If you're like me you believe that most people have common knowledge of what foods are good for you and what foods aren't good for you. I became interested in the subject of nutrition a few years ago and decided to read several books about what is healthy and what isn't. My interest in the subject has grown stronger as I've gotten older because I have seen people that once ate healthy and exercised become overweight because they have turned to unhealthy foods based almost on entirely on convenience because of their so called busy schedules that don't allow them to eat healthy. In all reality, putting together a salad or mixing fruits together as a snack doesn't take any longer that microwaving a frozen meal....it just takes more effort. Having read several publications and articles on the subject I feel confident sharing some guidelines if your goal is to start eating healthy. Here they are:
1) Eat produce-It really doesn't matter what kinds of fruits and vegetables you eat as long as you're eating produce several times a day. Variety is really key because research has shown that when you mix fruits or vegetables together you tend to reap more health benefits rather than eating single items at once. I think Jack LaLanne really shows you how great juicing can be and if you would rather enjoy your fruits and vegetables as a shake I recommend buying a juicer.
2) Only purchase items with ingredients you know-How many times do you pick up items at the supermarket and read the label to see what is in it only to see a bunch of really long terms you can't even pronounce? If your child or grandmother doesn't know what is in a particular product don't buy it. I read every label before I buy a product because I want to know what is in it. If I see an item with ingredients that I don't know or if a product has more than 5 ingredients I won't buy it. Most items with all kinds of weird ingredients are located in the center of a supermarket. If you're interested in buying fresh and healthy products try to stick to the perimeter of a supermarket. The items in the aisles are typically junk with high profit margins.
3) If you like snacks give nuts a try-Rather than buying chips, popcorn, and various other junk food try giving nuts a try if you're not allergic to them. They provide a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids and have been shown to lower cholesterol.
4) Soy Milk-If you're a milk lover like myself try giving Soy Milk a try. The taste is much different than Cow Milk but it's a much healthier option.
5) Eat meat sparingly-You're better off getting your protein from soy sources rather than meat but if you're like me you enjoy a good steak, pork chop, or chicken breast once in a while. While chicken and fish are healthier options than beef and pork you should try soy items such as tofu or tempeh. If you enjoy meat I recommend eating beef and pork no more than once or twice a week and getting the majority of your protein from soy, fish, legumes, and nuts.
6) Graze on healthy foods throughout the day-If you're a fan of eating 3 big meals every day try switching things up by eating 5-6 small meals (around 300-400 calories) each day. You won't feel stuffed and your metobolism will increase by doing this.
These are just a few guidelines out of several that you can implement to lead a healthier lifestyle. Now that the new year is here any bookstore you go to is really promoting books on healthy living because this is the time of year most people become interested in the subject. You have to make sure that if you want to follow a healthy lifestyle that you stick to it. So many people make New Year's resolutions only to give up after 2-3 weeks. Make healthy eating and exercise a big part of your life and you'll reap many rewards for your effort.
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Thursday, February 11, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Switching Up Your Exercise Routine Every 6 - 8 Weeks
If you're like me you enjoy lifting weights and doing cardio on a regular basis to maintain a healthy body. A few of the reasons that have kept me interested in exercising throughout most of my life are maintaining a healthy weight, looking good, and keeping my immune system strong. I noticed in my early 20's I used to get very bored with working out after about 8 weeks and I could never figure out why. I just reached a certain point and then I just got fed up with going to the gym. I would take about 2 weeks off and then go back, usually weaker than I was before. I tried to figure out why I would work out religiously for a couple of months and then just quit. When it came down to it the main problem was really just boredom with my routine. I have always kept a workout log when I work out because each time I go to the gym I want to see how many reptitions and how much weight I used the previous week and then increase my weight and repetitions the following week. This is a great way to motivate yourself and track your results and you'd me amazed how much stronger you are after just 2 months of exercising as long as you're pushing yourself each and every session. Though keeping a workout log has always motivated me to push myself at the gym in order to see better results each session it was never enough to keep me going once I hit a certain plateau. I noticed that after about 8 weeks of doing the same exercises I couldn't lift any more weights or do any more repititions from the previous week. Another thing that baffled me was that I wasn't sore after my workouts after about 8 weeks either. The reason why I was so bored with my routine and why I wasn't getting any stronger was because I hit a plateau with my current routine. Many experts say you should switch up your rountine every 4-8 weeks because your muscles get used to doing the same exercises and get bored after a while. I thought it was crazy to think that my muscles have a memory and doing the same exercises over and over wasn't stimulating after a while. I don't know about you but I'm not a big fan of change when it comes to my workout routines. I love seeing myself get stronger every week and by switching up my routine I'm pretty much starting over because I have to incorporate new exercises into my regimen and I don't know how much weight I can lift with these new exercises once I start them. I find myself trying to figure out how much I'm comfortable with lifting and when I'm at the gym I tend to be impatient because I like to just get in, do my 1 hour workout, and leave.
I decided to take the experts advice and switch up my routine after 8 weeks about 5 years ago and continue to change my exercises every 6 weeks to see if this made a difference in my motivation and results. I looked up various exercises on numerous websites and bought the Men's Health Book of Exercises which is great. The first week when you switch up your routine is pretty exciting because you're doing exercises you've never done before in many cases. The first week also lets you know how much weight you can lift and how many repetitions you can do with your new exercises. I consider the first week of a new routine a learning week since you have to get a feel for how much weight you can lift that forces you to exert enough energy to struggle when you reach your desired amount of reps. After employing this tactic for several months I noticed a big difference in my motivation, strength, and overall attitude about working out. After implementing a new program every 6 weeks I noticed I was mentally excited about working out, muscles I never even knew I had were sore, and I saw more muscle gains than I did when I just stuck to the same program after several months. I can truly see the benefit of switching up workout routines and I think a big reason why people don't stick to working out after a couple of months is just a sense of boredom when it comes to doing the same routine over and over again. I feel that by switching up your routine every 6-8 weeks you will see better results with your body as long as you stick to healthy eating and your motivation will increase by trying new exercises. As someone who didn't like the idea at the beginning, I can't see myself sticking to the same routine any more than 8 weeks because now I truly see the benefits of variety when it comes to working out.
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I decided to take the experts advice and switch up my routine after 8 weeks about 5 years ago and continue to change my exercises every 6 weeks to see if this made a difference in my motivation and results. I looked up various exercises on numerous websites and bought the Men's Health Book of Exercises which is great. The first week when you switch up your routine is pretty exciting because you're doing exercises you've never done before in many cases. The first week also lets you know how much weight you can lift and how many repetitions you can do with your new exercises. I consider the first week of a new routine a learning week since you have to get a feel for how much weight you can lift that forces you to exert enough energy to struggle when you reach your desired amount of reps. After employing this tactic for several months I noticed a big difference in my motivation, strength, and overall attitude about working out. After implementing a new program every 6 weeks I noticed I was mentally excited about working out, muscles I never even knew I had were sore, and I saw more muscle gains than I did when I just stuck to the same program after several months. I can truly see the benefit of switching up workout routines and I think a big reason why people don't stick to working out after a couple of months is just a sense of boredom when it comes to doing the same routine over and over again. I feel that by switching up your routine every 6-8 weeks you will see better results with your body as long as you stick to healthy eating and your motivation will increase by trying new exercises. As someone who didn't like the idea at the beginning, I can't see myself sticking to the same routine any more than 8 weeks because now I truly see the benefits of variety when it comes to working out.
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Sunday, December 27, 2009
Portion Control
When it comes to losing weight or maintaining a current healthy weight one of the most important things is portion control. Portion control is so simple and yet companies like Jenny Craig, Medifast, Nutrisystem, and various other companies make a fortune selling meals that are nothing more than 300-500 calories per serving. Not to mention I'm sure many of these meals have a ton of preservatives in order to keep them "fresh" and they end up losing a lot of their nutritional value because of this. All you have to do is read the ingredients on the box and I'm sure that you haven't heard of 90% of the ingredients. So many experts tell people that if they don't know what the ingredients on the box or package are you shouldn't eat it and I couldn't agree more. Look up some of these ingredients on an online search and you'll be astonished about what they are. It's pretty amazing what ingredients these companies put in their products and it's even more surprising that people are willing to consume them on a regular basis.
Being someone who has been a health and fitness fanatic for about 15 years now I can't begin to tell you how many books, articles, blogs, and various other publications I have read on health and fitness. One thing that most publications, personal trainers, and doctors all agree on is that eating small meals throughout the day is crucial if you want a healthy and fit body. One of the biggest reasons eating small meals is so important is because your metabolism speeds up when your body is processing food. This is why breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It breaks your fast from the 7-8 hours of sleep you've hopefully just had since you didn't eat when you were asleep and gets your metabolism cranking to start your day. Experts say that people who skip breakfast typically have a higher body fat percentage than people who don't because their bodies store fat in the absence of food. There are so many people who feel that if they skip meals and work out that their body will use their body fat for energy and burn it right off. This is completely false. Your body will feed off your lean muscle before it starts feeding off your body fat for energy. That is why it's so important to eat healthy foods every 3-5 hours depending on your calorie needs for the day. The average American eats about 2,000 calories a day but keep in mind everyone's calorie needs are different depending on age, activity level, sex, weight, and height. To give you an example of how many calories you should consume here is the formula I use on a daily basis to maintain my current weight of 155 lbs. When I have tweaked it to get to a desired weight it has also never failed me:
The first thing you want to figure out is your Basal Metabolic Rate, also known as BMR. Use this link to figure out your BMR:
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
My BMR is 1684.45. I'm a 5'8" 31 year old male who weighs 155 lbs. Here is how BMR is actually calculated in case you're wondering:
Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 X weight in lbs.) + (12.7 X height in inches)-(6.8*age in years)
Women: BMR = 655 + (9.6 X weight in lbs.) + (1.8 X height in inches) - (4.7 X age in years)
Once you know your BMR the next step is to determine your activity level to figure out how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. You can also adjust the weight in the formula's above to reflect your desired weight which will allow you to set your daily calorie intake to help you achieve your goal of weight loss or more simply use the website link above and put in your desired weight on the site.
Now figure out your activity level to figure out how many calories you need:
Sedentary (little or no exercise)=BMR*1.2
Lightly Active (exercises 1-3 days a week)=BMR *1.375
Moderately Active (exercises 3-5 days a week)=BMR*1.55
Very Active (exercises 6-7 days a week)=BMR*1.9
Using myself as an example I need to consume about 3,200 calories per day since I'm very active. Doing this is very easy but it does take dedication and calorie counting. I measure my food by reading food labels to determine serving sizes and I use a measuring cup religiously so I know how many calories I'm consuming during each meal. I have been doing this for about 2 years now and it has never failed me.
As far as meals go I recommend eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean protein such as chicken and fish. I also recommend cutting out alcohol or allowing yourself a couple of drinks a week. This was the hardest part for me since I'm a single guy who likes to go out to the bars with friends. It's still something I do once in a while but I don't drink as much as my college days. By doing so I feel much better and I have seen mo body fat percentage drop significantly by doing so. When you consume alcohol your liver starts metabolizing the alcohol as soon as you take your first sip and will ignore processing body fat when it does this. It can take 2 hours for your liver to process up to 2 drinks during this process.
In conclusion, work on eating small meals of 300-500 calories throughout the day until you reach your recommended caloric intake. Make sure you put healthy foods into your system and cut back on alcohol intake. Even if you don't exercise, controlling your caloric intake will keep your body weight in check and make you feel great.
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Being someone who has been a health and fitness fanatic for about 15 years now I can't begin to tell you how many books, articles, blogs, and various other publications I have read on health and fitness. One thing that most publications, personal trainers, and doctors all agree on is that eating small meals throughout the day is crucial if you want a healthy and fit body. One of the biggest reasons eating small meals is so important is because your metabolism speeds up when your body is processing food. This is why breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It breaks your fast from the 7-8 hours of sleep you've hopefully just had since you didn't eat when you were asleep and gets your metabolism cranking to start your day. Experts say that people who skip breakfast typically have a higher body fat percentage than people who don't because their bodies store fat in the absence of food. There are so many people who feel that if they skip meals and work out that their body will use their body fat for energy and burn it right off. This is completely false. Your body will feed off your lean muscle before it starts feeding off your body fat for energy. That is why it's so important to eat healthy foods every 3-5 hours depending on your calorie needs for the day. The average American eats about 2,000 calories a day but keep in mind everyone's calorie needs are different depending on age, activity level, sex, weight, and height. To give you an example of how many calories you should consume here is the formula I use on a daily basis to maintain my current weight of 155 lbs. When I have tweaked it to get to a desired weight it has also never failed me:
The first thing you want to figure out is your Basal Metabolic Rate, also known as BMR. Use this link to figure out your BMR:
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
My BMR is 1684.45. I'm a 5'8" 31 year old male who weighs 155 lbs. Here is how BMR is actually calculated in case you're wondering:
Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 X weight in lbs.) + (12.7 X height in inches)-(6.8*age in years)
Women: BMR = 655 + (9.6 X weight in lbs.) + (1.8 X height in inches) - (4.7 X age in years)
Once you know your BMR the next step is to determine your activity level to figure out how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. You can also adjust the weight in the formula's above to reflect your desired weight which will allow you to set your daily calorie intake to help you achieve your goal of weight loss or more simply use the website link above and put in your desired weight on the site.
Now figure out your activity level to figure out how many calories you need:
Sedentary (little or no exercise)=BMR*1.2
Lightly Active (exercises 1-3 days a week)=BMR *1.375
Moderately Active (exercises 3-5 days a week)=BMR*1.55
Very Active (exercises 6-7 days a week)=BMR*1.9
Using myself as an example I need to consume about 3,200 calories per day since I'm very active. Doing this is very easy but it does take dedication and calorie counting. I measure my food by reading food labels to determine serving sizes and I use a measuring cup religiously so I know how many calories I'm consuming during each meal. I have been doing this for about 2 years now and it has never failed me.
As far as meals go I recommend eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean protein such as chicken and fish. I also recommend cutting out alcohol or allowing yourself a couple of drinks a week. This was the hardest part for me since I'm a single guy who likes to go out to the bars with friends. It's still something I do once in a while but I don't drink as much as my college days. By doing so I feel much better and I have seen mo body fat percentage drop significantly by doing so. When you consume alcohol your liver starts metabolizing the alcohol as soon as you take your first sip and will ignore processing body fat when it does this. It can take 2 hours for your liver to process up to 2 drinks during this process.
In conclusion, work on eating small meals of 300-500 calories throughout the day until you reach your recommended caloric intake. Make sure you put healthy foods into your system and cut back on alcohol intake. Even if you don't exercise, controlling your caloric intake will keep your body weight in check and make you feel great.
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Sunday, December 20, 2009
What's the Secret to Living to 100?
I've been an advocate of healthy living for about 15 years now and I truly love eating healthy and exercising because it makes me feel good. I also do it because I would like to live to 100 and with all the experts talking about the benefits of exercise and healthy eating and how it is your best chance of living disease free and also increasing your life span I have made sure my lifestyle includes exercise and healthy eating on a regular basis. I can't say I don't cheat because let's face it, life isn't worth living if you're not going to have fun and indulge every once in a while.
Another thing I love to do is read. I read about 1-2 books a week because I truly love to learn (and show off when Jeopardy is on). One of the things I love to read about is health and fitness. I have read several books on the subject and consider myself pretty educated when it comes to this topic. Because I enjoy reading books on these subjects I also enjoy reading news articles related to health and fitness. One subject that really interests me is Centenarians. These are people who live to the age of 100 and over. I enjoy reading about these people and how they've lived their lives to be able to reach this age and beyond. What amazes me the most is that most of these people haven't lived an overly healthy lifestyle and some of them have quite a bit in common. One common trait a lot of them do share is that they never overeat. In a country like the US that is extremely rare since the portions we're accustomed to are huge compared to other countries all over the world. Over 70% of Americans are overweight with around 25% of these overweight people being obese. I know how I feel when I eat to much and it is a terrible feeling. Eating small portions throughout the day is something almost every book and article talks about in regards to living a long and healthy life and it's interesting to see that most Centenarians have always lived this way. Another trait they have in common is that the majority of them have always had healthy blood pressure levels throughout their entire lives. We all know the importance of maintaining healthy blood pressure levels but hyptertension is a problem many people have. One thing I found extremely interesting about Centenarians is that a lot them were never big into exercising throughout their lives. I find this fact extremely interesting because I associate a sedentary lifestyle as being unhealthy but I'm sure they were active in other ways. Some Centenarians believe that having an alcoholic beverage once a day throughout their adult lives has contributed to their long lifespans especially since some research says a drink or two a day is actually good for you. Some Centenarians even took up smoking in their later years but they definitely don't associate this with living long. It's just an unhealthy habit they took up in their later years that hasn't affected their health.
In closing, many things contribute to living a long life. Overall, I think it comes down to heredity, eating small portions, and taking the necessary supplements and medications your doctor recommends. I've read so many stories of how people who are big into fitness drop dead from a massive heart attack and it makes me wonder if there is really a benefit to it if your goal is to love to 100. So many people I know who live a long life are not gym goers and don't eat overly healthy. What they do have in common is a positive attitude, the ability to eat small meals and not give into the temptation of stuffing their bellies, healthy blood pressure levels, and taking the recommended medications and supplements that their doctors recommend. What do you think the secret of living to 100 is?
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Another thing I love to do is read. I read about 1-2 books a week because I truly love to learn (and show off when Jeopardy is on). One of the things I love to read about is health and fitness. I have read several books on the subject and consider myself pretty educated when it comes to this topic. Because I enjoy reading books on these subjects I also enjoy reading news articles related to health and fitness. One subject that really interests me is Centenarians. These are people who live to the age of 100 and over. I enjoy reading about these people and how they've lived their lives to be able to reach this age and beyond. What amazes me the most is that most of these people haven't lived an overly healthy lifestyle and some of them have quite a bit in common. One common trait a lot of them do share is that they never overeat. In a country like the US that is extremely rare since the portions we're accustomed to are huge compared to other countries all over the world. Over 70% of Americans are overweight with around 25% of these overweight people being obese. I know how I feel when I eat to much and it is a terrible feeling. Eating small portions throughout the day is something almost every book and article talks about in regards to living a long and healthy life and it's interesting to see that most Centenarians have always lived this way. Another trait they have in common is that the majority of them have always had healthy blood pressure levels throughout their entire lives. We all know the importance of maintaining healthy blood pressure levels but hyptertension is a problem many people have. One thing I found extremely interesting about Centenarians is that a lot them were never big into exercising throughout their lives. I find this fact extremely interesting because I associate a sedentary lifestyle as being unhealthy but I'm sure they were active in other ways. Some Centenarians believe that having an alcoholic beverage once a day throughout their adult lives has contributed to their long lifespans especially since some research says a drink or two a day is actually good for you. Some Centenarians even took up smoking in their later years but they definitely don't associate this with living long. It's just an unhealthy habit they took up in their later years that hasn't affected their health.
In closing, many things contribute to living a long life. Overall, I think it comes down to heredity, eating small portions, and taking the necessary supplements and medications your doctor recommends. I've read so many stories of how people who are big into fitness drop dead from a massive heart attack and it makes me wonder if there is really a benefit to it if your goal is to love to 100. So many people I know who live a long life are not gym goers and don't eat overly healthy. What they do have in common is a positive attitude, the ability to eat small meals and not give into the temptation of stuffing their bellies, healthy blood pressure levels, and taking the recommended medications and supplements that their doctors recommend. What do you think the secret of living to 100 is?
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Why Are People Scared of Pills?
I was recently looking at the news online and came across an article that talked about pills that have a positive effect on cancer prevention and/or treatment and why people don't use them.
I don't know about you but I've been taking multivitamins for years now and I'm all for taking medications that help prevent diseases as well. With such tremendous breakthroughs in technology over the past several years I personally have a lot of faith in most medications that the FDA approves and that companies market to help prevent diseases. I think the reason I'm so confident in these medications is because they have gone through rigorous testing prior to being approved. If a doctor suggested that I take a pill in order to prevent a disease I would do my own research before saying yes but most likely I would take the pill.
According to an article I was reading it appears that most people who are at high risk of certain cancers would rather not take a pill because they are afraid of side effects. And this is even after their doctor has explained that the benefits far outweigh the risks. This just doesn't make any sense to me since the only other alternative might be a painful and agonizing death brought on by the disease. I must say the human psyche is very interesting in this regard. This is known as Omission Bias which means people tend to worry more about a low risk of harm from something they do than about a higher risk of harm from doing nothing. I must say I'm truly amazed by this finding. I can't say I have this bias since I have too much faith in technology nowadays. I think the media plays a big role in why people are so scared of side effects to be honest with you. I have to admit that I don't watch the news very much because 99% of it is just negative. A common theme I see on the news is people dying from taking medications that were supposed to help them. Of course they usually fail to explain that of the 100,000 people taking a drug that only 5 have died from it. I do realize there are side effects to taking these kinds of medications but in all reality your risk of developing serious side effects are very low. I would rather take a pill knowing that there is a 95% chance I will benefit from it than a 5% chance I will have serious side effects from it. I think these are better odds than doing nothing and having a 99% chance that I will die from a particular disease because I was too worried about possible side effects.
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I don't know about you but I've been taking multivitamins for years now and I'm all for taking medications that help prevent diseases as well. With such tremendous breakthroughs in technology over the past several years I personally have a lot of faith in most medications that the FDA approves and that companies market to help prevent diseases. I think the reason I'm so confident in these medications is because they have gone through rigorous testing prior to being approved. If a doctor suggested that I take a pill in order to prevent a disease I would do my own research before saying yes but most likely I would take the pill.
According to an article I was reading it appears that most people who are at high risk of certain cancers would rather not take a pill because they are afraid of side effects. And this is even after their doctor has explained that the benefits far outweigh the risks. This just doesn't make any sense to me since the only other alternative might be a painful and agonizing death brought on by the disease. I must say the human psyche is very interesting in this regard. This is known as Omission Bias which means people tend to worry more about a low risk of harm from something they do than about a higher risk of harm from doing nothing. I must say I'm truly amazed by this finding. I can't say I have this bias since I have too much faith in technology nowadays. I think the media plays a big role in why people are so scared of side effects to be honest with you. I have to admit that I don't watch the news very much because 99% of it is just negative. A common theme I see on the news is people dying from taking medications that were supposed to help them. Of course they usually fail to explain that of the 100,000 people taking a drug that only 5 have died from it. I do realize there are side effects to taking these kinds of medications but in all reality your risk of developing serious side effects are very low. I would rather take a pill knowing that there is a 95% chance I will benefit from it than a 5% chance I will have serious side effects from it. I think these are better odds than doing nothing and having a 99% chance that I will die from a particular disease because I was too worried about possible side effects.
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Sunday, November 15, 2009
How Our Surroundings Affect Our Health
As you may or may not know, cardiocascular disease, also known as CVD, is the #1 killer in America. There is a high correlation between CVD and physical inactivity. When I go out to eat, especially my very rare visits to buffet styly restaurants, I can see why so many people suffer from CVD. I see so many obese people who go up and load their dishes several times with greasy and fried foods. I can guarantee you that the majority of these people have never exercised in their lives. I've been through phases in my life, like everyone else, where I haven't eaten healthy. This seems to be when I don't exercise regularly. It's funny that when people stop exercising or don't exercise at all they consume foods that are not healthy. One would think that a lot of people would tend to eat healthier and smaller portions when they are not physically active. I notice that when I get into an exercise routine I tend to eat healthier. I think a big reason that overweight people who continue to eat unhealthy and not exercise is due to their surroundings. I just finished reading a book called Connected by Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler, The book talks about how people's behaviors are affected by their family, friends, and even friends of their friends, also known as 3rd tier connections. I can definitely see this as being true. You'll often notice that people surround themselves similar to themselves. As they say, birds of a feather flock together. Of course, we all like to surround ourselves with people who are like ourselves. Some people are interested in certain things whether it be cooking, traveling, board games, etc. and they like to surround themselves with likeminded people so they can discuss these similar interests with each other and learn from others. However, the same is also true when it comes to things that are not good for our body and mind. People who don't eat healthy, don't exercise, and who have negative opinions about themselves tend to associate with people with these same mindsets. Very rarely do I see overweight people hanging out with people who look to be physcially active. I feel that if you suffer from low self esteem or are just overweight and want to do something about it, you should look to surround yourself with people who are more physically active and lead a healthy lifestyle. I understand this is easier said than done for most people. If you have a low self esteem due to your unhealthy lifestyle if may be tough to try to associate with people who prefer a healthier lifestyle than yourself. I think a great way to get out and meet new people who are into a healthy lifestyle is to join a Meetup group (http://www.meetup.com/). I've joined several groups on Meetup that are geared towards my interests. There is usually at least 1 group in your area that is focused on healthy living. This may be a great start if you're looking to lead a healthier lifestyle. I definitely feel that you have to surround yourself with people who are doing what you would like to do if you want to be successful. You can learn from others and it's a big motivator to be around people who are doing something that is constructive with their lives.
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Saturday, November 7, 2009
Body Image
The University of Florida recently conducted a study that concluded that most people who exercise at least twice a week for 30 minutes each session have a positive body image of themselves. I think this is truly great news and motivates people to eat healthier and exercise more. While most experts say that you need at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 days per week most people don't get this amount of exercise. Since about 70% of Americans are overweight I feel more people have to eat healthy and exercise. I know so many people who join a gym after the New Year and go religiously for about 3 weeks only to quit and go back to their old ways for the remainder of the year. The University of Florida study also stated that people who don't exercise and eat a lot have very negative body images which makes sense. I truly don't understand how people with poor body images of themselves don't work out and eat healthy in order to change their attitude about their bodies. What do you think some of these reasons are?
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