Giggles 'n More

Article by Richard Monello

The benefits of healthy living are obvious, but for many, healthy habits don’t commence until it’s too late and the body is already on the decline. Instead of combating health concerns once they’ve begun to negatively impact one’s life, it’s essential to prevent illness and unhealthy lifestyles before they begin. The following tips offer some tried-and-true methods for staying healthy, which will keep you living longer and feeling good.

Sleep

Sleep is one of the most crucial and overlooked components to healthy living. Research suggests that getting too little sleep increases one’s risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. Getting too much sleep isn’t much better. Aim for between seven and eight hours of relaxing sleep each night to keep your body healthy and happy.

Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise promotes a healthy weight, which reduces one’s hazard for heart disease and diabetes. Exercise also promotes bone, muscle and joint health, as well as flexibility, each of which keeps us feeling better as we age. Plus, steady exercise increases our body’s natural immune defenses and even helps us sleep better at night.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Healthy eating doesn’t mean a diet of bland foods, and it definitely doesn’t require going hungry. Lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy are all available to healthy eaters. And it’s alright to splurge once in awhile on a cheeseburger, bag of chips or some ice cream. The key to maintaining a sound diet and weight is to eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods and to cut your intake of processed foods laden with refined sugars, unhealthy fats and sodium.

Everything in Moderation

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying an occasional order of cheese fries or having a couple drinks with friends. The key is to do everything in moderation, as overindulging too regularly can negatively impact weight, general health and fitness levels.

Healthy living isn’t about stern rules. It’s about an all-embracing lifestyle that, when followed, actually increases our happiness and self image. By forming wholesome habits early in life and sticking to them, we can assure that our bodies don’t give out on us as we age.