Understanding The Principles Of Sound Health

Health is Wealth

The Ultimate Tenderhelp Foundation Health Unit is designed to help people achieve health through information on health, consultation and counseling, questions and answers section on health.This week, we shall discuss health and some unhealthy habits.

Health is a complete state of physical, mental, social, emotional, occupational and spiritual well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Achieving health does not occur by chance even if you were born healthy,there are things you must know and do continiously to promote your health, prevent diseases and prolong your life. You need to have  healthy habits which will include serving God.
A habit is a routine of behaviour that is repeated regularly and tends to occur unconciously. The followings are some unhealthy habits-
1. Eating too much junks
2. Skipping breakfast
3. Not drinking enough water
4. Cigarette smoking
5. Alcohol intake( binge drinking)
6. Sedentary lifestyle
7. Abnormal sleeping pattern
8. Worries and anxiety
9. Self medication
10.Poor sanitation and hygiene
11.Lying constantly
Subsequently, each of these habits will be discussed-short and long term effects on health and ways to overcome them-in details. How to manage stress and other common ailments, issues related to infertility, maternal and child health and family health in general.
Your questions and comments will be entertained.

http://tenderhelpblog.org/index.php/2015/08/18/understanding-principles-of-sound-health/

TOP 7 KEY FACTORS TO A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

There are seven key factors that constitute a healthy lifestyle. These factors greatly influence the health of your physiology in terms of both the mind and body. Each of these are equally important and you must have a balance of all seven  . These factors should play a role in your day-to-day routine.

1)  Getting regular and adequate amounts of sleep.
Getting a regular amount of sleep is important to give your body a chance to restore and regenerate not only the proverbial “batteries” but to attend to all of the metabolic functions required by the body, such as regenerating old cells, getting rid of wastes and repairing cell damage.

2) Diet
Charak Samhita, the main text of Ayurveda, says, “Without proper diet, herbs are of no use. With proper diet, herbs are of no need.” This quote is a perfect example of how important diet is for individual health. Our diet affects the quality of our digestion and state of health. The classic saying, “you are what you eat,” is very true. Your inner does reflect the outer. It is very important to pay attention to what you eat, making sure that you have all of the nutrients you need in your daily diet, such as proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, and your essential amino acids.

3)  Engaging in regular physical activity.
Thirty minutes a day of regular physical activity contributes to health by reducing the heart rate, decreasing the risk for cardiovascular disease, and reducing the amount of bone loss that is associated with age and osteoporosis.
and Exercise is the most commonly neglected part of a routine. Most people pay attention to their diet and work, but exercise is one of those activities that gets pushed aside really easily. Exercise is a key factor for a healthy lifestyle. You cannot say that you live a healthy lifestyle if you do not exercise regularly. Exercise, which includes cardiovascular activity, strength training, and flexibility, has many benefits. Some of these benefits are improved functioning of the heart, increased circulation, decrease in cholesterol, improved sleep, and greater ability to cope with stress.

4)  Maintaining a healthy body weight.
Physical activity helps the body use calories more efficiently, thereby helping in weight loss and maintenance. Additionally, sixty minutes of regular physical activity will help in maintaining weight.

5) Work – activity
Diet, exercise, and sleep are important, but working is also important. Being a couch potato and occasionally playing wii is not considered to be a healthy lifestyle. Unless you plan on becoming a monk and living a recluse lifestyle, activity, including work is really important. The reason why work and activity is considered to be a top five factor for a healthy lifestyle is to balance sleep, diet, and exercise. Besides, without activity and work, there would be boredom. Most people want time off from work, but once they do get some time off, all they do is sit at home and become unhealthy and often start to feel depressed.

6)  Not using tobacco products–smoking, chewing, snuff or others.
Chronic exposure to the nicotine in tobacco may accelerate coronary artery disease, peptic ulcer disease, reproductive disturbances, esophageal reflux, hypertension, fetal illnesses and death and lead to delayed wound healing.

 

7) Fun – happiness
Last but not least, happiness is needed to have a healthy lifestyle. Without happiness, you do not have a healthy physiology. You can have a perfect diet, the best sleep, an excellent exercise routine, and a job that most people can only dream about, but what is the point of all of that if you are not happy? Every morning when you wake up, you should feel that you have a good reason to wake up and not because you are forced to. When you are happy, all aspects of your routine and lifestyle will support you. Happiness leads to a more efficient immune system and digestive system. Those who are truly happy rarely face illness or disease. In fact, those who are happy are also least likely to suffer from insomnia and they definitely won’t have depression or any other psychological disorder. Just remember, that no matter what you do, just remember to have fun.

With all this factors , you can have a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle ultimately means a healthy physiology. In our day-to-day life, we tend to neglect our health, but the truth is that it is our health that keeps us going.

http://reallypedia.com/top-7-key-factors-healthy-lifestyle/ 

The 4 Most Confusing Things About Sugar

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Nowadays, when people meet me and hear that I'm a dietitian, the first thing they want to know is: What's the deal with sugar? No doubt, sugar is the diet villain du jour. You've probably seen some scary headlines calling sugar toxic and pointing to it as the source of all our health woes. But the real story is far more complex.

Sugar in large quantities is, in fact, a big threat to your health. For years, experts have been saying that eating too much of any food can up your diabetes risk because overeating leads to obesity, which is the real culprit behind skyrocketing rates of the disease. But recent research suggests that the sweet stuff may have a more direct impact: For every additional 150 calories of added sugar downed per person per day, the prevalence of diabetes rose by 1 percent, even after controlling for obesity, physical activity and calories from other foods, according to a large study looking at international data. When it comes to heart health, excess sugar is also suspect. People who ate the most added sugar more than doubled their risk of death from heart disease, a JAMA Internal Medicine study found.

Adding to the problem, sugar is hiding in many surprising products, such as oatmeal and peanut butter, and confusing food labels make it hard to know how much of it you're getting. So what's a girl to do?

10 Easy Ways to Slash Sugar from Your Diet

Before you swear off everything from ice cream to strawberries, read my ground rules to satisfying your sweet tooth in the safest way possible.

Truth #1: Some kinds are better than others

It's key to know the difference between the two main types of sugar.

Naturally occurring sugar is found in whole foods, such as fruit, vegetables and dairy products. These foods tend to be better for you because they deliver fiber (in the case of produce), as well as protein and calcium (in dairy) and other important vitamins and minerals.

Added sugars are anything sweet put into a food for flavor, from the sugar in store-bought ketchup to the honey you spoon into your tea. (Yes, "natural" sweeteners count.) These sugars are concentrated and mostly devoid of nutrients. Although honey, maple syrup and the like have some healthful antioxidants and minerals, they still pack hefty doses of sweetener per spoonful. This means you get a lot of pure sugar—and calories—in a small portion, making it easy to go overboard and cause big problems. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), increases in sugar intake over the past four decades parallel our expanding waistlines, and studies have connected added sugar, not the naturally occurring kind, to heart disease and diabetes.

10 Coffee Drinks Worse Than a Candy Bar

Truth #2: You have to read labels carefully

A lot of packaged foods contain both naturally occurring and added sugars. But the Nutrition Facts label lumps both kinds together, giving you one combined total. Last year, the FDA proposed separating the two to make it clearer how much of each type you're getting, but until those changes take effect, the easiest way to tell if sugar has been added is to scan the actual ingredients list. If you see sugar grams but no sweeteners listed, then none were added. If you do see any type of sweetener—including brown sugar, cane juice, corn syrup, maltose or fructose—make sure it's not the first thing listed. By law, ingredients must be in descending order of weight, so the higher up the added sugar, the more there is per bite. Also check for multiple types of sugar, which is a sneaky way food companies make something supersweet without telegraphing it on the ingredients list.

16 Most Misleading Food Labels

But you can automatically slash your sugar load by ditching sweetened drinks, eating mostly whole foods instead of sugary snacks and buying more unsweetened versions of packaged foods.

Truth #3: The limits are low but doable

According to the AHA, women should have no more than 100 calories of added sugar per day (about 6 teaspoons). Yet the average woman gets 18 teaspoons a day! Most of our added sugar comes from sweetened drinks and packaged foods, and the Nutrition Facts label lists sugar in grams, not calories or teaspoons, so it's easy to lose track. Fortunately, there's a simple formula for counting up sugar from any source: Just remember that 1 teaspoon equals about 4 grams of added sugar. So if you add a teaspoon to your morning joe and later have a chocolate protein bar with 12 grams (3 teaspoons) of sugar, you have 2 teaspoons (8 grams) left for the day.

Truth #4: Natural doesn't mean free-for-all

Hardly any of us are inhaling too many servings of whole fruits and vegetables. But juices, smoothies and dried fruits are another story. Recently, a client was confused when I pointed out that her 15-ounce bottle of green juice contained more than 53 grams of sugar (and nearly 270 calories!). It's all fruits and veggies, she reasoned, so why care? One problem when you gulp your produce is that you're getting natural sugar without fiber (and it's fiber in fruit that slows down digestion and gives your body time to metabolize the sugar). As a result, you store the excess calories as fat. Fiber also prevents blood sugar spikes that can raise your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Dried fruit can be tricky, too; without water, the natural sugars become more concentrated. You can still enjoy it, but right-size your portion: One cup of fresh fruit equals 1/2 cup of 100 percent juice equals 1/4 cup of unsweetened dried fruit. Now you're in control of your sugar calories.

Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, is Health’s contributing nutrition editor, and privately counsels clients in New York, Los Angeles, and long distance. Cynthia is currently the sports nutrition consultant to the New York Rangers NHL team and the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team, and is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/confusing-things-sugar/story?id=29625570

Ways Exercise Makes You Look and Feel Younger

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The powers of a steady fitness routine are impressive: regular exercise can help you build stronger muscles, stave off chronic illnesses, and make your clothes fit a whole lot better. But there's another benefit of physical activity that deserves a shout-out: the way even moderate amounts seem to shave years off your age, no matter how many birthdays you've actually celebrated. Of course, you can't change your chronological age, but exercise can improve your health to the point where you look and feel younger than you are, says Frank Frisch, PhD, director of kinesiology at Chapman University in Orange, Calif. Behold the physical and mental effects a sweat session can have on your brain and body. Just reading this list will motivate you to never blow off a gym session again.

Exercise gives you more vim and vigor

A workout is like nature's energy drink, firing up your brain and body so you feel more alert and alive. "Exercise puts your body in a state of arousal, which translates into more vitality and a greater sense of well being," says Frisch. "Daily tasks become less strenuous and require less exertion." It's the kind of pep in your step that makes you feel like you've peeled off a decade or two.

Exercise jumpstarts your sex drive

A sweat session improves blood flow all over your body, including below the belt, and the extra blood surge makes you feel more responsive and increasing arousal, says Mary Jane Minkin, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale School of Medicine. Exercise also powers your sex drive in a psychological way. "Working out brings on more confidence about your appearance and body, and that puts you in a sexier mindset," says Dr. Minkin. And don't forget the all-over energy surge exercise offers, which gives you extra fuel so you can rock the sheets.

Exercise keeps your skin soft and glowing

A dewy sheen on your cheeks thanks to all the sweat dripping off your forehead may not be the only way fitness keeps your skin young. Researchers at McMaster University in Ontario studied a small group of adults between ages 20 and 84. The frequent exercisers who were over age 40 had skin that resembled the more supple, elastic skin of people in their 20s and 30s. The difference had nothing to do with sun exposure (which would age your skin faster if you didn't wear sunscreen), reported the research team; they theorized that exercise creates body substances that help slow aging in skin, though they say more research is needed to learn how exercise changes skin composition.

Exercise improves your posture

Thanks to muscle loss and bone density changes, your posture takes a hit as you age. Counteract this with strength training, which builds muscle and bone health, especially in your core and along your spine, so you naturally stand taller and shave years off your appearance, says Amie Hoff, personal trainer and founder of Hoff Fitness in New York City. Working out also makes you feel more psychologically powerful, so you naturally stop slouching and straighten up, she adds.

Exercise improves your flexibility

Aging doesn't just make your opinions more inflexible—it makes your muscles and joints more fixed in place as well, leaving you feeling stiff and rickety. Regular workouts, especially stretching-oriented routines such as yoga and Pilates, keep you loose and bendy, says Hoff. "If cardio workouts are your preference, you can still boost your flexibility by warming up and cooling down with foam roller exercises," she suggests. This foam fitness tool gets rid of the knots that form in muscle, reducing rigidity.

Exercise boosts your mood

You've heard of runner's high, and that blissful mood boost can happen during any sweat-inducing cardio workout. It seems to come down to endorphins: the body chemicals your system cranks out when you're active. "Endorphins are like natural opiates," says Eric Sternlicht, PhD, associate professor of kinesiology at Chapman University. Some evidence shows that gym sessions can trigger changes in other neurotransmitters linked to pleasurable feelings, such as dopamine. And the confidence kick you get helps you feel happier too.

Exercise helps you sleep soundly

Restful sleep is like a fountain of youth, and exercise helps you achieve it. "Research shows that regular exercisers fall asleep more easily and are more likely to experience deep REM sleep," says Frisch. A heart-pumping workout tires you out, sure, but there's more to it than that. Sleeping well helps all the systems in your body function optimally, so you're less likely to feel stressed and then toss and turn all night. A recent study bears this out, finding that getting at least 150 minutes of exercise per week improved sleep quality by 65%.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ways-exercise-makes-feel-younger/story?id=29961839

How to Kickstart Your Healthy Lifestyle

So I know you have eaten those fries, pizzas, sodas and those huge burgers all your life (something that I have done too).  But we all deserve a chance in life, don’t we? To say goodbye to those poor eating habits, to come closer to natural foods, to purify our bodies with herbs and nature and to lead a healthier life as well as a prolonged lifetime.

For this, we need to adapt to a healthier eating lifestyle and kick our bad habits for good. If you have finally planned to give yourself one chance to change for good, here are a few guidelines that will help you achieving your goal.

•        Eat things closer to nature and less refined

Bring little changes to life like instead of fried potatoes go for baked or mashed ones. They are healthier and have a better content of healthy calories. Include raw fruits and vegetables in your diet, make fruits your snack. Instead of refined flour, refined rice, refined, sugar; select whole-grain flour, brown rice and brown sugar.

•        Replace soda with fresh juices

Add more juices to life. They are not only tasty and refreshing but also very very healthy for all the organs of our body including heart, liver, skin, kidneys. Add fresh fruit or vegetable juice in breakfast, it can also be your option for snack. Avoid soda as much as you can. What soda does to you is that it relieves your thirst but does not hydrate your body, rather it further dehydrates the body and your body becomes deprived of water, minerals and electrolytes. Fresh fruit juices are very hydrating and purify toxicities from the blood.

•        Follow the table manners

We all belong to the generation who eats whatever is available, whenever we feel hunger, wherever we find ourselves famished in whatever position. Whether in bed, or car, or a queue, or office, wherever and whenever; we just eat. No rules apply to us! Researchers have proposed that eating properly on the dinner table with family or friends around has a very influential impact on our diet. We eat only as much as we require, we chew properly and we take small bites. In comparison, when we eat haphazardly we always consume more, unintentionally.

•       Indulge into exercise daily

Exercise is not only for those who pursue weight loss; rather exercise is vital for all of us to remain fit and healthy. Morning exercise increases our metabolic rate, purifies our blood, strengthens out immunity system, enhances our cognitive abilities and keeps our mood jovial the entire day.

•        Get Nutty

Eat plenty of nuts all day long. They are a very healthy snack. Nuts have all necessary proteins and vitamins with zero bad calories. They induce satiety and helps in losing weight too.  Add peanuts or natural peanut butter to your breakfast. Walnuts and cashew nuts are very healthy as evening snack.

Just a few modifications in your lifestyle and you can easily beat your unhealthy and poor eating habits. For these modifications, a little will power and self control is required as most of the people in our community are kind of addicted to junk and unhealthy food.

http://goodbyedoctor.com/general-health/uncategorized/how-to-kickstart-your-healthy-lifestyle.html

Yoga Can Help Ease The Pains Of Arthritis

One in five American adults live with some form of arthritis. If you happen to be one of them, you may have tried prescription medications, pain relievers and heating pads to abate the ache in your joints.

There is no cure for the ailment, and without the right kind of care and attention, arthritis can lead to extreme physical discomfort and decreased mobility. Your doctor may have suggested walking and stretching, but if you're sick of those activities there's hopeful news: new research has found that a yoga practice can improve arthritis symptoms and put you in a better mood, too. 

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine prescribed eight weeks of yoga to 75 adults who had one of two common forms of arthritis: rheumatoid arthritis  or knee osteoarthritis (arthritis in the knee). Participants took two hour-long classes and performed one at-home session each week. After the eight weeks, researchers found a significant improvement in the participants' physical comfort, physical and psychological health and general vitality. Previous studies have found that a yoga practice can help reduce inflammation in the joints -- one of the causes of some types of arthritis. While the JHM study's sample size is small, the new findings suggest even modified yoga positions can ease daily discomforts. 

"Yoga may be especially well suited to people with arthritis because it combines physical activity with potent stress management and relaxation techniques, and focuses on respecting limitations that can change from day to day," Susan J. Bartlett, an adjunct associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins and associate professor at McGill University, and one of the study's authors, said in a press release.  

Unlike many physical pursuits, yoga has a low barrier to entry: Beginner classes welcome every level of skill, and a good teacher will show new participants how to modify a position to their needs. If you suffer from arthritis or any kind of injury, for that matter, be sure to tell your instructor before you start the class so you can get the most out of your "om."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/yoga-arthritis-benefits_55f95df6e4b0d6492d6399b9?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living&ir=Healthy%2BLiving&section=healthy-living

A Diet Rich In Fruits And Veggies Could Help Ward Off Depression

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Eating a healthy diet could help prevent depression, according to a study published in the journal BMC Medicine in September.

The study, which tracked more than 15,000 former Spanish university students, found that those who adhered to diets rich in fruit, vegetables, legumes and nuts and low in processed meats were less likely to develop depression over the 10 years of the study than those whose diets were heavier in meat and sweets. 

The diet that showed the biggest reduction in depression risk was the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010, which is similar to the Mediterranean diet and includes vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and moderate alcohol consumption.

It's worth noting that while adhering even moderately to one of the healthy diets was associated with decreased depression risk, adhering strictly or extremely strictly did not yield extra depression protection benefits.  

It's been a boom year for mental health and nutrition research.

Although at this point research is too limited to make official policy suggestions, the link between mental health and diet was considered for the first time by a major advisory task force, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, in February 2015.  

"I’m proud that we took that up and I hope that it’ll be a part of nutrition research moving forward," Tom Brenna, a member of the advisory committee and a professor at Cornell University previously told The Huffington Post. "What happens above the neck is pretty important.”

And just last week, a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health found that people in Europe who ate the most fish were 17 percent less likely to be depressed than people who ate the least amount of fish.

Researchers hypothesized that the fatty acids in fish could affect the brain's neurotransmitters, which play a role in depression. The suggestion is in line with the American Psychiatric's Association's classification of omega-3 fatty acid supplements as "complementary therapy" for major depressive disorder. Of course, it's also possible that the study participants who ate the most fish had healthier diets overall.  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fruits-and-vegetables-diet-depression_55f82d89e4b00e2cd5e7ed6b?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living&ir=Healthy%2BLiving&section=healthy-living

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What is more important Diet or Exercise?

One way or another, when approaching to healthier lifestyle, we tend to validate and question which one is more important: diet or exercise?
Let`s give an honest overall opinion on this; every time I hear the saying that being or looking fit is “80 percent diet and 20 percent exercise”, I cringe. When posing the question if diet is incredibly important to fat loss, weight loss, and/or a healthy body? The answer is -Yes.

Then again, we wonder if working out is essential to fat loss, weight loss, and a healthy body? Yet, again – Yes; completely.

Both are equally necessary for a strong, healthy, good-looking body; there’s no reason to diminish one to another; both have important roles for your projected lifestyle change.

Furthermore, the minimization of the value of workouts is an over simplified, overly dramatic response to the incorrect assumption that you can out-exercise a bad diet.

To minimize the importance of exercise is to completely ignore the fact that working out has the capacity to strengthen your heart and your immune system, increase bone density, prevent diabetes, cancer and heart disease, increase your lung capacity, and more. For this reason, we think it’s wrong to downplay the role of exercise in both weight loss and health.

There is a big difference in weight loss via diet, and weight loss via diet and exercise; the method that is proven to be healthier, and leads to a body that is capable, and strong. When losing weight from diet alone you`ll end up to be frail, and your health will suffer.

It’s true that it’s much easier to decrease a significant number of calories compared to how difficult is to burn them off through exercise. For example, let’s take a hypothetical huge holiday cheat for example, where a person has consumed upwards of 7000 calories. How likely is it that they have the endurance or the time to burn off that many calories? Eventually, it adds up to weight gain.

Without exercise, a person will be forced to maintain a very low calorie diet, which is not pleasant, reasonable, or healthy. Additionally, unless a person is being completely on point with their food choices, it also lessens the likelihood that a person is easily able to get all of the vitamins and nutrients that they need.

Diet-dominate weight loss focuses on deprivation from food, instead of the growth and increase in strength and endurance that comes with exercise. Exercise increases confidence, which in turn can increase the likelihood of making smart food choices.

 In closing, we definitely, believe that diet is enormously important to fitness, weight loss, and health. However, we don’t see why the value of exercise needs to be diminished as well.

http://www.losingweightpro.com/weight-loss-diets/what-is-more-important-diet-or-exercise

Top 10 Reasons to Stay Healthy

We know by now that we need to work out, need to eat the right foods and do stuff that is “healthy for us,” but sometimes when we’re waking up at 5 am to hit the treadmill before work or shunning the donuts at the breakfast meeting, its easy to lose sight of what we’re doing this all for.

So here’s the quick & dirty, Mark’s Daily Apple top 10 reasons why you need and want to stay healthy. Stick this list up on your fridge, tuck it in your workout bag, heck, have it tattooed on your forehead… whatever it takes to keep you motivated to lead that healthy lifestyle!

Live Longer:

You never questioned the fact that you would need to contribute to your retirement fund at work, so why would you question an investment in your health? There is a huge body of evidence suggesting that healthy living — both in terms of exercising, eating well, and staying on top of health screenings and physicians visits — can keep you living healthy and living longer! In fact, in a recent evaluation of 20,000 people published in the Public Library of Science Medicine, it was found that people who exercise regularly, drink alcohol only in moderation, consume a nutritious diet and avoid smoking can tack an additional 14 years on to their life expectancy. Not bad, eh?

Thrive Not Just Survive:

Lets face it, living to 100 really isn’t going to matter if, at that age, you are bedridden and unable to enjoy the fruits of your labors! We need to stay healthy so that when we’re blowing out the candles at our centennial celebration, we’re able to cut a rug on the dance floor immediately after!

More Energy:

It might seem counterintuitive that when you are feeling fatigued, you should go exercise, but the reality is working out – be it a quick walk around the block, participating in a yoga class or embarking on a solitude hike – can give you the kick that you need to keep going through the day. The reason? Exercise stimulates the release of feel-good endorphins that not only make you feel better but also up your energy levels.

Avoid Disease/Illness:

In addition to keeping you looking good, regular exercise and a healthy diet can help reduce free radicals as well as promote the release of toxins associated with disease and infections. A healthy lifestyle helps stave off hypertension (high blood pressure), promote healthy cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of diabetes, and keep your ticker in shape!

Keep Medical Costs Down:

When a study came out in recent weeks suggesting that obese people are cheaper to treat than healthier weight people, the scientific community was up in arms! The study, conducted by researchers at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands, suggested that since healthier people tend to live longer, their medical costs were higher. However, the researchers acknowledged that the cost per year was far higher for obese people than their thinner counterparts up to age 56 and that the extra cost for healthier people was associated with “life years gained.” Our verdict? It’s better to live longer and spread out all those physician visits than shun the healthy lifestyle and pass your days sitting around in the doctor’s waiting room!

For your Kids and Grandkids:

For many of us, we want to be there for all of our children’s milestones — the proms, graduations, weddings and births of your grandchildren — and for others, well, some others just want to be there so that when said grandchildren use their apple sauce to reupholster the fancy couch they can chuckle softly to themselves and let out a hearty “I told you so!”

Empowerment and Confidence:

Remember the way that you feel after completing that long run? After lifting your personal best at the gym? There you are sweaty and worn out and still feeling so darn good! And that feeling carries over and translates into the way you present yourself as well as how you are perceived by others.

Look Better:

There’s a mountain of undergarments — for both men and women — that can help you look better in your clothes, whether its padding out certain areas or sucking in others. However, when it’s you and only you filling out those jeans it just feels so much better. In addition, leading a healthy lifestyle can also improve the appearance of your skin, teeth and nails and give you that certain glow that makes you look great!

Better Mental Health:

In a study conducted by researchers at Duke University it was found that exercising for 30 minutes, three times a week can help an estimated 60% of patients overcome their depression without using anti-depressant medications. In addition, exercise can give you the time you need to relax, take a break and deal with the problem at hand!

Better Sex:

Did you know that one of the first signs of blood pressure troubles in men is uhh… failure to stand to attention? Yep, if your body isn’t in shape, it shuns extra-curricular activities – such as sex – to protect you and allow the body time to recover. However, in a study of 600 men conducted by researchers at Boston University, it was found that a brisk 2 mile walk per day can significantly reduce the risk of erectile deficiency (ED). Healthy eating can also lead to better sex. For example, a diet rich in heart-healthy Omega-3’s (from fish, leafy green vegetables) and foods rich in L-Arginine, such as cashews, walnuts, root vegetables, garlic, ginseng, soybeans, chickpeas and seeds can help boost circulation and thus improve erectile response.

 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/reasons-to-stay-healthy/#ixzz3lIuuUI6S

Eight tips for healthy eating

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best. It doesn't have to be difficult either. Just follow these eight tips to get started.

The key to a healthy diet is to do the following:

• Eat the right amount of calories for how active you are, so that you balance the energy you consume with the energy you use. If you eat or drink too much, you’ll put on weight. If you eat and drink too little, you’ll lose weight. It is recommended that men have around 2,500 calories a day (10,500 kilojoules). Women should have around 2,000 calories a day (8,400 kilojoules). Most adults are eating more calories than they need, and should eat fewer calories.
• Eat a wide range of foods to ensure that you’re getting a balanced diet and that your body is receiving all the nutrients it needs.

Get started

These practical tips cover the basics of healthy eating, and can help you make healthier choices:

Base your meals on starchy foods

Starchy foods should make up around one third of the foods you eat. Starchy foods include potatoes, cereals, pasta, rice and bread. Choose wholegrain varieties (or eat potatoes with their skins on) when you can: they contain more fibre, and can help you feel full.

Most of us should eat more starchy foods: try to include at least one starchy food with each main meal. Some people think starchy foods are fattening, but gram for gram the carbohydrate they contain provides fewer than half the calories of fat.

Eat lots of fruit and veg

It’s recommended that we eat at least five portions of different types of fruit and veg a day. It’s easier than it sounds. A glass of unsweetened 100% fruit juice (150ml) can count as one portion, and vegetables cooked into dishes also count. Why not chop a banana over your breakfast cereal, or swap your usual mid-morning snack for a piece of fresh fruit?

Eat more fish

Fish is a good source of protein and contains many vitamins and minerals. Aim to eat at least two portions of fish a week, including at least one portion of oily fish. Oily fish contains omega-3 fats, which may help to prevent heart disease. You can choose from fresh, frozen and canned: but remember that canned and smoked fish can be high in salt.

Oily fish include salmon, mackerel, trout, herring, fresh tuna, sardines and pilchards. Non-oily fish include haddock, plaice, coley, cod, tinned tuna, skate and hake. If you regularly eat a lot of fish, try to choose as wide a variety as possible.

Cut down on saturated fat and sugar

We all need some fat in our diet. But it’s important to pay attention to the amount and type of fat we’re eating. There are two main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your risk of developing heart disease.

Saturated fat is found in many foods, such as hard cheese, cakes, biscuits, sausages, cream, butter, lard and pies. Try to cut down on your saturated fat intake, and choose foods that contain unsaturated fats instead, such as vegetable oils, oily fish and avocados.

For a healthier choice, use just a small amount of vegetable oil or reduced-fat spread instead of butter, lard or ghee. When you're having meat, choose lean cuts and cut off any visible fat. 

Most people in the UK eat and drink too much sugar. Sugary foods and drinks, including alcoholic drinks, are often high in energy (measured in kilojoules or calories), and if eaten too often, can contribute to weight gain. They can also cause tooth decay, especially if eaten between meals.

Cut down on sugary fizzy drinks, alcoholic drinks, sugary breakfast cereals, cakes, biscuits and pastries, which contain added sugars: this is the kind of sugar we should be cutting down on, rather than sugars that are found in things such as fruit and milk.

Food labels can help: use them to check how much sugar foods contain. More than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g means that the food is high in sugar, while 5g of total sugars or less per 100g means that the food is low in sugar.

Eat less salt

Even if you don’t add salt to your food, you may still be eating too much. About three-quarters of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy, such as breakfast cereals, soups, breads and sauces. Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke.

Use food labels to help you cut down. More than 1.5g of salt per 100g means the food is high in salt. Adults and children over 11 should eat no more than 6g of salt a day. Younger children should have even less.

Get active and be a healthy weight

Eating a healthy, balanced diet plays an essential role in maintaining a healthy weight, which is an important part of overall good health. Being overweight or obese can lead to health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease and stroke. Being underweight could also affect your health. Check whether you’re a healthy weight by using our Healthy weight calculator.

Most adults need to lose weight, and need to eat fewer calories to do this. If you're trying to lose weight, aim to eat less and be more active. Eating a healthy, balanced diet will help: aim to cut down on foods that are high in fat and sugar, and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Don't forget that alcohol is also high in calories, so cutting down can help you to control your weight. 

Physical activity can help you to maintain weight loss or be a healthy weight. Being active doesn’t have to mean hours at the gym: you can find ways to fit more activity into your daily life. For example, try getting off the bus one stop early on the way home from work, and walking. Being physically active may help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. For more ideas, see Get active your way.

After getting active, remember not to reward yourself with a treat that is high in energy. If you feel hungry after activity, choose foods or drinks that are lower in calories, but still filling.

If you’re underweight, see our page on underweight adults. If you're worried about your weight, ask your GP or a dietitian for advice.

Don't get thirsty

We need to drink about 1.6 to 2 litres of fluid every day to stop us getting dehydrated. This is in addition to the fluid we get from the food we eat. All non-alcoholic drinks count, but water and lower-fat milk are healthier choices. 

Try to avoid sugary soft and fizzy drinks that are high in added sugars and calories, and are also bad for teeth. Even unsweetened fruit juice is sugary, so try to limit how much you drink to no more than one glass (about 150ml) of fruit juice each day.

When the weather is warm, or when we get active, we may need more fluids.

Don’t skip breakfast

Some people skip breakfast because they think it will help them lose weight. In fact, research shows that eating breakfast can help people control their weight. A healthy breakfast is an important part of a balanced diet, and provides some of the vitamins and minerals we need for good health. A wholegrain, lower-sugar cereal with fruit sliced over the top is a tasty and nutritious breakfast.

More information

• To help you get the right balance of the four main food groups, take a look at the eatwell plate. To maintain a healthy diet, the eatwell plate shows you how much of what you eat should come from each food group. It's important to have only small amounts of foods high in fat and/or sugar.
• Learn how to have a balanced diet, and read about the energy contained in food in our page on understanding calories.
• Download Losing weight: Getting started, a 12-week weight loss guide that combines advice on healthier eating and physical activity.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/eight-tips-healthy-eating.aspx