Switch into a Healthier Lifestyle

The term "diets don't work" has become a major clich� in today�s society. Countless diet books line the shelves of bookstores and numerous diet products are advertised via TV, The Internet, and magazines. Yet the majority of the U.S. still remains overweight. So how does one decipher what is good information and what is a gimmick? Well, you first need to recognize that you already know the basics of living a healthy lifestyle. You may not be an expert, but you can determine what healthy meals and workouts consists of.

Think of the average healthy person. Do they overeat or starve? Do they over exercise or never exercise? Of course not, these people are balanced. The foods they eat are not off the wall or crazy. For example, instead of eating take-out for lunch everyday, they cook their meals in advance to make sure only the freshest most wholesome ingredients are used. Instead of buying a piece of gym equipment or subscribing to a gym membership and sporadically working out, they consistently engage in moderate exercise.

Healthy people not only eat well and exercise often, they also have a healthy attitude towards both. They do not spend time obsessing over what they ate or how they worked out. These people understand that a healthy lifestyle enhances life, not consumes it. So with the New Year approaching make a life commitment to create lasting change and enjoy the benefits of optimum health. Here are a few ways to achieve just that.

1- Proclaim your goal - Getting someone else involved in your goals is a great way to keep yourself accountable. No one wants to tell a friend or colleague they plan to eat healthy, only for them to see you the next day scarfing down a piece of cake. Tell someone who you see often about your health goals. Ask them to check in on you from time to time if you wish. You can also solicit a partner so you can go food shopping, workout, and both become healthier together.

2- Write down your progress and goals - Becoming more fit is not something we can think about once a year and see results. When you are first starting out, write down your goals. Whether it is a specific weight, size, or striving for seven consecutive days of eating veggies, put it down on paper. Then each day chart your progress and see if you can identify any pitfalls you have encountered throughout your week. If there are any revisions you need to make towards your goal then you will have good records in order to make positive changes.

3- Set yourself up for success - Make attaining your goal as convenient as possible. For example, if you'd like to cut back on sweets, don�t buy them when you go food shopping. Get rid of all the loose change and bills under five dollars when you are at work and prepare your meals in advance. Plan ahead if you know you are going out. In other words make decisions before hand and don�t put yourself in tempting situations.

4- Do your homework - There are tons of health and fitness books out there, so choosing a program that works for you is not a simple decision.

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Alcohol and Cigarettes

Smoking and drinking has been part of our social practices for decades, and even though everybody knows it's bad for the health, everybody still does it.

Smoking has been a substancially newer form of damaging one's health than alcohol, when it comes to Europe. It became known only after the New World had been discovered. The habit has since then become more and more popular, with major leaps in tobacco consumption during the industrial revolution, when it became possible to provide tobacco in the form of industrially manufactured cigarettes, thus lessening the price, and the first and second World Wars, due to the fact that soldiers would be given cigarettes by charity organizations and such.

The health problems relating to the use of tobacco have also been long known. Here is what King James the First thought of smoking:

�You have not reason then to be ashamed, and to forbeare this filthie noveltie, so basely grounded, so foolishly received and so grossly mistaken in the right use thereof? In your abuse thereof sinning against God, harming your selves both in persons and goods, and raking also thereby the marks and notes of vanitie upon you: by the custome thereof making your selves to be wondered at by all forraine civil Nations, and by all strangers that come among you, to be scorned and contemned. A custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the Nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the Lungs, and in the blacke stinking fume thereof, neerest resembling the horrible Stigian smoke of the pit that is bottomelesse."

Now it is widely known that smoking may and does lead to lung cancer, in fact it accouts for 87% of lung cancer deaths. It also leads to Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is a group of diseases which most resemble bronchitis. Tobacco is also responsible for many cardiovascular diseases. These are just a few consequences of smoking.

The consumption of alcohol, assuming it is in moderate amounts (which is rarely the case), is in fact beneficial to a person�s health and those who drink little tend to live longer than those who don�t drink at all. Of course, the statistic is flawed due to the fact that those who don�t drink at all are, in many cases, ex-alcoholics or can�t drink because of health problems.Either way, keeping drinking at moderate amounts is a trial of the will not many people can withstand.

The excessive use of alcohol leads to many detrimental effects, such as irretrievable changes in the neural system, liver diseases (cirrhosis, for example), hepatitis and last but not least - cancer, a wide range of types of cancer, as a matter of fact.

The biggest problem is that these damaging effects are continual, because the consumption of alcohol in excessive amounts often leads to alcoholism, thus preventing people from quitting.

Sure we all get wasted once in a while, we like defending ourselves that it�s a holiday or a party or whatever-the-hell-else, but once you get into it, it�s like in that song �All our days are like holidays, like the blooming of cherries".

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Caffeine - shall I drink a bucket?

Many of us drink coffee everyday for many reasons. First of all, it is delicious, and most of us can't deny it. And secondly, it gives us that boost we all need from time to time when we feel tired and have something to be done. Many use coffee to stimulate their brain power when working or studying. It is a very potent measure of making yourself more concentrated on a particular thing you are doing.

Many of us also know that this boost coffee gives us is from a product called caffeine (which is only one of its names, since the name depends on the source: if it's from tea, it's theine and so on). When we drink a strong cup of coffee, along with energy come other effects, such as a faster pulse among others. It is due to these effects that we must use caffeine at our own risk.

The increase in pulse-speed is a consequence of heightened blood pressure, which caffeine causes, therefore it is not recommended to drink coffee for those who have heart problems, because misuse of the beverage may lead to many issues, some of them fatal.

Just the same as alcohol, caffeine can be addictive if used in excessive amounts, thus deepening the problem. Those who drink coffee frequently often show signs of nervousness and irritability and a user can establish tolerance for caffeine in which case they would have to use coffee not as a means to �get a boost', but rather to feel normal, deeming the purpose of drinking it in the first place an invalid one.

Coffee, of course is far from being the only product with caffeine, even in terms of natural ones: contrary to popular belief, tea also has caffeine (theine) and not in amounts much lesser than that found in coffee. Over the past century, the world has seen even more beverages with caffeine, such as almost any soft drink. One drink in particular pushes the limit way ahead. That drink is the energy drink, made for the sole purpose of what coffee does, only in a more excessive way.

The average energy drink has around 80mg of caffeine, almost the same as a cup of coffee. Wherein lies the excessiveness then? Energy drinks, along with caffeine also contain other stimulating materials such as taurine. Most of these materials' effect on the human physique have not yet been sufficiently tested and therefore many restrictions have been made "until further information is available".

The problem with energy drinks is the way they are usually consumed and the lack of information on whether these ways are detrimental or not. Many users, for example, drink a few cans of these stimulators in a row, creating a huge surplus of both caffeine and the other, less studied materials in the blood. Some users have reported using these drinks together with alcohol, the interaction of the two being undated whatsoever. And, one of the biggest misconceptions with energy drinks is that they are good for rehydration during or after sports. A recent study shows, that the beverage is absolutely unfit for such a purpose.

To conclude, caffeine is a good way to dispose of the feeling of being tired, but careful with the amounts, kids, or else it might get ugly.

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What Water Gives for Your Body and Beauty

If you feel weak for no reason, there is a possibility that you don't drink enough water. Water is so important for your body, that you can increase your health considerably just by drinking the needed amount of water every day. Most people are actually semi dehydrated: this means their bodies do not get enough liquids and they experience health disorders because of that lack.

What effect water has upon our bodies? It is difficult to explain it in just a few lines. You can even say that our body is based on water. Water is in our every tissue and it is in every single cell. Many biological functions require a certain amount of water. Digestion, excretion, absorption and circulation are only few to mention. If you don't drink enough water these parts of our organisms can't function normally. System of hormones also relies on proper balance of water. Our brains need water as well. You have probably heard that a human can't survive without water any longer than two weeks. However serious damage for body is done after just three or four days.

What amount of water is enough to keep you healthy? It depends on your nutrition and your weight. If you drink other healthy drinks during a day (like fresh squeezed juices or green tea) you can drink less water. Otherwise you should consume about 1 liter of water for every 23 kilograms of your weight (or 1 quart for every 50 pounds of weight). That's the amount of water that keeps you healthy and feeling great. If you find it hard to count how much water you drink every day, take a jar and pour in the needed amount every morning. This way you will know exactly how much water you consume.

For some people drinking so much water looks an insane idea, but they probably suffer from dehydration. How to know if your body is dehydrated? The first symptom is thirst. Basically you shouldn't feel thirsty at all; when you do it means your body has already started to dehydrate. You can take a bottle of water everywhere you go to avoid this situation. You may say this can cause kidney or excretion system disorders, but our bodies need water and it is capable of �recycling' it. However if you have some health disorders, you should visit your doctor before you drink 3 or more liters of water a day. The other symptom of dehydration is dizziness. You can clearly notice this on hot days when suddenly you feel dizzy or even have a headache. This happens because even if you consume enough water in high temperature we sweat and lose a lot of liquids. That's why you should drink a bit more water during hot days or if you go in for sports. If dehydration lasts for several days, you can feel more unpleasant symptoms. Different parts of your body need water; when you don't drink enough some parts begin to suffer because the more important parts absorb the water you drink. One of the first functions to feel lack of liquids is digestion and this can lead to constipation. If you suffer from this, you should weigh your nutrition and the amount of water you consume. Water is vital for many different parts of our bodies; if we dehydrate all these parts stop functioning sooner or later.

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