Every medical professional will tell you that exercise is important. In fact, getting enough exercise is vital to the health of our body. And, we do not realize that exercise is really as important as eating right. Too often, exercise is connected with losing weight. And, while exercise is an important part of weight loss, it is also an important part of our daily health. Therefore, regardless of your weight loss goals, exercise should be part of your lifestyle. How much exercise is the right amount of exercise to be healthy?

Health experts say that 90 minutes of exercise a week is the optimal amount of exercise to remain healthy. For the average person, this means you could spend 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week, exercising. Ideally, aerobic exercise is the best type of exercise because it is the best for you heart. As you exercise, your heart muscle will get stronger. And, aerobic exercise increases your heart rate, which helps circulate your blood flow. And, or course, aerobic exercise does burn the most calories.

If you are not currently exercising 3 times a week, consider starting a routine. You will be healthier. And, you do not have to run a marathon to get a good aerobic workout!

Today we have more access to a variety of foods and more access to nutrition information than ever. While this is a great benefit, it can also be overwhelming and make choosing the right foods difficult. The following options might be beneficial when you are unsure what decisions to make when it comes to nutrition:

1. Eat Smart, Be Fit, and Live Longer. This is the mentality of those who lived in Blue Zones – areas where people lived to ages of 100 years old. Try eating a plant based diet.
2. Choose Carbs That Satisfy You. more info

If possible, focus on complex caborhydrates – whole grains, legumes, and vegetables.
3. Add Nutrients To Your Diet. Make sure you are getting your daily intake of calcium and the vitamins you need.
4. Eat Treats, But Save Them For A Special Day!
5. Do not over salt. While sodium is good, too much can lead to risk of disease.
6. Try eating foods that are good for you. Most of us know what these foods are, so implement them in your diet.
7. Portion control your meals so that you do not eat more than you should.
8. Eat good proteins. Avoid fried foods and stick with the grilled option.

Heart disease causes half of all deaths within the United States each year and is the leading cause of death worldwide. While there are some factors that are uncontrollable, many factors contributing to heart disease are easily preventable by creating lifestyle changes.

High blood pressure is a major cause of heart disease, and high cholesterol greatly increases your chance of high blood pressure. To prevent high cholesterol, you need to avoid saturated fats found in red meats and dairy products such as cheese and butter. You’ll also need to avoid other foods containing high amounts of oils and fats. Fish and chicken are much healthier alternatives. Also, choose baked rather than fried food and add more heart healthy fruits and vegetables into your daily food intake. Caffeine and salt should also be avoided as much as possible.

A heart healthy diet has been shown to be one of the best controllable ways to prevent heart disease and promote longevity. Talk with your doctor and check with the American Heart Association for the creation of the best possible heart healthy diet.

Another major contributor to heart disease is smoking. It cannot be stressed enough that in order to prevent heart disease you should not smoke. Smoking is a major lifestyle contributor to heart disease deaths. Smoking makes your heart have to work harder and also contributes to high blood pressure. Even if you’ve been smoking for years, you can reap substantial heart healthy benefits by quitting now. This greatly reduces the chances of developing heart disease, and the longer you stay quit, the healthier you and heart will become.

Obesity is also a major preventable contributor to heart disease. It is an increasingly common health problem in the United States and is responsible for much of the rising rates of heart disease related deaths in the country. To combat obesity, you need to develop a plan combining the reduction of caloric intake along with an exercise program developed to target weight loss. You need to incorporate new healthier eating habits not just in the short term for weight loss, but as a long-term lifestyle change to keep the weight off and to remain healthy.

Even if you are not obese, your chances of developing heart disease are much higher if you live a sedentary lifestyle. You should exercise at levels that increase your heart rate for at least 30 minutes three times a week. Your exercise does not necessarily have to be intense, as you will experience heart healthy results even with moderate levels of exercise. Exercise can be an enjoyable experience if you choose healthy activities that you enjoy.

Besides the major contributors, alcohol can also increase the chances of developing heart disease. Moderate drinking (one to two drinks per day) can actually reduce the chances of developing heart disease. However, binge drinking or drinking excessively contributes to heart related problems and will also raise the level of fats within the blood and body.

Stress contributes to the development of heart disease, so learn to properly identify and deal with the causes of stress in your life. Learn stress reduction techniques to avoid negative affects on your heart’s health.

While there are contributing factors out of our control such as heredity and age, you can make lifestyle changes to greatly reduce your chances of developing heart disease. Create a lifestyle of heart healthy living, and you will greatly decrease your chances of suffering heart disease related death. Promote your health and longevity by creating a heart healthy lifestyle.

Article Source:  ezinearticles

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