7 Steps To A Healthy Body And Mind
Getting your body into shape does not have to be an exercise in extremes, and most of us already know what is needed to stay in pretty good shape – it’s called the common sense diet. Here’s a reminder of the basics of how to stay healthy, happy, and hopefully a bit slimmer! Text by Philippa Hudson
1. Eat A Variety Of Foods
Your body needs numerous different food types to perform at its peak, so don’t be conned into diets that make you cut out an entire food group. Eating a wide variety of foods will ensure you get the energy you need, with a proper dose of vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates and fibre.
2. Eat More Vegetables And Fruit
Fruits are a fabulous source of vitamins, especially vitamin C, which is found in high quantities in citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwi fruit and more. They are also an excellent source of fibre and carbohydrates, your body’s favourite kind of fuel. Vegetables are also loaded with vitamins and minerals, and the darker the colour, the better they are for you – so eat lots of spinach, carrots, beetroot, tomatoes, pumpkin and broccoli. They provide carbohydrates for your basic energy needs, and fibre for your digestive system.
3. Eat Less Salt, Sugar And Fat
Most of us eat far more salt than our body actually needs, resulting in a heightened risk of high blood pressure and numerous associated medical conditions. So get into the habit of tasting your food before you add salt – don’t just do what so many of us do, and sprinkle it on before we’ve even had a bite!
Fatty, oily, sweet foods are a great source of calories, but provide few or even no vitamins and minerals. You do however need some fat in your diet, so it doesn’t make sense to give it up entirely. Be sensible about it – treat yourself every now and then. Choose lower-fat options when they are available (e.g. in milk, yoghurt and cream cheese) and go easy on the amount of fats you add to your food after it’s prepared.
Sugar is a great source of carbohydrates for quick energy, but is loaded with calories and doesn’t offer much in the way of nutritional value. It not only helps pile on the kilograms, but can also contribute to tooth decay.
4. Reverse The Way You Eat
With our hectic modern lifestyles, many of us skip breakfast altogether, have a snack lunch at work and then eat a huge dinner at night. We’ve got it the wrong way round! Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day – you should eat properly, with a good serving of a variety of foods to give you all the energy you need to start your day. Lunch should be a moderately-sized meal, and dinner should be your lightest meal of the day, eaten well before you go to bed.
5. Drink Less Alcohol
Beer, wine and spirits provide calories, but few to no nutrients. In addition to this, the after-effects of intoxication are bad for you. So if you drink, do so in moderation, and never get behind the wheel afterwards. While it is accepted that one glass of wine a day can help protect against heart disease, this is hardly worth it if glasses two, three and four result in liver damage or a car accident.
6. Lead A Healthier Lifestyle
That means quit smoking, try to stress less – or find an outlet to help relieve your stress – like sport, a hobby, a holiday or even just a nice long bubble bath. Make sure you get enough sleep too. And go for regular check-ups with your doctor, even if it’s only once a year.
7. Get Active
At the end of the day there are only two ways to lose weight – either reduce the number of calories going in, or increase the number of calories being burned off. Exercise is not only good for weight control, but it benefits your health in numerous ways, including stress control, cardiovascular fitness, and reducing your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes.
