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As a baby boomer it is so important that we eat right and develop a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle. We all need to lose weight to live longer. Gone are the days where we can eat however we want and gain no weight. Gone are the days that exercise was easy and recovering from sickness and injuries was a piece of cake. Every physical problem, every health and weight gaining issue is now intensified. Truly if you are over forty like me you know the fight to stay in shape and maintain our weight is not easy. We have years of bad habits to change if we want to live longer healthier lives.
If I am like most baby boomers I see the sickness and death of friends and relatives. This frightens me. My mortality is in my face. But there is something We can do about it. It starts with our diet. These 7 simple tips can help us lose weight and prevent major diseases.
Tip #1 Drink Plenty of Water
Water is needed to help the functions of all of our organs especially our digestive system. Our digestive system is the center of our health. This is where food is converted and the nutrition is sent throughout our bodies while the waste should be eliminated. Water helps our metabolism, energy and general hydration. Water is also important for weight loss. The best thing we can do for our health is to drink plenty water, about 8 glasses a day.
Tip #2 Eat 9 Servings of Fruit and Vegetables Daily
The USDA recommends 9 servings of fruit and vegetables daily. Fruit and vegetables along with whole grains, nuts and beans make up the seed bearing plant that God said he gave man to eat as food. Accordingly the best diet is one with of variety of fresh fruit and raw vegetables. Fruit and vegetables offer all the vitamins and nutrition we need in a healthy diet. We also get antioxidants to fight the many diseases that plague us. Fruit and vegetables are lean offering minimal fat with maximum protein and carbohydrates. They give us energy, increase our metabolism and improve our immune system. The maximum benefit of vitamins, minerals and nutrients come from fresh, organic, raw, uncooked fruit and vegetables. Therefore you avoid the chemicals of processing and preserving. Cooking can kill all of the nutritional value of fruit and vegetables. The easiest and best way to get 9 or more servings of fresh fruit and raw vegetables is to juice.
Tip #3 Eat Early, Eat Often, Eat Less
To start your day with a healthy breakfast ignites your metabolism and your mental awareness. There is nothing worse than being physically and mentally sluggish. We should eat 5 to 6 times a day every two to three hours eating smaller portions as this makes our food easier to digest. A healthy snack in between each meal as well as a glass of water or tea keeps us energized and productive throughout the day. As we eat early, often and less we also move to our optimal weight and fight disease while optimizing the functions of our mind and body.
Tip #4 Drink Natural Tea
Tea is a seed bearing plant that God gave us as food to eat. Tea is an herb that offers medicinal, health, weight loss and nutritional benefits like fruit and vegetables. Green Tea, Pu-er Tea,Oolong Tea, Wu-Yi Tea and more all have antioxidant qualities to help fight disease as well as weight loss benefits. There are no calories in tea. Tea can serve as a substitute for water as part of your healthy diet.
Tip #5 Avoid unHealthy Food and Drinks
Refined sugars, excess sodium, food preservatives and artificial sweeteners are all major culprits to our being overweight fighting diseases. Quite often our diets are full of useless and often harmful calories with no nutritional substance. Who can say no to German Chocolate Cake, home made ice cream or peach cobbler? What about another can of your favorite soft drink? Can we give these up? These are all addictive. Just like drugs, alcohol and cigarettes, sweeteners, sugar, and sodium are all addictive and are added to foods to get us hooked. Money not health is the major goal of the food industry and we need to take charge of our personal health and wellness.
Tip #6 Regular Physical Exercise
Yes exercise strengthens our muscles, builds stamina, helps us lose weight and make us look good. But regular physical exercise also helps us fight disease and builds up our immune system. We need both aerobic exercise and strength training for optimal health. As baby boomers we need to avoid high impact exercise as many times our bones can not handle this. But, 30 to 60 minutes a day of aerobic and strength training will do wonders for us. We we lived in a primary agriculture or even factory society most people got there exercise from work. Now we must be intentional about exercising daily.
Tip #7 Fresh Air, Sunlight and Sleep
Quite often we ignore the importance of fresh air, sunlight and sleep. Living such a fast paced life we rarely take time to get outside to get fresh air and sunlight. Our bodies require fresh oxygen. If we continue to only breathe indoor air we are recycling the waste the we exhale. God made plants to take in our waste and give us fresh oxygen and we need the sun to promote growth in our bodies. Have you ever noticed the best athletes are generally from the warmer climates. They get lots of fresh air and sunlight. If we eat right, drink right, exercise right, get fresh air and sunlight we will sleep better. Our bodies need to renew and rejuvenate themselves.
So to live longer healthier lives we need to adhere to these healthy diet tips; Drink Plenty of Water, Eat Fruit and Vegetables, Eat Early Often and Less, Drink Natural Tea, AvoidunHealthy Food and Drinks, Regular Physical Exercise, Get Plenty of Fresh Air, Sunlight and Sleep.
