Don’t believe that you’re doomed to suffer with poor health or frequent sick visits to the doctor because there is a proven way to get fit, get healthy and live longer. 

You won’t need to save up your money to get that tummy tuck or liposuction. 

You don’t need to waste your time or money on programs that don’t work. 

What you need to knowledge about how to turn your life around….knowledge about what you can do now to live longer and healthier.

Research has shown that four simple changes in your lifestyle can prevent you from having a heart related illness and from dying early.

The first step to attaining a healthy lifestyle is to adhere to a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.  With fast food restaurants around nearly every corner, our full and busy schedules and snack machines loaded with everything but healthy options, it’s no wonder why most of us fall short when it comes to eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Reaching this goal takes premeditation and planning to make sure your refrigerator is full of healthy options for you to grab on the go. 

The second step to turning back the clock is to exercise at least 2 and a half hours per week, which can be easily achieved by engaging in moderately intense physical activity for at least 30 minutes on at least 5 days out of the week. 

Don’t feel confined to a gym when it comes to meeting your goal of exercising at least 30 minutes five days a week.  Go walking, ride a bike, get in the backyard and do some gardening or follow along with an exercise DVD and you’ll get the exercise you need to lower your risk of developing heart disease and can also decrease your risk of other diseases like cancer and diabetes by just becoming more active. 

The third step to adopting a healthy lifestyle is to maintain a healthy weight as measured by having a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18.5 to 29.9 kg/m2.  You can calculate your BMI by multiplying your weight in pounds by 703 and dividing that number by the square of your height in inches.   Studies on mortality consistently show that leaner you are (the lower your Body Mass Index is within the range of 18.5 to 29.9 kg/m2) the longer you live.

The fourth and final step to living a healthy lifestyle is to not smoke. Smoking places you at risk for not only lung cancer and certain other cancers but raises your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Living a healthy lifestyle takes dedication, perseverance and determination but you can do it. 

Take the time now to rededicate your life to living healthy by eating more fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking and you’ll add greater health and wellness and longevity to your life.

To your wellness,
Dr. Traci Ferguson, The Health and Wellness Queen
 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 14th, 2007 at 8:34 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.