Maintaining sound health requires a constant, conscientious effort. To be healthy means to be engaged in and deriving benefits from the activities that promote your physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being. According to the website OrganicMD, health, in its purest scientific sense, is metabolic efficiency; sickness is metabolic inefficiency. But health is a continuum; nobody is completely healthy and nobody is completely sick. You're an amalgamation of health and sickness, and you can move toward either end of the spectrum, depending on the daily health decisions you make.
Food
Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates summed up the importance of good nutrition: "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." Diet is one of the most potent tools you can use to influence your health. The foods you eat each day have a direct effect on regulating your blood sugar, on your nutritional status and even your mood. According to the University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality and Healing, "The food we eat gives our bodies the 'information' and materials they need to function properly. If we don't get the right information, our metabolic processes suffer and our health declines." Eating properly means consuming nutrient-rich organic foods while avoiding packaged, processed and refined foods. It also means taking the time to sit down, relax and enjoy your food. Chewing each bite of food at least 20 times improves digestion and your ability to absorb nutrients.
Exercise
Daily participation in exercise--which encompasses everything from cardiovascular training to strength training to postural training--is another powerful way to achieve optimal health. Your exercise routine should be balanced, yet varied. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) advocates a mixture of cardiovascular exercise of differing intensities and strength training exercises to build a healthy body. ACSM also suggest exercising in short bouts, setting your daily schedule to accommodate your exercise routine, exercising with friends or family in a supportive setting and exercising outdoors, when appropriate.
ACSM's most recent exercise recommendations take into consideration the fact that exercise above and beyond the recommended minimum provides even greater health benefits. "The point of maximum benefit for most health benefits has not been established but likely varies with genetic endowment, age, sex, health status, body composition and other factors," ACSM notes.
Stress Reduction
According to the website HelpGuide, "When people feel overwhelmed, they lose confidence and become irritable or withdrawn, making them less productive and effective and their work less rewarding." If you fail to heed the warning signs, chronic stress can lead to physical ailments and a decline in your emotional health. You can use stress reduction techniques, such as yoga, tai chi and meditation, on a daily basis to improve your health and productivity. Making stress reduction part of your daily rituals helps calm your mind, reduces anxiety and improves your ability to cope with challenging situations. Consider using a qualified instructor to educate you about the basic principles of your preferred stress-reduction technique.
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