As talked about in the column “physical activity”, a healthy and balanced diet is crucial when trying to maintain a healthier lifestyle. According to the Canadian food guide/pyramid teenagers(14-18) should have at least:
7 or 8 servings of veggies and fruits
6 or 7 servings of grain
3-4 serving of milk and alternatives
2 or 3 servings of meat and alternatives
On top of all of these servings, you need to keep in mind that in between these you should be drinking plenty of water everyday! The recommended amount to drink(for people 13 and up) is 8-10 glasses or two liters of water everyday. There are many diets where people cut out all grains, but fibre is crucial when committing to a healthy life, so remember to eat your whole-grain breads/cereals, as well as fruits, and leafy vegetables. By all means, avoid foods that are high in salt, fat, and cholesterol. Examples of these foods are, fries, pizza, burgers, or really and fast food restaurant! If you are somebody who struggles in keeping healthy a consistent thing, follow these three SIMPLE steps to help!
READ THE LABELS OF THE FOOD!!
CHOOSE LOW-FAT SUBSTITUTES FOR HIGH-FAT DAIRY PRODUCTS
USE NON-HYDROGENATED OILS/FATS FOR COOKING
Controlling your weight, exercise, stress, and breaking unhealthy habits are the most crucial things when committing to a brighter life.
Controlling Your Weight: Storing energy away and leaving it to be fat in the body can lead to several health complications. These include: heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, and gallbladder disease. Without the proper motivation and support, losing weight can be difficult. Although not all the fat you have comes from the proportions you eat. Thyroid problems and hormones are factors that affect your weight. 0 Here are some tips on how to lose body fat:
See a physician or certified trainer to check your body fat percentage.
If you are somebody who isn’t athletically active, try eating fewer calories in a day.
Exercise! Whether you are doing an intense or moderate workout, it will help!
Exercising: Getting a good workout into your day will seriously change your life! Literally! Not only will your heart, lungs, blood vessels, and muscles benefit, but your overall mental health will benefit as well. If you are somebody who just can’t seem to make time to exercise, the things listed below may help you as well:
Find methods to cope with stress(other than eating)
Work on improving your self-esteem(talk to somebody!)
Sleep better
On the other hand, if you are somebody who CAN make time to exercise, do it at least three times a week for at least 30 minutes. You can also go to your trainer/physician for a more efficient time schedule. Not only can they help you will a diet plan, but an exercise program as well. If you struggle with staying entertained while working out, find ways to make it fun! It will not only help you enjoy it but will make you want to do it more often.
Stress Control: Yes, stress is something everybody will always have. And yes, stress is good for drive, but when it gets to an extent where it becomes the central factor of your health, it is time for you to take control. Here are ways to cope/reduce stress to prevent illness:
Find a rewarding hobby for yourself(art,music,writing,etc.)
Exercise
Cut coffee, tea, chocolate, soft drinks andor pain relievers that contain caffeine from your diet.
Aim for progress, not perfection
Find relaxation techniques
Breaking Unhealthy Habits: Habits are habits, from being a one time way to cope with stress, like a drug, a habit becomes hard to break. An easy example of this is smoking. Many say they first started smoking as a way to release stress, but now has just found a place in their everyday lives. Smoking is considered an unhealthy habit because of the many severe health complications that follow. Not only dangerous for the smoker, smoking near anybody gives them the same amount(maybe even more) of risk of getting these health complications as the smoker. In the last couple of decades, the awareness of smoking has grown as more and more people speak out on it. Now you see smoking is banned in a variety of public places, and that there are designated areas for people who smoke, to reduce the amount of people who are exposed to the chemicals. Breaking habits are difficult, so here are some ways to help you break them:
Replace it with a healthier habit, you cannot eliminate a habit, but you can choose something to replace it.
Cut out triggers(things that stress you out, make you upset, etc.)
Talk to somebody
Surround yourself with people who have similar goals