How to stay fit and healthy

The first skill that you have to develop is the habit of reaching and maintaining an optimal weight. More than 60% of Americans are now officially classified as "obese people." This means that their weight is 20% above the ideal one calculated on special charts. Several million people are officially classified as "morbidly obese people." This means that their weight is 40-50% above the normal one. Being overweight or obese puts them at risk for death. In our country the problem of excess weight is acute as well and it gets more complicated every year.

Being overweight is largely a matter of choice. No one can eat for you. No one can shove food into your mouth, if you do not want. Eating habits are the result of your own decisions and your own actions. Anyone, who is overweight, is in such a state because he/she was unable to restrict diet for a very long time.

The only way to achieve the proper weight is to develop the habit of eating less and exercise it from day to day, from week to week. But just as it takes you months and years to become overweight, you will need many months to lose weight, even if you take such a decision.

Losing weight is not easy. The difficulties are caused by the fact that eating habits are automatic, they are not easy to break. You get into the rhythm of consumption of certain foods: morning, afternoon and evening. You get used to snack between meals, overeat in the evening or even at night. It is hard to overcome these habits, but it is possible, if you set the goal. Millions of people have to deal with it. They say that the main thing is motivation.

Eat right foods

The second skill that you have to develop in order to have normal healthy life is the habit to follow a proper diet and consume appropriate foods in the right proportions and at the right time.

Everyone knows that it is necessary to follow a balanced diet: eat lots of fruits, protein, vegetables and whole grains. In addition to this basic principle there are several things you can do to change a diet and develop a desire for good food, which will lead to weight loss and will increase the level of energy.

In order to lose kilos and improve the functioning of your body, you have to restrict your intake of three white "poisons" - salt, sugar and flour.

These changes in diet are very simple, but they are so effective that everyone, who tries them, are amazed at how quickly he/she gets results.

Increased appetite can be suppressed by water, it is recommended to drink about 10 glasses a day. It revitalizes all systems of the body and detoxicates it. Get into the habit of eating soups, which will quench your hunger and have fewer calories than less healthy food. You are what you eat. Only you can make sure that the diet is associated with the increase in your energy levels and mental clarity.

Fasting is a very strong and successful eastern technique, which is used regularly by millions of people for health and in order to improve their mental abilities. Using it every few weeks, you will find that your energy level is increasing and your movements are becoming light. Heavy food requires a significant amount of energy, which can be spent for achieving goals. Warning: Do not try to practice fasting on your own, you need professional medical advice in this case.

Good health is impossible without normal digestion. Therefore, chew your food carefully, eat in peace and calm atmosphere, avoid between-meal snacks.

Better less than more! Food have to be composed of 70% water.

Do not overeat!

More exercises and relaxation

The third skill that you have to develop is the habit of effective training. Many people stop taking regular exercises at their young age, even those who were active in sports in school. The human body is made up of 610 muscle and it is intended for regular physical activity throughout life.

Develop a habit to stretch and exercise every joint in your body every day. Joints connect the muscles and make the body movable and flexible. Exercises can help to reduce joint or muscle pain and solve other health problems. Regular training guarantee that you will keep your mobility for a long time.

French writer Alfred de Musset said: "Exercise can replace many medications, but no medicine in the world can replace exercise."

Try to exercise 200 minutes per week. Even half an hour of daily walking will make you feel healthier. If you start riding a bike, doing manual labor, swimming, jogging or taking part in aerobics classes that develop your lungs and heart, you will significantly improve your condition and increase your energy level in a short period.

Regular exercise normalizes blood circulation, strengthen the heart and lungs and help to overcome many physical and mental disorders. Do such exercises, which bring you joy and, at the same time, make you sweat, make your heart beat faster and your lungs work harder.

The next skill you need to have in order to get excellent health is the habit of proper rest. To work effectively you need seven to eight hours of sleep per night. If its duration is less than six or seven hours, and you work hard as usual then you will eventually accumulate sleep debt. You can improve your health and performance by developing the habit of going to bed early, for example, at 22:00.

The root cause of all diseases is the negative emotions, such as fear, anger, jealousy, anxiety, frustration, regret and concern, generated by the failures of many men and women to achieve happiness and meet the requirements of modern life.

Nature is a source of positive emotions. Learn to see its beauty and harmony: the golden rays of the sun at dawn, the amazing range of colors at sunset, calming green of the trees, ornate snow architecture and many other things that are around us, but we do not usually notice them.

Spend time in the open air. Landscapes have a strong influence on your feelings, which in turn leads to renewal and peace. People, who are at the peak of activity, always understand the importance of going back to the roots. Start going to the nature or go for long walks through the woodland. Relax by the babbling brook.

Laugh more! Laughter is a good medicine for the soul. While 4-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times per day, adults laugh 15 times. We laugh when we are happy. But you can be happy because you laugh.

Laughter improves concentration and reduces stress. It is a strong medicine that helps to relieve pain and to heal many diseases. It normalizes breathing. It is the excellent exercise for the lungs and heart, it massages pelvic organs and restores gut function. Laughter stimulates the immune system.

Relax while listening to classical music and reading a good book. Rest rejuvenates the body, mind and spirit. It is important for physical and mental health. It reduces the need for oxygen of our body by 50%. It reduces cardiac load by 30% and reduces high blood pressure, improves short and long term memory. Follow these rules:

·     take regular short breaks during the working day.

·     do not waste your nerves in vain, in the long run it will not change anything, except that it will prevent you from working.

·     devote one day a week to rest.

·     remember that good posture is essential for health. Bad posture can hinder blood circulation, compresses the nerve pathways leading to disease. Posture affects our mood and emotions as well as the physical condition.

Sleep

According to a research at Columbia University in 2010, the best time to go to bed is an hour after sunset and the right time to wake up is during two hours after dawn. The experiment was carried with the participation of hundreds of volunteers who fell asleep and got up at different times and with different time intervals. The best test results are showed by those, who had such schedule.

In many books on healthy lifestyle it is mentioned that sleep before midnight is particularly useful for the organism. In the initial stage of this sleep one hour is equal to two hours of sleep in the morning time.

But going to bed at sunset it is not recommended, it is bad for the body's energy.

Since all people are unique, you should identify the perfect sleep time yourself. It's very simple: first, go to bed at 22:00 and wake up at 7:00. Analyze your condition one hour after awakening. The next day change time and analyze the result again. So you can set the perfect sleep time for yourself. This will allow you to be in good spirits and to be more active.

Early awakening is useful for a healthy lifestyle. You spend less time in bed than usual without harm to yourself. As a result, you have more useful time and your productivity increases.

Waking up early in the morning is optimal for your body. You can run in the park, walk and have a healthy breakfast in the morning. It provides all day energy. It is proved that the people who get up a couple of hours earlier than the rest of population, are less likely to suffer illnesses and have an active lifestyle.

But for many people such a rise is a difficult task. Undoubtedly, it is seductive to stay in a warm bed for longer. It is not easy to deny yourself a pleasure.

Try to follow a few tips, which will help you to deal with the problem.

1.   Set an alarm for the same time every morning. This will develop the habit, and each time it will be easier to wake up. The main thing do not coddle yourself, otherwise your efforts will be wasted. Do not reset alarm for 10 minutes when it snoozes. You will not sleep properly, but it will be harder to get up.

2.   Go to bed when you feel tired, but not when you already fall asleep on your feet.

3.   Teach yourself to do exercices every morning. Dedicate at least 10 minutes each morning to exercising.

At first the idea to wake up early seems to be a real challenge. But be patient and persistent. Your body will get used to this it time, and you will get a great benefit.

In order to achieve and maintain health you have to give up bad habits. Do not drink alcohol. Do not use tobacco. Even a small amount of alcohol has an affect on your body and causes irreparable harm.