Top 5 Tips to Create Optimum Health

We all desire good health, yet the majority of us take for granted our health and assume we are healthy due to the absence of disease. The human body is an amazing machine, that despite the abuses incurred upon it, still functions. But optimum health is more than just the absence of disease, it is the gift of living a vibrant, quality life full of energy, free of disease and symptoms, slower aging and the joy that comes from living a healthier life.

TIP ONE
Drink Eight 8 oz. Glasses Of Water Each Day.

Hydrate! Our bodies are essentially two-thirds water and without it, we will die. Most of us are walking around with mild dehydration that creates lethargy, headaches, constipation, joint problems etc. Drinking water helps rid our body of toxins that cause inflammation and poor health. Many people mistake being thirsty for hunger. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already 1-2% dehydrated. Drink at least 8 eight ounce glasses of water each day and more if you exercise or you are in hot weather.

TIP TWO
Eat A Healthy Diet.

Eating for optimum health focuses on a variety of whole foods. The majority of your daily food intake should be red, orange, yellow, and green fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, mangoes, and tomatoes. As well as complex carbohydrates such as beans, brown rice, oats etc. These complex carbohydrates metabolize slowly resulting in stable blood sugar. Ingesting sugar or refined carbohydrates such as white flour, white flour products, white rice, processed foods, bakery goods, and desserts, etc. will result in a rapid increase in blood sugar levels, thus producing inflammation in the body. Inflammation is now thought to be responsible for diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and arthritis. By avoiding sugar and refined foods and focusing on complex carbohydrates, you will not only eliminate huge inflammatory sugar spikes, you will also be adding bio-available vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and fiber.

Eating the right types of good fat will also reduce inflammation in your body. Good fats to add every day are Omega 3 fats and Monounsaturated fats. Incorporate oily fish such as salmon, sardines and anchovies into your diet. If you do not eat fish twice a week, consider taking a fish oil supplement and a handful of walnuts every day. Flax seed, olive oil and avocados are other very healthful fats. Limit saturated fats from animal products such as butter, milk and fatty meats. Avoid trans fats as these fats are heart damaging. Trans fats can be found in baked goods, deep-fried foods and margarine. Avoid any food product that contains hydrogenated fat.

Most of us overuse salt. Medical experts consider salt a contributor to hypertension, strokes, and kidney failure. Be on the lookout for sodium in all foods and consume no more than 2,000 milligrams per day.

Maintain a balance between your food intake and your physical activity level. Do not overeat as this leads not just to weight gain but inflammation in the body as well.

TIP THREE
Exercise For Optimum Health.

Sedentary folks are at major risk for cardiovascular disease. Regular aerobic exercise benefits the heart and can raise HDL (good) cholesterol and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Strength training is just as important as aerobic training for optimum health. The benefits of strength training will reduce your overall health risks from major diseases, keep you strong, decrease your body fat and improve your appearance. The American Heart Association recommends at least 30-60 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week. Strength train 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes. Another important component of exercise is stretching your body. Stretching does not have to be a huge time commitment. Just 10 minutes a day will increase your range of motion, increase circulation and enhance muscle coordination.

TIP FOUR
Supplements Are Necessary.

Nutritional supplements are, at the very least, like insurance. They can protect and enhance your health when we fall short. It is obvious that very few of us are getting the required vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phtyonutrients through our diet. This is due, in part, to the lower nutrient levels of foods resulting from pesticide use, soil depletion, long storage, etc. We are also more stressed and sedentary as a society than ever before. We need help to prevent disease and illness, as well as increase vital energy. Here is a basic daily supplement program for optimum health: A High-dose multivitamin and mineral supplement, a combinatio
Calcium and Magnesium supplement (1,200 mg Calcium and 600 mg Magnesium), B-Complex (50 mg), Vitamin D3 (800 IU), Omega-3 Fish Oil (1,000), Vitamin E mixed tocopherols (400 IU), Vitamin C (1,000 mg), Coenzyme Q10 (50 mg), Selenium (200 mcg), and Zinc (30 mg).

TIP FIVE
Manage Your Stress

Stress is a physical reaction to a situation that demands our attention whether or not that stress is positive or negative. If we perceive the stress as negative and the stress is chronic, the health implications can be serious. Coping with stress through a variety of means can help protect you from illness, disease, aging, and a poor quality of life. Learning to quiet our thoughts and bodies through a variety of ways such as yoga, meditation, breathwork, as well as, reducing sugar, reducing refined carbohydrates, alcohol, caffeine and replacing lost nutrients due to stress and diet, will enable us to reduce or avoid the negative health consequences of stress.

Through implementing these Five Tips, you will transform your life in profound ways. You will have the ability to live not just disease free, you will experience the joy that comes from optimum health.