Balance

I know some people who take a very unbalanced view of eating, and really health in general. They avoid anything processed or with any additives because they fear they are putting toxins in their body. Might not sound like a bad idea except what they do eat is always unbalanced and in excess, loads of meat and cheese because the fat is good fat. Lots of dairy that hasn’t been properly pastuerized for whatever odd reason. These may be valid ways to be healthy, but they cannot make up your whole diet. You need fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates and fish to make a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The fact that some of these diet and health crazed people get so engulfed in one health idea and ignore all other means of nutrition explains why they end up with more illness. Their bodies aren’t properly nourished, they mine as well eat one well balanced meal a day and starve the rest, they would be healthier than they are eating loads of one food group. Its just kinda sad that some people take such an unbalanced view on nutrition. I mean come on, remember that food pyramid you learned about in grade school? I’d say its time to use it!

Healthy Skin

I was surprised to learn the other day that coffee actually can cause breakouts on the face. I assume this is probably common knowledge, but I couldn’t help thinking about all the ways to combat things that damage skin health. Sun damage, extreme temperature and over moisturization can all damage your skin. Ways to increase the health of the skin include washing, exfoliating, moisturizing and even applying sunscreen to the skin. Its important to remember when washing that you avoid using hot or cold water, all you need is some lukewarm water to rinse your skin, this gets rid of some excess moisture on your skin. When exfoliating you need to make sure you use a scrub with small grains rather than large ones, as these can tear the skin. Moiturizing is also important, but cannot be overdone as it can clog your pores. Finally sunscreen is key in eliminating wrinkles from sun damage. These are some ways I intend to combat the 3 cups of coffee that I cannot do without!

Sleep

Sleep is one of the most crucial accessories to a healthy lifestyle. Actually that’s a gross understatement. Sleep may well be the most important ingredient in living a healthy lifestyle. As important as diet and exercise can be, neither of them can work to their full potential without a well rested body. A well rested body needs less energy to function properly, so dieting is easier. A well rested body is also key in exercising, as physucal conditioning is impossible without proper rest. Well how much is enough sleep?
Some people are able to get by on as little as 3-4 hours, while some feel that they need upwards of 12 hours. Obviously these are two extremes, so what is a good and safe efficient balance? Every medical article about sleep I have read suggests between 6 and 9 hours. Granted this may be difficult to become accustomed to, either cutting back or sleeping longer. This is an essential part of being healthy and can help keep yourself in the best position to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Fast Food

I think we are really underestimating the adverse effects of fast food. I know that just about every study done on fast food has been nothing but negative, I just feel that they could be more negative. Its almost as if all that is noted is how many calories, saturated fats and carbohydrates are in this food. What we seem to be ignoring is how much food actually is in fast food. Obviously it is still food, I’m not trying to say its some mystery substance (although sometimes it may seem as just that) what I mean is that the components that make up food have been reduced over the years. I was reading an article in “Best Life,” a magazine that was published by Men’s Magazine up until May of this year, and the article went on to explain something that peeked my interest. The article pointed out that the food we eat (specifically fast food and other processed foods) has become less “fresh” and “raw” ingredients. 20 years ago a typical bite of a cheeseburger would take roughly 25 bites until it was well chewed, compare that with the less than 12 bites it takes to chew a cheeseburger today. This is not only to saw that the way we eat has changed in a bad way, but that the food breaks down faster than it did 20 years ago.
Chalk that up to technology I guess, but one thing I don’t want to do faster is eat a cheeseburger.

Sanitizers

Obviously there is no question that Purell is a known brand around the world. People use this hand sanitizer daily, and sometimes hourly depending on their line of work. There are too many people that feel above such products, thinking they are clean, they aren’t sick. What about carrying a sickness though? Many people are unaware that you can be carrying an extremely dangerous illness without showing any ill effects that the illness causes. This is a very dangerous situation. The importance of keeping our hands clean no matter who you come in direct contact with is vital. Those who are sick, or just carrying a sickness can pass their gerns on to any number of objects that we touch, bump up against, or even eat with. The best way to keep free from these types of germs is to avoid direct contact with doorknobs, sink and toilet handles and loose objects that are used by others. When this is unavoidable, a sanitizer such as Purell or perhaps Clorox for surfaces can really help kill germs that could otherwise infect us.