Supplements, Diet and Exercise for Healthy Aging
Karen Walker

Recently a television health expert was discussing the topic,
How to stay young looking for the post-50 set. It was pretty
much the standard take good care of your skin, eat right and
exercise list until the last item. He stated, Take your drugs
every day. One of the best ways to look younger is to stay
healthy. Wait a minute! When did the use of prescription drugs
become a mainstay of a healthy lifestyle in this country?

Now, no doubt about it, the drug industry is big business. All
those prime time TV ads are marketed to specific audiences. Just
watch the evening news and nearly all the national ads are for
drugs or medical equipment and services. Between the drug
companies and the media, they would have us believing that poor
health is the normal, natural state of the human condition. But
is this really what we should expect?

One side effect of our so-called healthy, modern lifestyle is
that all these drugs, devices and services come with a hefty
price tag to the users. A recent study published in the American
Medical Association journal showed that 95,000 people die from
the use of PROPERLY prescribed drugs each year in the United
States alone. Thousands more are sickened by adverse reactions to
medications. That is right, folks, the facts show that the very
drugs your doctor prescribes to alleviate your symptoms of
illness can do you serious, permanent harm.

What about the financial cost? Recent statistics indicate that
one of the largest groups now filing bankruptcy are people WITH
medical insurance but unable to pay the medical bills and other
associated costs of illness that insurance doesnt cover. Is that
what we should expect from our golden years- to give our gold
to the health care industry just to eke out a few more months or
years of existence while suffering the effects of debilitating
diseases? Is this what you picture for yourself in the future?
Are you suffering now?

The experts agree there are certain basic things we can do to
stay healthier as we age. Most of this youve probably heard
before, yet keep in mind, these suggestions only work if you put
them to use in your life.

First, proper hydration is essential. Our bodies are 90% water
and 8-10 8 oz. glasses are needed every day just to maintain the
proper fluid balance in the body for cell function.

Regular exercise is another vital part of healthy aging. 20
minutes of aerobic exercise- perhaps just taking a walk-three
days a week alternating with moderate weight lifting is a good
routine nearly every one can follow. Research shows that
following a weight lifting program can improve both strength and
agility, no matter what your age. Of course, check with your
doctor first before starting any new exercise program and take
the time to learn proper technique for both safetys sake and the
maximum benefit from your efforts. Be sure to take one day off
each week to allow your body time to rest and recuperate.

Get sufficient sleep. Time spent asleep is grossly undervalued in
our society. It is during the sleep cycle that the body repairs
and rejuvenates itself.

A proper diet of balanced protein and complex carbohydrates with
small amounts of essential fats promotes both physical health and
mental alertness. Remember, what you fuel your body with directly
impacts your performance level in a big way. Avoid processed
foods, artificial colors, flavorings, sweeteners and
preservatives. Eat foods as close to their natural state as
possible. Stop thinking of the fast food drive up window as your
friend.

Unfortunately, experts agree that it is nearly impossible to
adequately meet your nutritional needs with our modern diet
alone. Our soils have been depleted of most essential nutrients
since the 1930s. Farmers regularly replace nutrients required
for plant growth-nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but it is up
to us to replace the minerals and other nutrients missing from
our diets.

Modern processing and marketing techniques also contribute to our
lack of adequate nutrition. Produce picked in its green state,
then allowed to ripen in transit to market often lacks the
nutritional quality of their field ripened cousins.

Poor nutrition combined with the stress of our modern lifestyle
and constant exposure to environmental toxins means it is
unreasonable to expect good health in our mature years (or any
year, for that matter) without adequate supplementation.

Picking the correct supplement is essential to your health as
well. The vast array of options are enough to make your head
spin. Testing by independent labs show huge differences in
quality between brands. The cheapest drug store has everything
vitamin may not have much in the way of active ingredients, but
the most expensive brands may not, either. Once again, take the
time to do the research. Find out what quality control methods
the company uses. Are their products manufactured to
pharmaceutical standards? What is the companys commitment to
using the best available ingredients and how do they test for
ingredient quality?

In addition, investigate the latest scientific evidence on what
nutrients are needed for good health. There have been important
breakthroughs recently in our understanding of what cells need to
function and how proper cellular nutrition contributes to the
bodys ability to restore and repair itself. Find a nutrition
company whose products reflect these advances.

The last, and perhaps most important way to stay healthy as the
years go by, is to pay attention to you. Respect yourself enough
to take care of your physical needs. If something needs fixing,
do it. Learn to like yourself if you havent already. Dont just
feed your body, feed your mind as well. Make your brain work.
Take time to laugh everyday. Laughter stimulates the immune
system and just plain makes living more fun. Do the things in
life that give you pleasure. After all, there is more to life
than work and worry. You deserve to be happy, but it is up to you
to BE happy. When it comes down to it, you are all youve got. Be
someone whose company you enjoy.

Doing all these things wont guarantee you a long, healthy life.
After all, times and unforeseen circumstances befall us all.
But they may help the time you do have on this planet be
enjoyable for you and those whose life you impact. Best wishes
for a good life!

About the Author

Karen Walker is a life long student of healthy living. She works from her home in Montana.

www.keephealthkeepwealth.com

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Nutrition for a healthy lifestyle
John Gibb

Nutrition for a healthy lifestyle can be a large step in maintaining your body’s physical performance and your mind’s well-being. Proper nutrition is often neglected in this day and age, with most people opting for fast food’s convenience and low price. However, there are plenty of foods you can eat that are simple to prepare and low in cost that can help give your body the materials it needs to be in its best working condition.

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is a must. They provide the body with nutrients it cannot receive elsewhere, and often feature anti-oxidants, a type of compound which helps the body to fight off free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that attack the cell membranes in your body, resulting in serious damage. Anti oxidants can be found in such foods as wild blueberries and tomatoes.

Nutrition for a healthy lifestyle can also be maintained through regular use of supplements. There are many once-a-day pills out there that help you reach your daily required value of the vitamins and minerals your body needs to function properly.

Nutrition for a healthy lifestyle also requires you to eat a certain amount of proteins and carbohydrates. Proteins give the body a means for creating new tissues, and for helping to repair old tissues. Without a high protein intake, your body will begin to break down.

Carbohydrates, on the other hand, play as the energy source for the body. Without enough carbohydrates, you will begin to feel sluggish and lazy. Too much, however, can also be a problem.

Your best bet is to visit a nutritionist, find a diet that is right for you, and take a supplement to give your body the vitamins and minerals it needs. Look for a supplement that contains all the vitamins you need and a level of calcium. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and a lack of it may result in osteoporosis.
About the Author

John Gibb manages http://www.nutritional-suplement-guides.com

The site dedicated to nutrition.

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Nutrition and healthy eating – What you should know
John Gibb

Many people think that they can achieve a healthy lifestyle simply by maintaining a diet that prevents obesity. While keeping trim is one aspect of being nutritionally sound, there are many other factors that figure into getting your body working in the best possible shape.

Your body needs plenty of nutrients to stay in its best condition, and a diet simply isn’t enough. A combination of receiving nutrition and healthy eating can result in great things for your health. For instance, your body requires a daily amount of calcium. If you cannot achieve these daily guidelines, the calcium levels in your blood will drop. This will disrupt nerve communication and hinder blood clotting. If you neglect your calcium levels long enough, the bloodstream will begin to sap the very calcium that makes up your bones. This results in brittle bones, the onset of the dreaded osteoporosis.

Also, it’s important to get your daily vitamins. Vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E, and K are all necessary on a daily basis to maintain your health. They contain antioxidants that help your body fight off the negative effects of free radicals – molecules that attack the cell membranes in your body. A lack of these vitamins can result in a range of symptoms, from things as simple as chapped lips to long-forgotten diseases such as scurvy, caused by a lack of vitamin C.

Of course, nutrition and healthy eating go hand in hand; while vitamins and minerals are required, it is also important to get the right amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Without enough protein, your body is unable to repair damaged tissues, or create new tissues. Carbohydrates are key in providing your body with the energy it needs for your day-to-day tasks. Fat is also important, as too low a fat level can be detrimental to the body.

Now that you have an idea of some of the nutrients daily, you need get off your butt and start exercising. Exercise will do wonders for your whole body, mind, and even spiritual state if pursued long enough.
About the Author

John Gibb manages http://www.nutritional-suplement-guides.com

The site dedicated to nutrition.

Tags: Author, B Complex, Bloodstream, Body Fight, Brittle Bones, Calcium Levels, Carbohydrates, Cell Membranes, Chapped Lips, Daily Basis, Day Tasks, dreaded osteoporosis, energy;, Free Radicals, Healthy Eating, Healthy Lifestyle, Lack Of Vitamin C, long-forgotten diseases, Nerve Communication, Nutrients, obesity;, osteoporosis;, Scurvy, Vitamins And Minerals, Vitamins Minerals —

How to choose the leanest cuts of meat for healthy eating
Zaak OConan

Choosing the right cuts of meat is one of the most difficult things to do when following a healthy lifestyle. Meat can be among the most calorie and fat dense foods, and it is not always easy to spot the leanest cuts of meat in the butcher’s case.

It is important, however, to choose lean cuts of meat when cooking healthy dishes. Even the lowest fat meal can be sabotaged by the addition of a high fat pork chop, roast or other cut of meat.

Of course it is still possible to include meat in a healthy diet. There are many lean cuts of meat available at the local grocery store, and meet provides much needed protein for energy and muscle development.

The key to buying the leanest cuts of meat for your healthy diet is to examine the cuts of meat carefully, and to have any additional fat trimmed. In cases where the grocery store has its own butcher, this is a relatively easy process. Most in store butchers are happy to show customers the various cuts of meat, and to trip the meat to their specification.

In the case of grocery stores where all the cuts of meat is prepackaged, choosing the leanest cuts is often more difficult. Meat is often packaged to conceal the fat, so additional trimming may need to be done once the meat is purchased.

It is important, however, to trim meat carefully, no matter where it is purchased. Trimming the extra fat off the meat you cook is very important when preparing healthy meals for yourself and your family.

Shopping for good cuts of poultry is much easier than finding the leanest cuts of meat. That is because the most common poultry products, such as chicken and turkey, are naturally low fat. There are high fat varieties of poultry, such as goose and duck, but these are not served on a regular basis in most homes.

The biggest problem poultry shoppers face is the calories and fat added by chicken and turkey skin. Most grocery stores sell skinless varieties of chicken breast, and these can be a great time saver. If the skinless varieties are a lot more expensive, however, it may be more cost effective to buy the cheaper cuts and remove the skin yourself.

Like poultry, most varieties of seafood are naturally low in fat. Salmon is probably the best known exception to this rule; salmon is fatty for fish, but still much leaner than many cuts of meat. Most varieties of fish, however, are naturally lean and very healthy.

As a matter of fact, those striving to follow a healthy diet should try to add more fish and seafood to their diet. Fish is very high in protein, and low in fat and relatively low in calories. This is a valuable combination for any one food.

As with many aspects of smart food shopping, when it comes to meat, poultry and seafood, fresher is better. There are a number of prepackaged, ready to heat and eat, varieties of meat, seafood and chicken at the local grocery store. While these products can be fine for an occasional quick meal or snack, they should not form the basis of a healthy diet.

The reason for this is simple. Processing meats, seafood and poultry often involves the use of unhealthy additives such as preservatives and sodium. Check the sodium level of any processed meat products you buy, and use such products only occasionally.

While buying fresh meat, seafood and poultry products is best, it is important to handle such foods properly on their journey from the grocery store to the dinner table. Improper food handling is responsible for the vast majority of food borne illness in the United States, and it is important to handle any raw meat, seafood or poultry product carefully.

Probably the most important part of food handling safety is making sure that foods that are not cooked, such as salads and breads, do not come into contact with raw meat, poultry or seafood. Most food borne pathogens are killed during the cooking process, but they can easily spread to salads and other uncooked foods if care is not used.

That means scrubbing counter tops carefully with an antibacterial product, using separate cutting boards for meats and vegetables, and of course washing your hands thoroughly after handling meat, poultry or seafood products.
About the Author

Zaak O’Conan discovers and presents useful information on how to enhance and/or repair your life, body and relationships. You’ll find his other articles on eating better and other ways how to improve your life at http://your-health-center.com

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