Health Important for Our Life

Life is struggle. do not make your life waste. So life has to be meaningful before we die. One of important to our things is Health. If we are not health in our mind and heart, it will influence our body's balance. It means that our body is not health physically or spirituality.

If we become health, we can do anything in our life going well. So, how to make the HEALTH become part our life. here some of tips you can do it;

1. Keep our daily foods are clean and free from toxic. what kinds of foods? fruits, eggs, vegetables etc.
2. Keep our drinking clean. Water must be our mainly drinking forever. Because water is part our body. Do not drink alcohol.
3. Keep doing exercise every morning and afternoon. It will keep your body clean from toxic
4. The last thing is have enough rest time.
 Have healthy life is important for your daily activities and it will influence your life also cheerful and comfort.

I hope this little article can help you to be healthy life.

Thanks for your visiting and reading.
Bookmark this blog for read our new coming article about HEALTH.

Staying Motivated to Live Healthy

We all know that living healthy is what we should do, but, for most of us, it is just so hard to make it a long-term, lifestyle. So how do we do it? Why does it seem so easy for some people, while the great majority of Americans, just can't seem to either get on-board or stay on-board with a way of living that benefits everyone?

First we need to look at what it means to be 'healthy.' It doesn't mean being skinny. It doesn't mean participating in the endless food fads, popular diets, newest workouts, or any other fleeting thing. It does mean making good decisions when it comes to eating, physical activity, and even things like going to the doctor or dentist. Being healthy can mean feeling good. Having energy. Not being sick! It is also a matter of caring for yourself, and your family, in a way that allows you to participate in life without suffering the ramifications of 'bad' health decisions that you make or made. Being healthy is both long term and short-term actions. Being healthy benefits the individual and the whole community.

People who are healthy are, in general, happier. It is a great burden to deal with the effects of things like illness, obesity, even being tired all the time. Community groups that consist of mostly healthy individuals are happier and able to focus their resources (time, money, problem solving, creativity) on things other than trying to care for the members of the group who are unhealthy. According to healthycommunitieshealthyfuture.org, a function of the National League of Cities, which exists to help build healthier communities in the United States, "The estimated annual health care costs of obesity-related illness are a staggering $190.2 billion or nearly 21% of annual medical spending in the United States. Childhood obesity alone is responsible for $14 billion in direct medical costs." Just think what we as a country could do with all that money!!

That should motivate our whole country to action!! We all know the facts, so its going to take more than that to motivate us to live consistently healthy lives. Considering the implications our own unhealthiness has on others should, however, help us move toward the goal of healthy living.

Knowing that the facts aren't enough to keep us motivated, what is ENOUGH? The first step in getting and staying motivated has to be a realization that something does need to change. But where do you need to make changes. Identify where and why you need to be healthy. Do you need to lose weight, eat healthier, exercise more, get your teeth cleaned or get your annual checkup done? After you have identified where the changes need to be made, you need to decide what your goals are. In order to stay motivated realistic goals need to be set. Don't set yourself up for failure, it is impossible to stay motivated in the face of impossible tasks and constant failure. If you want to lose weight, determine how much and how long it will take you to reach a healthy weight. For most people losing three pounds a week is a realistic and healthy goal. Wanting to look like a Victoria Secret model or Captain America is not very realistic. Expectations that are too lofty often lead people to lose motivation more quickly. If you want to start eating healthier you'll have to work new healthy habits into shopping, cooking, and dining out. It is probably less attainable to decide one day that you are only going to eat vegan, organic foods. Set realistic goals!!

Another key to motivation is finding people to support you. There are people everywhere who are trying to live healthier. Find them and walk with them on your journey, you will motivate each other! Remember, though, that your life and how you get healthy are not the same as anyone else's, so don't compare your life to theirs! Using someone else as your benchmark for success is not going to give you sustained motivation.

Many people who are successful at living healthy use visual aides to keep them motivated. Hang the jeans you want to fit into on the outside of your closet, where you can always see them. Use a dry erase marker to right motivational phrases or your goals on your bathroom mirror. On your kitchen cabinets post your goal weight, or reminders of how you want to feel, to help guide how you eat.

Above all BE POSITIVE. Focus on what you have achieved, not matter how small it seems. Remember how you felt eating unhealthy food, and how you have a little more energy now. Tell yourself that you are worth the effort, and your family needs you to keep living healthy. Think of the things that living healthy will allow you to do. You can be more active, live more life, live a longer life, spend your future time and money on fun stuff! And, it may seem cheesy, but talk to yourself. If you ever watch highly successful athletes, you can see them getting themselves ready for the competition. They tell themselves they can do it, and beat their chests. Yell, cheer, jump around. This is a fight worth fighting, get excited and stay MOTIVATED!!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8615829

Healthcare in the United States

At least 1/3 of Americans is currently uninsured. This figure is affected by the lack of access to quality healthcare. It is verified that ½ of healthcare insurance is provided through employment. With today's society, some jobs do not even offer healthcare attributable to higher insurance costs. With the rise in job loss, healthcare access is now a hassle and lots of Americans are not capable to seek affordable medical care. As long as healthcare is a privilege in this country and not a right, the well-being of Americans will be subject to more health disparities than before. The U.S Department of Health has established Healthy People 2010 to improve the key health indicators of the country; the initiative is dedicated to perk up the principle that regardless of age, gender, race or ethnicity, income or social status every one should have access to equal and all-inclusive care across the nation.

Unfortunately, according to the Wall Street journal, more than 46 million of Americans lack adequate health insurance and the numbers are greater than ever. If the first indicator of the Healthy People 2010 is to improve access to healthcare, why is it that most Americans still cannot access care? Insurance prices are gradually going up; Medicaid and Medicare system is becoming more of a shaggy dog story than insurance. Older people are finding themselves without insurance; little is being done to facilitate access to health insurance for the elderly. Older people are left behind and forced to get supplemental insurance and sometimes a secondary insurance to cover for health care services. The elderly are turned down for health insurance by the government and it is unacceptable that a 65 year old man or female in this country struggles to have health coverage.

Older people's applications for health insurance are cast off; it should be universal for the elderly to receive healthcare insurance without being subjected to hassle. What is happening to the United States Healthcare system? Where is the right for care for our elderly primarily and our children secondary? Medicaid fees are taken from our salary but when we retire, there will be no Medicaid for our generation. What will the government do to change this rising situation? It is a prodigy to see healthcare based community health systems take over, to help those in need of healthcare. These community health systems, are keen, to place people on a sliding fee scale they can afford to receive health services.

I personally applaud Saint Joseph Mercy Care Services for providing care to the homeless and the poor and to offer the Atlanta community access to care on a sliding fee scale, so all can receive care. Our Government should look into our health system closely and find ways to provide care for all by creating or encouraging more community based services all around the nation.

The government should minimize the cost of care and set a fix rate with insurance companies; the fix rate should allow for each individual to have access to reasonable insurance. Thus, everyone should have access to healthcare without long waiting period. Pre-existing condition should be banished and the individual's care should be everyone's business in this country.

If our goal is to remove health disparities, we should let people obtain care for conditions they currently have without a one year waiting period prior to treatment. It is important to involve the population into health decisions so that better resolution can be taken. I believe that everyone has the right for care; I believe that by providing healthcare services to the uninsured, we as a nation will be on the road to eliminating health disparities. Our mission should be to provide quality healthcare to those without access to insurance in a suitable way. Our aim should be to assuage health disparities by providing care to the impoverished and to all.

A powerful nation like the United States of America should make healthcare precedence. We have great technology, great doctors but a poor healthcare system. In Europe, healthcare is a right to European's citizens. the government covers for healthcare services; there are no age requirements, no limitations, no waiting period and no pre-existing condition clause. The insurance premium is taken from each individual's paycheck on a yearly basis. This lump sum is then applied towards the cost of medical services. Healthcare is not a privilege it is a right. That you are employed or unemployed, you should have the right to insurance coverage.

Healthcare should not be a political subject but a constitutional right to all Americans. It is time for the government to look into reforming our healthcare system and to provide insurance to all. Private Insurances should be set for non-citizen and those visiting. Our pursuit as Americans should be better health for all and insurance for all. With the economy going downhill, it is imperative that the population decides on what's best for Americans but not for the government. If the proposed healthcare plan that President Obama have out is disseminated as it should, we may be on our way to universal healthcare which many don't want.

Needless to say that Healthcare reform is critical for the healthiness of Americans. The stress gained from the loss of jobs and lack of adequate finances will bring more illnesses than never before. The fact is, people are worrying about what they will eat or drink; thus, they spend restless nights wondering about the next step and how they will cover their children's college fees or even pay their mortgage. All these thoughts have a great impact on the overall health of many. Consequently, if no insurance is provided to those who are unemployed, then we can expect to carry the burden of desperate deaths resulting from this highly critical situation our nation is facing.

I'm very satisfied with the passing of the healthcare reform bill; the expectations are high and we hope the government will not fail us. In the midst of what had been said with regard to the new bill raising insurance premiums and taxes, you and I should wonder how that will affect each one of us individually. Either way, let's just cross our fingers and hope for the best shall we?

As a Chief executive Officer of Kids Be Aware Jeannette uses role play, empowerment strategies and children's books to promote health, prevent the spread of infection and build healthy relationships among children. She is the inspiring author of a multiple mini-book series aimed to provide knowledge of prevention and healthy living with such infectious and chronic diseases as: Asthma; Diabetes: Hepatitis; HIV/AIDS; Obesity; Tuberculosis: Salmonellosis among others.
Jeannette successfully brings in her mini-books a different approach in health education for children ages 5 to 12 as she provides them with the tools necessary in becoming healthy adults.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3228088

How To Grocery Shop Smart And Healthy

Plan your meals. Make a list.
If you truly desire to prepare fresh, healthy food and serve the kind of meals for you and your family that will give you health and not health problems down the road, you will need to get serious about meal planning, preferably up to a week in advance, and keep an accurate shopping list that corresponds to your planned meals. Then, stick to your list when you shop and buy only what you need. By doing so, you are more likely to:

• Avoid emotional purchases at the grocery store.


• Focus on freshly prepared, healthy meals rather than nutritionally inferior processed food meals.


• Prevent last minute impulses to purchase fast food, pizza, or take-outs.

Don't Let The Grocery Markets Outsmart You

• Shop the perimeter. If you want healthy foods, concentrate on the foods around the perimeter of the store. With refrigeration, ventilation, and water access, this is where the fresher foods are kept. The foods in the center aisles are generally more processed. Once you get into the habit of healthy eating, you will discover that you rarely have to venture into the center aisles.


• Forget the end caps. The spots at the ends of each aisle often contain promotional items that may not be that healthy or cheap. They are just conveniently placed to catch your attention.


• Scan top and bottom shelves. The most expensive products are often deliberately placed at eye level. Take a moment to scan the top and bottom items too.


• Do your own math, check the per unit price. Signs boasting "2 for $5" or "5 for $10" may not be an indication of a bargain at all, but just a marketing gimmick. Additionally, manufacturers tend to tinker with package size. Check the per unit price, occasionally, smaller packages are cheaper per unit than larger packages.


• Leave your kids at home. Many parents will buy a product they normally won't purchase simply because their kids are attracted by the packaging and want it. If it is possible to leave them at home, there will be less unhealthy temptations.


• Don't shop when you are hungry, eat before you go. It will help avoid impulsive junk food purchases.

How To Shop Healthy
Produce

• First stop. Head for the produce section. Try thinking about your grocery cart like the food on your plate. You want to bulk up (at least 50 percent) with vegetables and fruits.


• Variety is the key. Pick at least seven vegetables and four fruits of different colors for the week. Use up produce that will spoil quickly, such as arugula, spinach, and berries, at the beginning of the week. Heartier vegetables like cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and apples will hold up just fine as the week goes on.


• Carrots, celery, cucumber, jicama, and bell peppers are great snack veggies. Cut them up over the weekend and use them as snacks throughout the week. They also go well with almond butter, cheese, or hummus.


• Always buy organic when it comes to these produce. They have the highest residue of pesticides and herbicides - apples, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, grapes, hot peppers, kale, nectarines, peaches, potatoes, snap peas, spinach, strawberries, sweet bell peppers, carrots, and collard greens.


• Avoid buying genetically modified (GM) corn, zucchini, yellow squash, and Hawaiian papaya by staying with organic. When it is organic, it cannot be GM.

Meats and Seafood

• Next, head down to the protein section. With animals and seafood, the key is to avoid those that have been given hormones, antibiotics, and GM corn or soy feed.


• Organic and 100% grass-fed beef is the healthiest of all beef. This type of beef contains the highest omega 3 to omega 6 ratio as well as the beneficial CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). "Organic" animals are fed 100% organic feed without animal byproducts or growth hormones but they may not be entirely grass-fed. When it is 100% grass-fed vs. grass-finished, it means the animals feed on grass its entire life. However, be aware that "grass-fed" standards allow pesticides and herbicides on the pastures the animals feed on and they can also be fed GM alfalfa.


• Buying ground organic grass-fed beef is an excellent alternative if you are on a budget.


• Lamb is always naturally grass-fed.


• With chicken, organic free-range is the best. If it is merely "free-range", there is no guarantee that the chicken is not given GM corn or soy feed.


• Pastured pork is much preferred over "natural" or "minimally processed" pork. Presently, there is no system in place to verify that the pork is truly natural or minimally processed. These terms are pretty much meaningless.


• When it comes to seafood, wild is always better than farmed. Farmed fish are raised in close quarters in pens in the sea or ponds (freshwater seafood) and fed an unnatural diet of GM corn and soy. That means diseases and parasites are common, resulting in the heavy use of antibiotics, pesticides, and other chemicals to combat the problem.


• Small ocean fish is better than big fish. Big fish tends to accumulate more mercury in the body.

LEAST MERCURY
Anchovies
Butterfish
Catfish
Clam
Crab (Domestic)
Crawfish/Crayfish
Croaker (Atlantic)
Flounder*
Haddock (Atlantic)*
Hake
Herring
Mackerel (N. Atlantic, Chub)
Mullet
Oyster
Perch (Ocean)
Plaice
Pollock
Salmon (Canned)**
Salmon (Fresh)**
Sardine
Scallop*
Shad (American)
Shrimp*
Sole (Pacific)
Squid (Calamari)
Tilapia
Trout (Freshwater)
Whitefish
Whiting
MODERATE MERCURY
Bass (Striped, Black)
Carp
Cod (Alaskan)*
Croaker (White Pacific)
Halibut (Atlantic)*
Halibut (Pacific)
Jacksmelt
(Silverside)
Lobster
Mahi Mahi
Monkfish*
Perch (Freshwater)
Sablefish
Skate*
Snapper*
Tuna (Canned
chunk light)
Tuna (Skipjack)*
Weakfish (Sea Trout)
HIGH MERCURY
Bluefish
Grouper*
Mackerel (Spanish, Gulf)
Sea Bass (Chilean)*
Tuna (Canned Albacore)
Tuna (Yellowfin)*
HIGHEST MERCURY
Mackerel (King)
Marlin*
Orange Roughy*
Shark*
Swordfish*
Tilefish*
Tuna (Bigeye, Ahi)*
* Fish in Trouble! These fish are perilously low in numbers or are caught using environmentally destructive methods.
** Farmed Salmon may contain PCB's, chemicals with serious long-term health effects.
Eggs

• Eggs are an excellent source of protein. Contrary to what we have been told by the media, cholesterol in food is not harmful. Every cell in the body requires cholesterol and we need cholesterol to make our hormones. Egg yolks contain fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K as well as carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, which are beneficial to your eyes. They also contain calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, and the B vitamins.


• Always choose organic free-range eggs. If you can get organic and truly pastured eggs, they are even better.

Dairy

• Again, buy organic to avoid the growth hormones, antibiotics, and GM feed. Grass-fed will be an added bonus.


• Organic full-fat dairy is far superior to low-fat and non-fat dairy. Saturated fat is essential to your well-being. Your brain is mainly made of fat and cholesterol. The lion's share of the fatty acids in the brain are actually saturated. A diet that skimps on healthy saturated fats robs your brain of the raw materials it needs to function optimally. What's more, low-fat and non-fat dairy often contains more additives to make them palatable. However, saturated fat is only good if it is from organically-raised animals as harmful growth hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides tend to concentrate in fat tissues.


• Watch out for the additives in yogurt, cottage cheese, and flavored coffee creamer. Read the ingredient list carefully before you buy.


• Sweetened yogurt usually contains an enormous amount of sugar. Instead, choose plain yogurt and mix it with some berries, chopped nuts, and a tiny swirl of raw, organic honey for a delicious and healthy treat.

Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

• Nutrient levels of frozen produce is generally about 10% lower than fresh produce. Picked at their peak of freshness, frozen produce is a wonderful way to fill the produce gap, especially in the winter.


• Frozen berries are excellent for smoothies.

Canned Foods

• If you are buying canned foods, only buy from brands that do not use BPA (bisphenol-A) in the lining of the cans. BPA is extremely harmful to health because it is a hormone disruptor. Babies and young children are especially sensitive to the effects of BPA. If you are not sure about a certain product, check the company's website. The following are a few companies that do not have BPA in their cans: Amy's, Crown Prince, Eden Foods, Native Forest, Muir Green, Oregon Choice, Trader Joe's Vital Choice, Whole Foods 365, and Wild Planet.


• Canned wild Alaskan salmon, sardines, and herrings are good alternatives to the fresh ones.


• Check the ingredients for additives and unsavory vegetables oils (corn, canola, cottonseed, soy, safflower, and sunflower). Olive oil is the best.

Grains

• Whole grains like barley, buckwheat, bulgur, farro, millet, and quinoa, are minimally processed and can be fantastic substitutes for the usual rice and pasta. These grains can be combined with leftover cooked vegetables and/or proteins for a warm salad lunch. Add some chopped nuts or feta cheese for additional flavor and texture.


• When buying bread, watch out for the unhealthy additives and bad vegetable oil used in commercial baking. Read the ingredient list carefully.


• Steel-cut oats or Irish oatmeal are made from whole grain kernels called groats. They are cut into two or three pieces with a sharp steel blade, hence, steel-cut oats. This type of oatmeal has the lowest glycemic index, meaning your blood sugar rises slowly before it drops back down, keeping you feeling satisfied hours after breakfast. Second best is old-fashioned oats, also labeled regular or rolled oats. They are made by steaming and rolling whole groats. The least desirable is instant oats which are the most processed and highest in glycemic index.


• Boxed breakfast cereals, even the whole grain version, are highly processed foods. They are also very heavy in carbs and sugar. Unless labeled organic, many contain GM ingredients from corn, soy, canola, and sugar beets. Breakfast cereals are usually fortified with synthetic vitamins and minerals to make them look more nutritious. Unfortunately, such nutrients are not easily absorbed by the body.

Oils and Fats

• There are only three common types of oils you should use for cooking on a regular basis: organic animal fat, coconut oil, and olive oil.


• The most common type of animal fat is butter. Always buy organic and preferably grass-fed. Ghee is clarified butter with the milk solids removed, hence, it can withstand higher heat without burning. Other types of animal fat include chicken fat, duck fat, pork fat, and beef fat. As long as these fats come from healthy, organically-raised animals, they can be used for cooking. Different types of fats give you different flavors.


• Buy organic, unrefined, cold-pressed extra virgin coconut oil. Coconut oil is 92% saturated fat, therefore, it will remain stable at high temperature and not get damaged.


• Olive oil should only be used for making salad dressing or low heat cooking. Extra virgin olive oil is the best.


• Do not buy commercial salad dressings. Majority of them use vegetable oils and have other additives. Instead make your own by using a good olive oil and an acid such as lemon juice, balsamic or apple cider vinegar. Chop up some some fresh herbs and mix together in a jar. It will keep in the fridge for a week.

Sweeteners

• If you do not have a blood sugar/insulin problem or have not had cancer, an occasional treat using natural sugar is fine. The best are raw, organic honey and pure maple syrup. Otherwise, use stevia which is a sweet herb.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9245840

Is Mineral Water Healthy? Is the Pope Catholic?

If you stop to realize that water everywhere on the planet has minerals dissolved in it, the answer to "Is mineral water healthy" becomes obvious. (The answer is yes.)

The answer is yes because humans have evolved to require minerals. It's just that simple. As it happens, some of the healthiest and longest-lived people on earth live in the high mountains where they drink water so full of minerals that it looks cloudy.

What humans don't require, and should get out of their water, is all the industrial contaminants we're faced with today.

Recognition of the fact that there is lots of "junk" in our water is what has led to the bottled water phenomenon, which has a huge environmental impact. In the United States, it is said that 60,000,000 plastic water bottles are manufactured each day. It is also estimated that 50,000,000 of those bottles end up in our landfills! Not good!

Is there a better way to get water that has the minerals we need, and that doesn't have the chemicals we don't need?

The answer to that question is also "Yes". The right kind of home water filtration unit can provide us with healthy mineral water without dangerous toxins and contaminants.

There are two major kinds of home water filtration systems sold in the U.S. They are reverse osmosis systems and carbon filtration systems. They both will get rid of most of the unwanted chemicals. They each have their advantages and disadvantages. Some of the claims made for each of the two types are selling points that make a big deal out of things that don't really matter-but that's a story for a different article.

If both systems will give you clean, pure water, which do you choose? For my money, the carbon filtration units are superior. Here are just 4 of the reasons why:

1. The top-of-the-line carbon filtration system from the leading supplier costs less than $.10 per gallon to operate. Reverse osmosis units generally cost between $.25 and $.35 per gallon. (Both systems provide a separate faucet at the kitchen sink, so that you're only filtering water you're going to drink or cook with.)

2. Carbon filtration units are typically less expensive to purchase than reverse osmosis systems.

3. Reverse osmosis units waste a lot of water. Without getting into the mechanics, a lot of the incoming water can't get through the filtering process, so, depending on the unit, some 3 to 10 gallons of water is sent on down the drain and wasted for every gallon purified.

4. Getting back to where we started: "Is mineral water healthy?"-reverse osmosis units filter all the minerals out of the water. The Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium our bodies need... all gone.

Demineralized water is un-natural, and many scientists think it's not at all good for us. Not just because it doesn't have the minerals we ought to be getting, but because it's acid-alkaline balance is shifted toward acid, and a healthy human body needs to be slightly alkaline.

In fact, the body will leach minerals out of our bones to keep our blood at the proper level of alkalinity. Also not good!

Given these facts, I installed a carbon filtration unit to protect my health, and that of my family.

Discover the best home water treatment today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4603045

Ways to Build Healthy Abs For Women

It has been quite sometimes since women got health conscious. The health abs diet is a diet plan that was actually planned for men. But later it was adopted by women and the result was excellent. The diet plan was published in men's health and later published in women's health. You can trust every piece of information that you get from this source.

Women's health abs diet is a diet plan that has proved to be very effective. You would want to adopt this plan as you will have to maximize the fat loss and muscle building with every passing day. This would make you able to gain the perfect body shape that you have been dreaming about.

The simplest and most effective way to get flat abs is to burn fat. You have no other options but to do that in order to get an attractive abs. you will have to make your metabolism fast in order to burn the fat and replace the fats with muscles. A piece of information might inspire you, that is if you can replace 1 pound of fat with 1 pound muscle then you are burning an extra 150 calories every day.

When you are trying to build muscles one thing is very important and that is to emphasize on every body parts. You will have to do this because all your body tissues work together and leaving any single part would mean an incomplete approach.

Making all your body parts involved in exercise is a way popularly known as compound exercise. Compound exercise works on every single tissue in your body and makes the whole body a healthy unit.

The plan is to make all the major body muscles work together as a unit. The women's health abs will make it easier and more fun to exercise and loose weight. This plan is also more challenging and demanding in a sense that it burns more energy.

We can not afford to spend hours after exercises. So the plan helps the female with short exercise sessions and very effective ones as the sessions are very hectic and demands a lot of energy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1890183

How healthy is healthy

By Roxanne Fisher

Roxanne Fisher investigates the different meanings of 'health' in the media and how it can affect your diet...

Most of us are aware of the government guidelines for eating for optimum health: each meal should be a balanced percentage of the five main food groups; snacks should be healthy; we should get our five-a-day at all costs, etc etc.
Sounds easy enough, certainly advice the majority of us could benefit from, and probably, already follow to varying degrees. A balanced diet is always going to beat a quick-fix-fad hands down. What about those of us who want to go beyond the basics though? We're constantly bombarded with the latest health craze/scare and much of the expert advice is wildly contradictory.

 

One example that has made health headlines in recent years is the claim that we should be eating not five but eight portions of fruit and vegetables a day to prevent heart disease by up to 22%. The revelation has been met with varied reactions - some nutritionists even stepping out and saying the whole notion of a healthy diet needing to be heavy with fruit and veg is a myth.

So who and what do we believe if even our government guidelines on healthy eating are proposed to be inadequate?
Comments on the NHS health website highlight the confusion and dissatisfaction many people feel about the advice on offer. Conflicting professional guidance about fats , carbs and proteins seem to drive people further away from a sensible diet - what's the point in trying to eat well if no one can agree on what's healthy?
Even those eating a balanced diet are forced to question whether their habits are correct - for example are our portion sizes too large or small or should we be eating three times a day or having six smaller meals to aid digestion?

 

There is certainly not a one-size-fits all answer, but such varying advice can make the average person anxious about their daily consumption - let alone people who already struggle with weight issues or eating disorders.
What have been your experiences of trying to follow a healthy lifestyle? Are there related issues you would particularly like to see discussed on the site?