Practical, Healthful Eating Habits--Part 4

Stay hydrated with adequate amounts of water.

 

• Drinking water with each meal and between meals is a healthy habit.
  
• About 20% of our daily water intake comes from food. Fruits and vegetables contain about 90-100% water by weight.
  
• Eating water-rich foods can stave off hunger and lower calorie intake.
  
• Foods with lots of calories are typically low in water content.
  
• Adequate water intake prevents constipation and can reduce the risk of colon and bladder cancer.
  
• Water helps the body to absorb the nutrients from the food we eat.
  
• If you are overweight and you are feeling hunger pangs, try drinking a large glass of water, wait 20 minutes. If you are still hungry then eat water-rich foods such as fruit, salad or soup.
  

• When you drink enough water you can exercise more effectively. Water helps to maintain the muscle tone and lubricate the joints that reduces muscle fatigue and soreness during exercise.
• Inadequate water intake can result in signs of dehydration, such as fatigue, excess thirst, fuzzy memory, difficulty focusing on tasks and simple math, lightheadedness, and nausea.
  
• Caffeine found in coffee, tea, chocolate, cola drinks, Red Bull, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, and Sunkist Orange has a diuretic effect; for every cup of coffee, you need an additional cup of plain water to counteract this effect. The same goes for alcoholic beverages.
  

Try some exercise.
 

• Adults need at least:

          * 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-
               intensity aerobic activity (i.e., brisk walking)
               every week or
          * 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) of vigorous-intensity
               aerobic activity (i.e., jogging or running) every week and
          * muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a
               week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back,
               abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

• Spread out your activity during the week.

• Do 10 minutes at a time. For example take 10-minute brisk walk, 3 times a day, 5 times a week for a total of 150 minutes
• Moderate-intensity aerobic activity means you're working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat.
• Some examples of activities that require moderate effort:
  
  * Walking fast
  

          * Doing water aerobics

          * Riding a bike on level ground or with few hills

          * Playing doubles tennis

          * Pushing a lawn mower

• Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity means you're breathing hard and fast, and your heart rate has gone up quite a bit.
  
• Activities that require vigorous effort include:
  
  
  * Jogging or Running
  
  * Swimming laps
  
  * Riding a bike fast or on hills
  
  * Playing singles tennis
  
  * Playing basketball
  
• Muscle strengthening activities include:

        * Working with resistance bands

        * Doing exercises that use your body weight for resistance
           (i.e., push ups, sit ups)

        * Heavy gardening (i.e., digging, shoveling)

        * Yoga

• Talk with your health care provider before you begin a physical activity routine.

Get adequate sleep. 

• Sleep helps improve memory and facilitates learning.
• Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by changing levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
• Sleep loss contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
  
• Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
  
• Serious sleep disorders have been linked to high blood pressure, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
  
• Sleep deprivation affects immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells.
  
• Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.
  

• According to leading sleep researchers, there are techniques to resolve common sleep problems:
  
  
  
  * Keep a regular sleep/wake schedule
  
  * Don’t drink or eat caffeine four to six hours before bed and minimize daytime use
  
  * Don’t smoke, especially near bedtime or if you awake in the night
  
  * Avoid alcohol and heavy meals before sleep
  
  * Get regular exercise
  
  * Minimize noise, light, and excessive hot and cold temperatures where you sleep
  * Develop a regular bed time and go to bed at the same time each night
  
  * Try and wake up without an alarm clock
  
  * Attempt to go to bed earlier every night for certain period; this will ensure that you’re getting enough sleep
  
• Certain medications such as decongestants, steroids and some medicines for high blood pressure, asthma, or depression can cause sleeping difficulties as a side effect.
  
• Most adults need an average of 7-8 hours of sleep a night.