Diet, Exercise and Water For A Healthier Body

While other people are struggling to lose some weight, losing weight and maintaining it is so easy for me. It’s just a matter of diets that work, exercise and water intake.

Choosing the kinds of food to eat plays the biggest role. If you love to eat fatty, sweet, preserved and processed foods rather than fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains, better not expect to lose some weight.

Yes, you may lose some weight if you just take it in in small amounts but there’s a big tendency for you not to maintain your desired weight. A healthy low-fat and sweets diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables and grains could not just help you lose weight but also not to worry about gaining pounds back. You just need to make it part of your lifestyle so as exercise.

Water is of great help too in lossing weight aside from diet that work and exercise. Drinking 1-2 glasses of water at least 30 minutes before meal could make you feel full, making you eat less while it helps your body burn fat more efficiently and wash the toxins out of your body. So, better practice to drink at least 8 glasses of plain water a day.

The Side Effects Of Too Much Salt

salt

We treat salt as “must have” in our kitchen. We use it as food seasoning and as preservative for meat and fish. Not only that, we know that sodium  and chloride ions, the two major components of salt, are necessary for the survival of all known living creatures, including humans. Salt is necessary to help our nerve impulses, regulate our cell functions and enable muscle contraction, and so we treat it as important element to our health.

Whether you are living in Salt Lake or not, medical practitioners agree that not more than 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt per day should be used, about 2400 milligrams. However, we tend to use it more. Salty food, especially crispy potato chips are so delicious, right? We can take more than enough salt from the processed food like potato chips that we eat everyday. If you can cut down processed foods, you won half of the battle. Food could be delicious without tremendous amounts of salt. Moderation is the ultimate key.

Salt intake impinges water in our body, because the more salt we take, the more water we need to handle thus we need to cut salt and increase water to flush it out. What is our goal? MODERATION, we need to control our salt intake. Why? Because too much of salt  in our bodies creates problem. You are at risk for increase blood pressure, obesity, heart failure, renal disease and other problems related to fluid retention.

If it is difficult for you to reduce salt in your diet, just think of this: Our taste for salt is acquired so if you think you cannot leave without salt, remember you were not born relishing its taste so it is possible to unlearn it. And, you are not leaving with a salt lake at your backyard to let you remember of your cravings for salt.

Tips for a Healthier Digestive System

Eat a balance diet, increasing fruits and vegetables in your diet. Nowadays people are fond of eating processed and refined foods, they forgot the importance of whole grains, legumes, variety of vegetables and at least 5 servings of various fruits everyday that plays a major role not just in our digestive system but health in general.

Insoluble fibers from plant foods help prevent colon cancer and digestive disorders. It helps eliminate constipation and sometimes prevent hemorrhoids. Fibers also help prevent and treat diverticulosis, small pouches in the wall of colon that can become inflamed. For more info about fibers just click here. Nutritionists agree that it is best to get fiber in foods rather than in supplements, but supplements are better than no fibers at all.

Plant foods contain phytochemicals that protects our cells against cancer causing agents.

Raw plant food diet is rich in enzymes that may aid in digestion process.
Here is a list of some enzymes that are useful in digestion process:
Bromelain and Papain are general and both break down many foods. We can get bromelain from fresh pineapple and papain from papaya.
Lipase – breaks down fats and oils. We can get lipase from avocado, eggplant, oats, coconut and some beans.
Amylase – breaks down starch and sugar
Protease – breaks down proteins
Lactase – breaks down dairy products
Cellulase – breaks down vegetables and cellulose material

Have a regular mealtime, and eat your meal leisurely and chew thoroughly. Our body needs structure and routine, regular mealtime provides rhythm to our digestive system. You will have healthier digestive system if you introduce food at the same regular interval and almost the same amount each meal.

Eat with all your senses, masticate the food properly, slowly chew and savor the food before swallowing. Remember that proper digestion begins at the mouth.

Control nervous tension and emotional upsets. Anger, excitement, fatigue, worry, and anxiety tend to retard digestion by slowing down the flow of digestive juices.

Exercise to stimulate activity of the digestive organ. Another way to maintain a healthy digestive system is by exercising at least 30 minutes every day. When your muscles in the abdomen are strengthened your digestive system will be more efficient. Sluggish feeling may come from a poor digestive system; keeping fit will help you feel better.

Drink 8 glasses of water every day. We need water for proper digestion, bowel functioning and cleansing. Fiber will not work properly without adequate water. Fiber especially insoluble fiber is good for our digestive system but it can form a plug inside you if you do not drink enough water.

Drinking water between your meals cleans the stomach and digestive tract. It gives rest to the stomach so it can stop producing acids.

Avoid caffeinated and alcoholic drinks because these drinks are diuretics, fluids may be drawn from your colon -leaving your stool hard.

For more info about water please visit the following:

Water, how important is it to you?

Water, The Lubricant of Your Functionality

Understanding Our Thirst

Water for Skin Rejuvenation and Beauty

A Daily Water Intake Reminder

Consume probiotic drinks or supplements at least ones a week. It maintains the natural balance of organisms in the intestines. We can find lactic acid bacteria (probiotic bacteria) in yogurt and in dietary supplements. Water, enzymes and good bacteria all work together to maintain optimum digestion, nutrient absorption and health.

Establish regular bowel habit. Bowel movement usually occur just about the same time each day.