Living and Eating Healthy

Let's face it. We all want to be fit and healthy. So what's the difference between people who are and people who aren't healthy? One loathsome word is usually the deciding factor: discipline. While replacing old habits with new ones isn't always easy, there are some good habits that are too important to ignore if you want to get or stay in shape. Get started on the path to living and eating healthy with these five health habits.

Food Diary

Keeping track of your daily calorie or carbohydrate intake with a food diary may seem daunting at first, but this habit has been proven in more than one clinical study to help dieters achieve more success when they are pursuing specific personal fitness goals.

Is there any good news? With today's technology, a lot of the guesswork is taken out of the process for you. Calorie counters and other nutritional calculators are readily available online that allow you to enter and calculate the foods you eat electronically so you don't have to do the math yourself.

Exercise Routine

Whether you're transitioning from a sedentary lifestyle, or simply trying to push yourself further, most health experts agree that Americans are in dire need of more exercise. Sources disagree however as to the amount of exercise actually required for optimal health, but it is safe to say adults roughly need two hours and 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week to stay fit.

Not all of your fitness activities need to be long, boring cardio sessions. Swimming, for example, can help you get your cardio and toning workouts in at the same time. Activities like bowling can burn a surprising number of calories, as many as weight training in some cases. Just find activities you enjoy (like walking, gardening, or cycling), and incorporate them into your weekly routine.

Drink water

Have you ever had a headache or felt light-headed, been overly tired or nauseated, had muscle cramps in your legs, or felt your heart racing in your chest? You may have been dehydrated and these are just some of the symptoms it can cause. Dehydration can be brought on by diarrhea and/or vomiting, excessive sweating, fever, or increased urination. You don't have to be seriously ill to become dehydrated. Forgetting to drink fluids when gardening in the hot sun or working out too hard in the gym can cause dehydration. Some diseases, like diabetes can cause dehydration. Taking certain medications, like diuretics or some antihistamines, can cause dehydration. And, drinking too much alcohol can also cause dehydration.

If you've read it once, you've probably read it a million times - Drink more water! Drinking the amount of water your body requires for proper hydration can:

• Curb hunger pangs,
• Improve workout performance,
• Boost metabolism,
• Improve skin texture,
• Increase energy,
• Relieve joint pain,
• Improve mental clarity,
• Lessen head aches and back pain.

Experts also disagree on the amount of water your body actually needs. Most do agree however, you should get in the habit of drinking at least eight eight-ounce glasses of water a day to achieve your goal of living and eating healthy.

Sleep well

Getting enough good-quality sleep won't just make you less crabby in the morning; this habit has also been proven to increase fat loss in dieters. Improve the quality of your sleep and your overall health by incorporating some of these simple steps into your life:

• Start a same time to bed routine,
• Initiate a daily exercise routine,
• Avoid nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol at night,
• Avoid large amounts of water or other liquids before going to bed,
• Make sure your bedroom room is cool, dark and quiet,
• Choose a comfortable mattress and pillow.

These healthy habits can go a long way in helping you get a peaceful, rejuvenating night's sleep.

Build New Habits Gradually:

Like drops of rain that collect in a bucket, lifestyle changes add up over time. Don't worry if it seems like you're making progress slowly. Keep working at it. When you gradually exchange your bad habits for new better habits, your new behaviors are more likely to become ingrained and help you accomplish your goal of living and eating healthy!

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/6265059

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