| In the United States, the leading cause of death is still | | | | you that part of overall fitness is stretching, sculpting |
| heart disease, which claims a whopping 652,091 people | | | | your body through resistance training and strengthening |
| each year, followed by cancer (559,312) and strokes | | | | muscle mass, as well as bones. You can accomplish |
| (143,579). Doctors say that the importance of healthy | | | | this task by purchasing a basic dumbbell set, |
| living and health prevention cannot be overstated. In | | | | participating in circuit training at the gym or taking a |
| recent years, so much has been learned about the | | | | Pilates/yoga class. |
| contributing factors to heart disease, the role of fat | | | | Another component of fitness is ensuring your heart |
| and cholesterol, and the steps to reduce the risk. While | | | | health through cardiovascular exercises like running, |
| researchers are still a little in-the-dark about cancer | | | | biking, brisk walking, dancing, jumping rope, swimming, |
| prevention, they have found that increasing fiber and | | | | rollerblading, cross country skiing and playing sports. By |
| vegetables, as well as meeting with physicians for | | | | creating a diverse array of physical activities that you |
| early detection tests can have many patients walking | | | | can stick to, you will decrease your risk of injury, |
| away from what would have been fatal diseases. | | | | sickness and disease to live a healthier life. |
| As the saying goes, "garbage in, garbage out." Eating | | | | Stress management is an essential component of |
| the right foods is the most important step toward | | | | healthy living, as research shows stress can take |
| healthy living. Yet this simple matter of choice can also | | | | years off our lives and can lead to weight gain, |
| be one of the most difficult lifestyle modifications as | | | | depression, hypertension, high blood pressure and heart |
| well. Fats, salts and sugars are just so tasty and so | | | | attacks. Stress is part of your normal physiological |
| convenient, they can be hard to resist! However, just | | | | reaction to threat, which triggers a sudden release of |
| about every healthy eating plan runs off the same | | | | hormones in what is called the "fight or flight response." |
| principles. Eat more fruits, more vegetables, more fiber | | | | To keep anxiety at bay, try making lists and prioritizing |
| and more lean protein. | | | | your tasks, while outsourcing tasks to others to make |
| Eat less saturated fat, less sodium, fewer | | | | your load lighter. |
| carbohydrates and fewer calories. When you dine out, | | | | Strive for a balance of work, family and personal time. |
| try to avoid fried foods and ask for soup or salad | | | | Know when it's time to take a break because your |
| instead. You may want to ask for a box so you can | | | | stress levels are jeopardizing your health. Be sure you |
| set half of your portion aside for later. You don't have | | | | are practicing healthy eating, exercising and getting at |
| to give up your favorite foods, but you do have to eat | | | | least seven hours of sleep each night. Devise |
| them in moderation. There are a number of websites | | | | strategies to help you cope with stress, such as deep |
| that offer healthy recipes and diet nutrition calculators | | | | breathing, muscle relaxation techniques, yoga, tai-chi, |
| to help you get started eating your way to disease | | | | meditation, massage, music, reading or hypnosis. Lastly, |
| prevention. | | | | if you feel your efforts aren't working, then you should |
| For healthy living, the appropriate amount of fitness for | | | | consider counseling, which will help you identify where |
| a normal adult is at least 30 minutes per day or 60 | | | | you've gone wrong and how you can begin living a |
| minutes, four days a week. Weights experts will tell | | | | more satisfying life. |