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Three Things To Do To Live Healthier And Longer

Living longer never seems to be a major subject for discussion until we actually get closer to dying. Funny how this is a back-to-front discussion because most of the things we do to our health during our lives actually determine how long we might live. Then it might be too late!

An easy way out would be to believe it all comes down to our genes. The course of our life is somehow predetermined by the genetic makeup we inherited from our family and their families. This notion has been debunked long ago by many researchers.

The new science called Nutrigenomics has shown our genetic preferences can be influenced and indeed changed by the things we do and things we don’t do. Smoking or not smoking is a good example of this. Our genetic pathways are mostly influenced by the things we eat and the things we don’t eat.

So one question which arises is when should I be paying attention to all this? When I am 20, 40, 60, or 80 years of age? Of course, the answer will be: The sooner the better! But it is never too late. The focus here is not just on planning to live longer but staying healthy in the process. The very thought of being struck down with dementia or Alzheimer’s and “hanging on” for several years should be motivation enough to take all of these ideas into consideration.

Before I get into the detail of my three suggestions, I should point out that there are a couple of things one should always avoid - smoking and excessive alcohol. There is a reason why in most countries every cigarette package carries the warning “smoking kills”. The reason why this message is so prominent is that smoking can kill you. If you want to live a shorter, unhealthier life, then just carry on smoking. The same applies to excessive alcohol.

So now to my three suggestions to live healthier and longer. They are three activities that are easy to implement and can be incorporated into your daily life without having to change too much. In fact, when you have incorporated them you will no longer have to give them much thought as they will become routine, just like going to work every day or dropping the kids off at school. BTW, when you start, your family will probably follow your example, especially when they see your results!

Intermittent Fasting

This you may have heard about and it is often grossly misunderstood. The reason is it’s so easy to implement and it costs you nothing and in fact, you will be spending less. This is hard competition for all those gurus out there selling all sorts of diets and fad programs to lose weight, most of which never work. Therefore, many who see Intermittent Fasting as the competition start to spread rumors and fears about this century-old method of keeping trim.

What is Intermittent Fasting? It is simply a plan where you focus not on what you are eating, although that can also be important, but more on when you eat. In other words, as long as you keep to the time plan of your choosing, you will lose weight. For example, if you choose the so-called 16/8 plan, you will be eating everything in an 8-hour period and fasting for 16 hours (8 hours of which you are sleeping).

Let’s say you eat breakfast at 8.00 a.m., lunch at 1.00 p.m., and dinner/snack at 4.00 p.m. then you would eat nothing more until breakfast the next day (16 hours later). Most people on this program tend to skip either breakfast or dinner as it makes the planning easier and the weight loss much more effective. Breakfast is just coffee, Lunch at 12.00 p.m. and dinner at 7.00 p.m. (17 hours fasting).

If one eats just normal, nutritive meals, then you will lose 8-10% of your overall weight on a 90-day plan, almost all of which will be the dangerous fats you carry around with you. Of course, if you implement suggestions 2 and 3 and reduce the sugar content of your meals, then it could be even more. Experience shows that once you see and feel the success, you will want to continue although you could take a break and use such a program just twice each year. Better still, as you get used to watching when you eat, it will become more of a routine. It won’t matter if you occasionally go on a binge on birthdays, Thanksgiving, or other festive days as long as you stay with the plan for the rest of the time.

Detox

In our modern society, our bodies are constantly being exposed to all sorts of toxins. The processed foods we eat, the air we breathe and even the things we spray and spread on our skin are ways dangerous toxins enter our bodies.

What happens when we have an excess of toxins which our bodies cannot process and eliminate? They get stored in our fat cells much the same way excess sugar (glucose) is converted into fat and then stored, mainly around the stomach! Many experts claim these stored toxins prohibit an effective attack on those fat cells and prevent an efficient fat loss program. This is sometimes disputed but does make some sense. In any case, these stored toxins are not good for us and should be eliminated at all cost.

So how do I detoxify? There is no single pill you can take to attack your toxin problem. It will require a number of changes to your diet and the things you do every day. Firstly, you should avoid as much as possible adding any more toxins to your body. Together with your Intermittent Fasting program make sure you avoid as many processed foods as possible. They contain lots of substances and chemicals your body doesn't need. Pay attention to any household products you are using. They most certainly contain chemicals you breathe in. Even cosmetics include chemicals you don't really need. For example, does your deodorant include aluminum? Switch to one that doesn’t.

Then comes the actual detox program. There are basically two types of toxins, those that are soluble and those which are insoluble. For soluble toxins, which are processed through the kidneys, it is necessary to drink as much as possible, preferably water. How much? Think in terms of at least 2-3 liter bottles every day. This will also help you contain the initial hunger feelings you will experience at the beginning of your fasting.

Then we must get rid of the insoluble toxins. The Intermittent Fasting program is a good start and can be supported by eliminating processed foods and eating lots more green vegetables and all sorts of fresh fruits. This can then be supplemented by drinking teas, with both green and red teas being the favorites. Personally, I drink two glasses of well-diluted apple cider vinegar each day which not only helps the cleansing process, it also has a number of benefits related to fat burning.

Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used vinegar for several health benefits more than two thousand years ago.

Then there are a number of other activities which can help along the detox process. Taking a sauna occasionally will help eliminate some of the toxins (in the fat cells) through the pores of the skin. Using a hand skin scrubber (glove) every day will get rid of the dead cells you have on the surface of your skin. Practicing deep breathing exercises will assist in eliminating certain toxins through your breath and then participating in any form of mild-strenuous activity (brisk walking, biking) will achieve the same results.

There are many references on the web as well as many books on the subject of detoxing the body and here are just a few tips. Take the time to research the subject and get a detox program into your routine. It is not difficult and you will feel the difference.

Exercise

I know what you are now thinking - a sports club membership. Well, you are wrong. Here we are talking about exercise that will cost you nothing more than just your time.

For example, when you go shopping, how often do you park the car as close as you can to an entry/exit? How about looking for the parking spot farthest away from the entry? I know that sounds inconvenient but do you want to live longer or not? For many people, this could add at least one extra mile of walking to their schedule every week. How about taking the elevator? Do you ever consider taking the stairs? Again, not so convenient but a great way to get in a little workout and burn some calories. Doesn't even take out time from your busy schedule.

Do you ever go for a walk around the neighborhood or local park? This is something that was much more common in past generations and we seem to have gotten away from using our feet, except on the gas pedal. Plenty of excuses - too hot, too cold, too wet. Then go to the local shopping mall and do some extensive window shopping. It is sure a lot healthier than sitting in front of the TV or computer.

The best plan is to decide on a fixed workout such as walking briskly for an hour, three times a week, and sticking with it. Take the car for the first run and map out a route of 3-4 miles. This is about one hour of brisk walking. To make it even more pleasurable take a family member or friend with you. That hour will go by quickly and could be even more pleasurable. For the more adventurous, start to jog instead of walking.

It is important to incorporate the exercise program as part of your routine. Once I got some advice from a friend of mine to start running half-marathons - at the age of 65! I thought he was crazy but I took his advice and discovered if you decide on something like that it means you have to plan for it in advance. This meant I had to develop a training program in order to get fit for the event. There was no looking back and I trained three times a week for three months. After my first event, I was probably the fittest I had ever been my whole life.

Do you own a bike? If so, how often do you use it? If you don’t own one, how about investing $100 in a used one? Biking is becoming more and more popular and they are building more and more bike lanes across the country. Not only is biking healthy, but it is also contributing to improving the environment. The advantage of biking is you can see a lot more than if you are just walking. How about doing shopping by bike instead of the car? A couple of saddlebags on the back of the bike or maybe a rucksack and you are ready. Healthier and cheaper.

There are many other sports activities you could get into if you are so inclined. Playing tennis, golf, or going for a swim. Then there is the sports club, of course. Personally, I prefer a set of dumbbells at home. It is a lot cheaper and they are there in front of you, no more excuses. Building a little muscle didn’t hurt anyone and muscle burns more calories than fat!

Decision Time

All of these three action items are easy to do and they cost you nothing. The only reason you might not incorporate them into your daily life is that you have decided not to. But in the meantime perhaps something is happening inside of you which might not emerge as an illness until many years from now when it might be too late.

Your health and the length of your life are not preprogrammed into your genes but are something you can control all by yourself. Even if you are not interested, think about the people who you love and who depend upon you. Maybe they are hoping you will be around for a very long time. For more motivation click on the link below and download the free chapter from my latest book on Intermittent Fasting. The content might surprise you.

 

INTERMITTENT FASTING

 

 

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