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eLearning Series:
Live Healthy, Eat Healthy & Be Healthy
Health and Fitness Tips
( 10 pages )
A
Brief Introduction
More than any other
time in history, people are all vying to have the best, healthiest
body possible. The health and fitness industries are
making billions of dollars every year on herbal supplements, fitness
equipment, gyms, and special diets. If you watch TV or read
magazines, there is always some intriguing commercial asking
for money to help you get into shape. While many of
these options are good and healthy, others you should stay
as far
away from as possible. In recent years, a professional baseball
player died at the age of 23. In his locker, a bottle was
discovered
containing Ephedrine. The FDA shortly therafter issued a
warning that people
need to heed.
Now that you have
made a commitment to take care of your body, both internal and
external, it is critical to your overall health that you do
it the right way. Here are some tips for both health and fitness
that will help you lose weight, discover ways to maintain a
better healthy lifestyle, and be in the best shape of your life
– all the smart way!
For sake of clarity,
we have broken this down into two categories. One for health,
which focuses on herbal supplements, weight loss, dieting, rest,
and everything you need to know about taking care of your body
on the inside.
The other section
is fitness, which has both internal and
external benefits. On the outside, fitness includes weight
lifting, running, sports,
walking, things you can do to enhance, tone, and build muscle.
However, fitness also has benefits on the inside such
as great
cardiovascular benefits among other things.
The Top 10 Health Tips
First, we will
start out with Health:
1.
Acupuncture
The use of acupuncture
dates back more than 2,000 years. This is a traditional medicine
of Japan, China, and other Eastern countries. The use of acupuncture
is beneficial in that it stimulates areas of the body that have
a direct correlation to internal organs. By placing fine needles
into specific points, the body is encouraged to promote natural
healing, improve function, and provide an overall boost to your
system. When these needles are inserted, they go into Meridians,
which are channels somewhat like streams within the body. Just
as there might be a boulder sitting in a stream blocking the
flow of water, it can be the same for the channels of blood
in your system. Acupuncture helps to remove these obstacles
by providing stimulation, thus improving health.
2.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is
a method used to help blood pressure, muscle tension, heart
rates, brain activity, and other bodily functions. Basically,
biofeedback is a painless system that is hooked up to your body
and then through electrical signals received from tightening
of your muscles, you would be able to receive those signals
by a light telling you that you are tightening your muscles.
This in turn trains you to be aware of when you are bringing
on stress and to help you identify when you need to relax your
body. Biofeedback is very successful and can be used for migraine
headaches, chronic pain, high blood pressure, epilepsy, and
much more, which can occur when you tense up.
3.
Therapeutic Massage
You might be thinking
what does getting a massage do for my health other than to make
me feel good. Actually, therapeutic massage has many benefits.
For example, it can help alleviate pain, reduce stress, and
promote good health. When a person gets a therapeutic massage,
they are actually getting the benefit of function improvement
with circulatory, muscular, skeletal, nervous systems, lymphatic,
and can even help the body heal after an illness or injury.
Depending on what the specific health issue, there is a Swedish
Massage, which is a more relaxing massage good for headaches,
back stress, and muscle cramps, Pressure Point Therapy, helpful
for some injuries as well as circulation problems, headache
and muscle tension, insomnia, anxiety, and more. Finally, Sports
Massage focuses on muscle groups used for different sports.
Licensed masseuse can help with the issues mentioned as well
as allergies, arthritis, asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome, depression,
digestive disorders, myofascial pain, limited range of motion,
sinusitis, and TMJ. The next time you tell someone you are going
to get a massage, you can simply explain that it is for the
benefit of your health.
4.
Eat Less Later in the Day
Everyone knows,
whether they want to admit it or not, reducing calories will
help you to lose weight. However, just as you should reduce
the calorie intake, you need to know when to eat. Breakfast
is the most important meal of the day and the one meal that
should not be missed. Lunch should be healthy but a less than
what you ate for breakfast. As you approach dinner, eat healthy
but light. Avoid after dinner snacks or eating before bed!
5.
Saucy but Healthy
Eating bland foods
is boring, unsatisfying, and if that is what your diet consists
of, more than likely, you will be off it shortly after you start.
If you enjoy good tasting food, some sauces and spices can enhance
your food while not adding calories to your food. The next you
grill meat, consider using one of these:
• Reduced-salt
Soy Sauce
• Mustard
• Salsa
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Vinegar (this comes in wonderful flavors)
• Teriyaki Sauce
• Tomato Sauce
• Hot Sauce
6.
Supplements and Vitamins
While some supplements
and vitamins on the market are not worth buying and some, such
as Ephedrine, have been proven dangerous, other sources are
healthy. Most important, you need to understand what it is you
are taking, and strictly follow dosage just as you would medication
that has been prescribed. If you are unsure, check with your
physician, a nutritionist, or a reputable health food store.
Many supplements that are good for overall health include grape
seed extract, Glucosamine, aloe vera, and Selenium. Vitamins
to consider would include Vitamin E, Vitamin C, B-12, Iron,
Magnesium, and Calcium.
7.
Eliminate Stress
You have probably
heard this before. Stress is a key contributor to poor health.
Study after study has found that when a person is stressed,
the body reacts. The result of stress could be high-blood pressure,
tension headaches, upset stomachs, poor posture, and so on.
Keeping stress in check will help you manage your overall health
much better.
8.
ZZZZZZZZZZZ
Does sleep really
affect health? You bet it does. During sleep, your body is resting
and recovering from all the work is has done throughout the
day. Your serotonin levels are brought back in line, your muscles
relax, and mind is allowed to clear itself in preparation for
the next day. If you are not getting the proper amount of sleep,
you will notice it in a physical way. While there is no magic
number, usually between six and eight hours a night is appropriate.
If you have difficulty getting to sleep, before you climb into
bed, try Yoga, listening to soft, relaxing music, a glass of
wine, or if you can talk someone into it, a good massage.
9.
Laugh it Off
The medical field
has proven that laughter actually works with your body toward
good health. Have you ever heard the expression, “Laughter is
the best medicine”? The truth is, when you laugh, several positive
things happen. Your muscles relax; stress hormone product is
reduced; you forget about pain; your body’s immune system is
improved; high-blood pressure is lowered; the heart and lungs
are strengthened; and overall, you feel better!
10.
Nutrition
People often confuse
“dieting” with nutrition. Your body needs to have nutrients
replaced, whether through foods being eaten or supplements.
Do you remember what you learned in elementary school about
the four major food groups? As adult, eating balanced meals
from these groups still applies. It is important to remove the
“junk food” from your diet and stick with healthy foods. If
you do not like certain things such as fruits or vegetables,
be sure you are taking a supplement to get the nutrients needed.
Another consideration is if you are a vegetarian. There are
certain benefits taken from meat such as iron and B-12 that
you should consider taking a supplement for in exchange for
the meat.
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