Taking Care of Your Body

 Ways to Stay Young & Healthy

 1. Brain exercises- 

Studies have shown that by doing brain exercises even for a 2 week period can show on brain scans that memory has improved.

Exercises could include:

Crossword puzzles

Sodoka 

2. Green tea-

 Green tea has shown to reduce breast cancer, and is being tested as to helping to prevent bladder, rectal and lung cancer by blocking the signaling network that is linked with progression of cancer.

 3. Yoga-

 Increases energy

Better Posture

Greater Flexibility

Less Stress 

Through breathing you become more aware of the connection between your mind and body. Cells are oxygenated. Yoga poses usually make you work the inside of your body as well as outer so it may help the organs as well. Yoga also helps to build bone mass.

What are the Secrets to Longevity? – 8 Factors to Consider                 

What are the secrets to living a long and functional life? Does the secret lie in your genetic make-up, diet, your activity level, how much you sleep, how you handle stress, your mindset, whether you smoke or drink, or how sociable you are? Well, if you said yes to all of these you are most likely correct. In this article I will explore why some people reportedly live a longer, and good quality of life whereas others who are not so fortunate seem to suffer from illness or debilitating disease much earlier than they should, thereby breaking down the systems in their body, causing a shorter life span or a life of poor quality in their later years. So, let’s look at what the fountain of youth really is about.

 1. Let’s first talk about something that may surprise you. This fact has been reported by Dr. Sanjay Gupta and has been reported by other researchers as well. We will give this point to be the first and foremost in terms of importance. It seems as if people who have a purpose or passion in life, something that they wake up in the morning thinking about and go to bed at night with thoughts of, creates people who live a long life. The Japanese call this “ikigai” meaning that they have this sense of purpose. There is also a secondary benefit in this; your brain is working more if you have a purpose or a passion in life. Exercising the brain contributes to living better at an older age.

 2. Genetic factors contribute 25% towards your overall longevity.

 3. People who live to a ripe old age are active almost every day. Not necessarily an active exercise program, but walking, movement of some kind throughout their years. They don’t sit still for long.

 4. Sleep does affect how our bodies function. In some European countries people go to bed at a very late hour and get up at sunrise. But in the afternoon they catch a nap for a few hours. This appears to be very effective for a long life.

 5. People who eat more natural foods, foods that are not processed live longer. In America we are eating large portions of processed foods that have been chemically altered. We do yo-yo dieting and don’t get enough of the natural nutrients that we should. Fast food restaurants have become very popular causing us as a nation to become fatter and less healthy. Also the portion sizes for our servings are much larger than most other countries.

 6. Social contact is another factor that seems to keep people happier and healthier, hence a longer life span. There have been studies done in some Mediterranean countries, such as Greece and Italy and the older people get together all the time. They visit each day and it is the usual thing to eat together and visit. We know that when we feel appreciated and loved we thrive. Many of these older people live in smaller villages and are more supportive than we are with each other, especially in larger cities.

 7. Moderation is another key to living longer. If you eat and drink in moderation you can stay off the fad diets and you are not always trying to play catch up with your weight and your health. Red wine is healthy for you, in moderation. Alcohol does not have the same benefits as red wine. Smoking is definitely something we should not be doing if we want to live a long, healthy life. Smoking can cause many diseases.

 8. You have heard the saying, ‘stop and smell the roses”. This is one more factor to be aware of if you want to live, say to be 100! Studies have shown that people who are able to go with the flow, don’t let life events get the best of them fare far better than others. So if it’s hard for you to do this, try some meditation, yoga or visual imagery.

 So think about these factors and how they might affect your potential for a long life!

7 Tips for a Healthier Body

Make a commitment to your body and to yourself. Treat your body as if it is a magnificent house that you live in.

This means that you are always treating your body well and do not abuse it. You must give it fuel to work and the fuel (food) must include the right nutrients. Going on crash diets, medications or fast weight loss plans are harmful to your body. Work on normalizing your food intake and not to just lose weight.

1. Abandon the diet mentality.

2. Look at food as the fuel your body needs, not as emotional comfort.

3. Eat when you are hungry, not when you are stressed or lonely.

4. Don’t rush through meals; savor the meal you are eating.

5. Start making nutritious food choices because you want to, not because you have to.

6. Try cutting all your portions in half. Most of our portions are too large.

7. Eat the right quality fuel for your body; quality proteins, complex carbohydrates, fibrous carbohydrates and some fat. Carbohydrates are the major source of fuel for us, proteins are the “building blocks” in your body and fats are a major source of energy.

8. Eliminate sugars and refined carbohydrates (processed foods).

9. Drink at least 8-12 oz. glasses of water each day for hydration.

Remember that healthy muscles burn your fat. Implement some type of exercise program. It is best to exercise 4-5 times a week. Try to do some form of cardio three times a week and weight or resistance training the other days. Both forms of exercise are important for losing weight, having healthy muscles and preventing osteoporosis as we get older. Give your body 1 day of rest. Some other ways of exercising;

1. Try taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

2. Take a brisk walk during your lunch break.

3. Perform a fun recreational activity with your family.

4. Do jumping jacks or crunches during a commercial break.

Try to change your exercise routine every now and then to avoid boredom.

Set goals for your healthy, fit body. Write them down, take a picture and make a picture with someone whose body you admire.

Don’t smoke. If you drink, do it in moderation. Red wine is the healthiest, stick to 1 glass of wine for health benefits.

Be realistic and positive. Believe in yourself. Keep working towards a healthy and fit body but realize that everyone is different. Compete with yourself. Remember, the goal is to be healthy.

Take Care of Your Body-

Are you feeling fat, unable to lose the 20 pounds that you have put on in the last few years? Are you gaining a middle body bulge? Many of us have a hard time losing weight and getting fit because we do not find the time and then after awhile it’s even harder to find time because you have replaced exercise time with other things. But when we feel and look fit we are empowered. We feel like we have more chance of going after goals, dealing with work issues and forging ahead in life. Have you noticed when you look and feel good you can rise above the challenges life poses for you? When we look and feel fit our self-esteem goes up and we have more courage for challenges in life. Hence, we are empowered.

Think about someone you know who is fit and trim. Do they seem to have lots of energy? Do they seem to always be accomplishing something? Do they seem to like the challenges in life? Do they seem to always be optimistic? They feel this way because they have empowered themselves to live a healthier, stronger and powerful life. We can all do this but have to make the commitment to ourselves.

Take a picture of yourself. This is a good way to really view you. A video is even better. The pictures tell the truth better than a mirror. Is the picture showing you as you would like others to see you? How we present ourselves to the world affects how others interact with us. If we feel and look good, we show that to others, that is the picture they have of us. That empowers us.

Imagine the rest of your life. Do you have goals, aspirations that you want to achieve? Empower yourself to start taking care of your body first. This is where it starts. Imagine that your body is the house that houses your life, spirit and soul. It must be cared for in order for you to thrive. Empower your mind to realize this.

If you have children or grandchildren, think about what kind of image you are presenting to them. Are you a role model and are you empowered to teach them to be fit? This is something that you will pass down to the next generation and hopefully your children will pass down their empowering ideas to their children.

So…think about these thoughts and empower yourself to take care of your body.