Managing Your Diet

diet managementYour diet and your exercise habits make up the two biggest contributors to your physical health. A huge contributing factor to every individual’s personal health is their diet. This means that managing your diet and being conscious of it is an essential practice to be in. Every person has to carefully construct their own personal diet that meets their physiological needs, but these two basic focuses are the best places to start in the creation of a healthy diet. The primary ways of managing your diet are making sure that you eat appropriate sized portions as well as eating natural, healthy foods.

It is important to consider what you are eating. The types of foods you are putting into your body play a huge role in how physically healthy your body is. Organizing your diet to know exactly what foods will help you reach your optimal health takes time, experience and expert guidance in many cases, however, several diet rules that always apply to everyone are as follows: always choose natural foods over processed foods, avoid foods that are high in fat, sugar and carbohydrates, and get ample amounts of protein, vitamins, antioxidants, omegas and fiber.

Overeating, even when it is healthy foods, can contribute to a number of health problems related to weight gain, heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Portion control in eating is incredibly important to a healthy diet. The best way to begin practicing portion control is by monitoring your weight. If you weigh more than your desired amount and you are not losing weight like you hope to be, it is possible that portion control is the problem. Think through which items you can eliminate or cut back on in order to achieve your optimal weight. Think critically about the size and the frequency of your meals, writing down your thoughts.

Good Exercise Practices

consistent exerciseExercise is incredibly important to our health. Apart from diet, it is the most critical thing we can do to keep our muscles, fat content, metabolism and circulation healthy. When it comes to exercising in a smart way, there are a few things you can do to ensure that you are getting everything you should get from your workout. There are several basic things to keep in mind when it comes to managing your exercise regimen that will increase how effective it is, keeping you in the best shape possible.

  • The regularity of your workout should be fairly unwavering. Studies have shown that people who commit to a certain time of day are more likely to workout regularly than those who workout at random times of the day. Mornings, in particular, were shown to be the time of day when people were most likely to stay consistent with a workout regimen.
  • Variety in your exercise routine is very beneficial to your body. Following the exact same workout pattern daily is not as good for you as having several different workout patterns to switch back and forth between. This is because a singular workout pattern only works a certain set of muscles, while others are neglected. Switching it up ensures that all areas of your body will receive athletic attention.
  • Cardiovascular exercise is the kind that works the heart and the lungs. This may include activities such as jogging, hiking, aerobics, dancing or gymnastics. These activities get the heart to pump blood fast, which is important to the heart’s health. The lungs are also working harder, refreshing the oxygen levels in the body more rapidly.
  • Muscle toning is a very important part of exercise. As a person ages, it becomes more and more important to their joint and bone health that their muscle mass has been maintained.

Good Mental Health

good mental healthMental health is something we cannot see or touch, and it is very clear that there is a great deal we still have to learn about how it works, but there is no denying that it is an essential part of our every day lives. Our personal level of mental health determines a great deal of how we perceive ourselves and the world around us. In good mental health, the world is full of opportunities and positivity. In poor mental health, we feel like we are trapped in a prison. Not only that, but mental health and physical health have been found to have an incredible impact on one another. It is very important to our general health and wellness that we care for our mental health the way we care for our physical health. So how does a person care for the part of themselves that is invisible?

  • One of the first steps is to engage in positive self talk. Many of the reasons for negative self talk can be traced to a person’s past, which should be uncovered with a counselor, but even before that comes about, it is very important for a person to learn to speak to themselves kindly and be able to forgive, nurture and encourage themselves.
  • Stress management is a very important aspect to good mental health. Stress will always arise in life. There is no avoiding it or outsmarting it. Everyone has to learn to manage stress in their own way, but for some, this is a skill that has to be learned over time.rather than something that comes naturally. Proper stress management requires practice, diligence and perspective in order to navigate.
  • Good decision making is another key ingredient to good mental health. This is another thought pattern that can be considered more of an acquired good habit, because most adults have to continuously work at good decision making rather than just naturally possessing it.

Tips for Your Health

health tipsGood health is probably everyone’s ultimate goal, particularly for people who know what it is like to have their health jeopardized. Here are some tidbits of advice for getting on the right track with your health goals!

Diet:  we now know that food is not just food, but medicine as well. Our overall health depends largely on what we ingest. A few “super foods” you need to incorporate into your diet are kale (good roughage and vitamin source), jalapeno (high in vitamin C), dandelion (cleansing and full of nutrients), avocado (essential fats and oils), fish (more essential fats and oils) and green tea (stimulates metabolism.) Avoid foods that are high in sugar.

Exercise: one of the most important things you can do for your body and your mind is to exercise, yet so many of us find it difficult to make the time. If you struggle to keep a workout routine, it is recommended that you workout when you first wake up. This way, you have not encountered any distractions to throw off your routine. Avoid throwing off your exercise routine to maintain its regularity.

Cold-fighting: this is where the food as medicine philosophy comes largely into play. To kill a cold fast, you want to flush your body by supplying it with vitamin rich substances. A few food items that have been proven to kill colds fast and ease cold symptoms: jalapenos, citrus, organic fruit juice, vegetable soups, echinacea tea, garlic and ginger. Avoid alcohol for immune system health.

Sleep: if you struggle to keep a regular sleep schedule, try cancelling the light in your room with light-cancelling curtains and creating some steady white noise, either through a fan, humidifier or a white-noise machine. Avoid screens and bright sunlight before bed.

Healthy Retirement and Senior Living

senior living locationIn Canada, retiring and growing old comes with unique health considerations that one does not consider in the United States. Particularly the cold is an important factor to consider for those who are aging. While making retirement plans and choosing the location where one intends to grow old, considering the weather, climate and temperature can make a huge difference in the quality of life one will have in their senior years. After all, exercising and walking are essential to the elderly, and cold, icy climates can present dangers and hazards. It is also very important that seniors have proper medical care, nutrition and exercise regimens.

When it comes to selecting the best possible location in Canada to retire, one should certainly consider the warmest places first as warm or mild temperatures are much better for old joints and bones, and create safer conditions for mobility. One will not find a place in Canada that is free from icy winter conditions, however, one of the least icy places in Canada is the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. This region is situated in the upper most part of the North American Sonoran Desert and has warmer weather patterns than anywhere else in Western Canada. Senior homes in Vernon BC, Kelowna BC and Penticton BC are very popular places to age gracefully and make the most of your golden years.

The Okanagan Valley also has state of the art medical facilities and highly acclaimed doctors for the best in senior medical care. Situated in the heart of a gorgeous agricultural valley, surrounded by mountains and lakes, the Okanagan offers every kind of athletic activity to help seniors stay fit and active. There is plenty of sunshine in this location from April to September, and in the grayer winter months, temperatures are often above freezing. The senior community in the Okanagan is very prominent, and excellent support systems for senior nutrition, activities and social events is available to the elderly. There is unarguably no better place to retire in Canada than the Okanagan Valley.

Read Further at vernonseniorhomes.com

Caring for Your Teeth

tooth care British ColumbiaHaving healthy teeth makes a huge difference in our quality of life. Unhealthy teeth are very stressful to deal with. They are painful and require expensive, nerve-wracking dental procedures. If teeth problems are left unattended to, they can be dangerous to your health. Infected teeth can cause blood poisoning, decay and even damage to facial bones. Proper care of your teeth should not be taken lightly. In order to maintain good oral health and hygiene, it is important to educate yourself on the advice of dentists and oral hygienists, as well as understand basic natural methods of caring for your teeth.

Dentists and oral hygienists recommend brushing after every meal, but not immediately after. The acid content in foods is abrasive to teeth, and it is important to let enough time for the normal pH balance in your mouth to return before brushing. A manual toothbrush is good, but an electric one is even better for proper brushing. The brush should move in circular motions around the teeth, gums, tongue and roof of the mouth. Next, careful flossing, between the teeth and around the front and back of them is imperative. Swishing with mouthwash at the end is recommended.

The above advice is the recommended manual care routine you should adopt for yourself. However, it is important that you have a basic understanding of the chemical properties of teeth and how they react to your diet. Teeth are made of calcium, bone, nerves and enamel. They require sufficient calcium and vitamin D to remain strong, as well as good hygiene. This means it is important to eat calcium rich foods, such as kale, broccoli and milk, to give teeth the nutrients they need. It is also important to moderate foods that strip teeth of enamel, such as alcohol, heavy citrus and vinegar, as well as foods that cause tooth decay and infection, such as white flower and sugar.

Here in British Columbia, an impressive selection of dentists and oral hygienists is available to you to help you meet your oral health goals. Whether you are in need of a Vancouver, Kelowna, Prince George or Penticton dentist, you will be pleased with dental options and professionalism found in British Columbia.

Visit pentictondentist.net

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