Your heart is one of the most important organs in the body, and the foods you put into your mouth effect how your heart operates. If you want your heart to be strong and able to pump blood as well as possible all over your body, it is important for you to eat a healthy diet. Heart-healthy foods are readily available in the supermarket, so choose some that work for your personal likes and you should be able to help prevent heart disease in your own body.
Cholesterol is the most important thing when it comes to eating heart-healthy foods. There are both good cholesterols and bad cholesterols. Good cholesterols are called HDL, and their job in the body is to take excess bad cholesterol (LDL) to the liver, where it can be broken down and then will leave the body. LDL is actually not needed by your body at all from foods. Our bodies make enough of this kind of cholesterol on its own. It is the LDL cholesterol that hurts our hearts, not the HDL cholesterol, which actually helps our hearts be reducing the amount of LDL cholesterol in the body.
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I love to learn about the ingredients in my oatmeal or breakfast cereal by looking at the nutrition labels. I have recently discovered the company Kashi, a U.S. manufacturer of all-natural foods. I thought my favorite Kashi granola bars were organic-that is until I learned otherwise.
What is organic food? A food is organic based on how it is grown or bred. What kind of feed did the animal consume? What fertilizers did the farmer use? Organic crops are grown without the aid of chemicals such as conventional pesticides or artificial fertilizers. Animals that are not given antibiotics, growth hormones or feed additives are considered organic.
There are two different types of organic foods-fresh and processed.
Fresh “unprocessed” organic food is exactly as it sounds, “fresh.” This category is mostly filled with fruits and vegetables. Although less available, fresh meat, eggs, and dairy are also in this category.
The second type of organic food is processed foods. This kind is made up of an assortment of convenience foods. Organic macaroni ‘n’ cheese, soups, frozen dinners, and potato chips are all examples of organic processed foods.
Because organic food usually costs more than genetically modified food we should be wise in choosing which organic foods we purchase. Prevention Magazine suggests opting first for organic versions of foods that are especially high in pesticides: apples, apricots, bell peppers, cantaloupe, celery, cherries, cucumbers, imported grapes, green beans, peaches, spinach, and tomatoes.
What is natural food? A food is natural based on certain ingredients it does not contain. Wikipedia defines natural foods as “foods that do not contain artificial ingredients and are minimally processed. They are usually more nutritious than refined foods. Natural foods do not include ingredients such as refined sugars, refined flours, milled grains, hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, artificial food colors, or artificial flavorings.” This is what my favorite granola bars are: all-natural, not organic.
Resources
http://www.prevention.com/article/1,5778,s1-3-71-165-3518-1,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_Foods_Diet
In America we have more food than any other country, yet we have the poorest nutrition, highest rate of obesity and nutrition related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. I believe these consequences result from Americans energy imbalance, empty calories they consume, and poor behavior and environment choices.
The explanation of energy balance can be put into a simple math equation, E.I. = E.O. (Energy Intake = Energy Output). There are two parts to this equation, the calories we take in through food and the calories we burn up through exercise. For an individual to maintain a healthy weight the calories consumed must be balanced with the calories used. But many Americans have abandoned this “law” of health and changed this equation into an inequality. Now this problem becomes energy intake is greater than energy output (E.I. > E.O.). I believe this energy imbalance is the main reason many Americans are obese.
The result of this adjustment to the equation is a nation of overweight and poorly nourished people. Dr. Tim Church, medical director of the Cooper Institute, a fitness research center in Dallas, lamented, “We have two epidemics in this country. One is obesity, the other is physical inactivity.”[1] Newsweek reports, “One quarter of all adults get no exercise at all, and half of all kids between the ages of 12 and 21 are not vigorously active on a regular basis.”[2] According to Time magazine, “In the past 30 years, the percentage of Americans who are overweight has ballooned from 48% to 65%. The percentage of children who are overweight has tripled, from 5% to 15%, and another 15% are considered borderline.”[3]
What must we do to be excluded from this majority? Exercise plays a vital role in establishing and maintaining a healthy body. Exercising has many benefits. Centers for Disease Control reports, “Regular physical activity substantially reduces the risk of dying of coronary heart disease, the nation’s leading cause of death, and decreases the risk for stroke, colon cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure.” [4]
Wise food choices in moderation are also essential to healthy living. “Research shows that good nutrition can help to lower people’s risk for many chronic diseases. . . However, a large gap remains between recommended dietary patterns and what Americans actually eat. For example, in 2003, only about one-fourth of U.S. adults ate the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. In addition, in the last 30 years, calorie intake has increased for both men and women.”[5]
Discernment in food choices is necessary to avoid empty calories. “There is a right number of calories for you to eat each day. This number depends on your age, activity level, and whether you are trying to gain, maintain, or lose weight. You could use up the entire amount on a few high-calorie foods, but chances are, you won’t get the full range of vitamins and nutrients your body needs to be healthy. Choose the most nutritionally rich foods you can from each food group each day – those packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients, but lower in calories.”[6]
Good eating habits and a healthy environment contribute to our well-being. Because of the smorgasbord of food choices we have, eating a healthy diet has become more difficult in our nation. Centers for Disease Control reports, “Grocery stores stock their shelves with a greater selection of products. Pre-packaged foods, fast food restaurants, and soft drinks are also more accessible. While such foods are fast and convenient they also tend to be high in fat, sugar, and calories. Choosing many foods from these areas may contribute to an excessive calorie intake.”[7] As we cultivate good eating habits we will make choices that include choosing stir fry over Mac n’ cheese, drinking water
rather than Mountain Dew, and taking a second helping of broccoli instead of dessert.
Because of our changing environment a healthy lifestyle has become more difficult in this country. Americans indulge in chocolate chip cookies while sitting on the couch watching their favorite reruns. They pull up to the drive through at McDonalds to order their Double Quarter Pounder with cheese. Centers for Disease Control reports, “Communities, homes, and workplaces can all influence people’s health decisions. Because of this influence, it is important to create environments in these locations that make it easier to engage in physical activity.”[8] It is wise to choose to clean the house,
rake the leaves, and use the stairs as the current national ad campaign advises.
To achieve a healthy life we must work hard and persevere throughout our lifetime.
Remember, we must not do this to glorify ourselves but whatever we do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.[9] We must work for the Lord because it is the Lord Christ we are serving. 9
Resources
[1]Miranda, Carolina and Park, Alice “Getting Fit; The Shape of a Nation,” Time,
June 6th, 2005 p. 48.
[2]Kalb, Claudia and Springen, Karen “Pump Up the Family,” Newsweek,
April 25th, 2005 p. 65.
[3]Wallis, Claudia “The Obesity Warriors,” Time, June 7th, 2004 p. 80.
[4]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Physical Activity for Everyone: The Importance of Physical Activity,” www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/importance, October 28th, 2005*
[5]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Physical Activity and Good Nutrition: Essential Elements to Prevent Chronic Diseases and Obesity-The Critical Role of Healthy Eating,” www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/publications/aag/dnpa.htm, November 28th, 2005*
[6]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Nutrition for Everyone: Healthy Weight,” www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/nutrition_for_everyone/healthy_weight,
November 17th, 2005*
[7]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Overweight and Obesity: Contributing Factors-Calorie Consumption,” www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/contributing_factors.htm, September 28th, 2005*
[8]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Overweight and Obesity: Contributing Factors-Environment,” www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/contributing_factors.htm, September 28th, 2005*
9The Bible, Colossians 3:17&23-24, New International Version, (Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. ©1973).
*Date last reviewed on the website
A good, positive (but realistic) attitude is important for a healthy lifestyle. Good news for you-you are the one who decides what kind of attitude you will have-yes, you and no one else. You decide to be optimistic when things at work go wrong. You choose to attempt that tough math test with confidence. You decide that today you are going to exercise with enthusiasm. Exchange your poor attitude for a cheerful attitude and see how your day goes! (and tell me about it)
Here is a quote that I find very inspiring~
Attitude
by Charles Swindoll
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company … a church … a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.
The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you … we are in charge of our Attitudes.
I’m the founder, Layna Diehl.
Our goals, at ExuberantFitness, are to:
Encourage
X
edUcate
B
inspirE
R
teAch
N
motivaTe
I want to encourage, educate, inspire, teach, and motivate you to achieve a healthy lifestyle no matter where you are at now. Countless benefits are reaped from healthy living. So why not start living fit today?