressure costs the nation $47.5 billion annually, according to the Center for Disease Control. Strokes and even cancer may result from our overindulgence, with cancer the 2nd leading cause of death in women. Many adults, at least in the US struggle with high cholesterol levels which hardens into a plaque which clogs up our arteries leading to cardiovascular problems. All this because of poor food choices, lack of exercise and smoking. The old adage, "We are what we eat" proves to be unfortunately true the longer we abuse our bodies with too much salt, too much sugar, too much alcohol and not enough fruits and vegetables and lack of exercise and sleep. If we are honest "Not great."
Do we have to accept such a dismal outlook or is there something we can do?
We can exercise more and break out of our physical inactivity. Without the added weight we will begin to feel better and have less pain in our joints and muscles. Getting more mobile even helps build stronger bones, reducing fractures and such. Walking each day, even if for 1/2 hour or using the stairs instead of the elevator will burn up those calories. Lifting weights also burns unwanted calories.
Eating better is crucial. I heard somewhere that if we just ate vegetables we could rid ourselves of Type 2 diabetes. That seems a bit rash, but the idea certainly comes through. Healthy eating CAN be delicious. We just have to make that decision. We've been eating so much fast food or what some call "junk" food that we have forgotten how to eat well even on a Time Budget. Less bread, sugar, red meat, less fat, more fish, fresh fruits and veggies should be on all our menus leading to fit, trim and healthy bodies. Going down a few sizes in our clothing is an added good side effect.
In addition to the obvious benefits, healthy eating and regular exercise benefits our thinking and our outlook and the way we think; about ourselves and life in general.
The Benefits of the Discipline
This life is a journey and although we take many trips, the journey needs to have a plan and a purpose to it. The gym and a leaner diet is only one way of many. The way we implement our desire for longevity may take various paths if we really want to live a healthy life.
No comments:
Post a Comment