Food and Health: Improve Environment and Activity Levels

Health is not dropping out of heaven to pay you a visit when you feel like it. It is a cumulative effort of years of denial and perseverance. You forsake all fatty foods and laziness and do your exercises regularly. Regarding health, excesses need excuses and that is what this article deals with.

First, we must list out those aspects that we can control right from the start. Everybody needs a minimum amount of energy to carry out the metabolic activities every day. This will vary from 2580 calories for a sedentary person to 3500 calories for a person who does weight training.

Food has three primary constituents. These are carbohydrates, proteins and fats. When we eat food, we consume these three and subsequently digest it through the metabolic process of digestion in the human body. This process produces energy that we use for various bodily processes like breathing, blood circulation and digestion.

1. Nourishing food: When food is in the proper proportion, it proves to be most beneficial to us. This ratio is 40% proteins, 35% carbohydrates and 25% fats. It is better to reduce the quantity of fat because it could lead to obesity in sedentary persons. However, one should consume a small amount since synthesis of many hormones occurs in the presence of fats. Fats transport many fats-soluble vitamins such as E, A, K and D around the body.

By nourishing food, we mean that it contains proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the proper ratio and it contains those ingredients that our body cannot process such as vitamins and minerals. Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid that you have to supply through food. Eat fish, vegetables, nuts, colored vegetables and fruits. If you eat whole grain food items, it will help you since it contains complex carbohydrates that take a long time to digest.

1. Food to avoid: For good health, one has to avoid foods containing trans fat and saturated fat. These kinds of fats raise the blood cholesterol level leading to blockage of arteries. This in turn impedes flow of oxygen rich blood to the organs such as brain and heart.
2. Excesses: Your body will not convert the excess food that you consume to energy. They remain as energy stores and the body converts them to fats. The person begins to put on weight. This can lead to serious problems like heart disease.

Health depends on three main things.

• Good food
• Good activity
• Good environment

Normally, older people should reduce the activity level and food intake. Children should have more.

Try to eat more food with fiber such as yams. They will clean your alimentary canal and provide a boost to your health. Fruits and nuts also have fiber. Include a fruit with your main meal.

Another thing is water. A person should have at least 2.5 -- 3 liters of water per day. When you are exercising you must have some more water.

When you are exercising you should try to increase the protein intake. Whey protein drinks or eggs will help you . Protein helps in the muscle building process.

Activity is anything you do involving movement. People consider reading and writing to be activities when you do them for long duration. For proper health, you have to keep your activity within tolerable limits. Exercising is an optimum activity that helps you regulate the muscle tone and reduce fat content in your body.

1. Good activity: When you begin an activity, your body begins to synchronize its internal working to support your activity. Say, you are going for a walk. The body will shut down all brain activities like concentration and sharp eyesight and begin to increase blood flow to your limbs. This will rejuvenate the muscles and make muscle tone better.
2. Normal activity: By normal activity we mean that every thing you do, you do everyday. Your brain is accustomed to those changes and hence you do not feel any stress. If there is s sudden change in this, say a visitor comes to the house you undergo stress. The brain wants to make changes to understand your activity.
3. Excess activity: When you are not limiting yourself, say you do not put a stop to your reading, your brain goes into hyper activity mode. It tries to compensate and overdoes its part and thereby you have a burnout. When you go to sleep, it takes a long time to recover from your activity.

By environment, we mean the medium that demarcates the limits of your daily existence. This will be inclusive of your physical, mental and cultural states. Your health will improve when you have a pleasant state of existence or environment.

1. Clothes: Choose comfortable clothes made of soft material for your daily use. By using material like cotton that absorbs sweat better and faster, you provide a pleasant environment for your body.
2. Indoor and outdoor event: All events you participate in have a bearing on your health. Some people are able to participate in activities like playing cricket and lawn tennis while others find it difficult to even take a walk. It depends on the type of metabolism of the person. One should join groups of people who are interested in what you do and the games that you play.

A little bit of care will ensure that you do not do things in excess. Exercise daily because it will help your metabolism gear up. If on the other hand you keep making excuses, you might end up with serious health problems.