Healthy lifestyle, Healthy Choices; Three Easy to Implement Activities for Longevity

Preventative activities and living a healthy lifestyle is no longer something that, “those people do”. In a recent survey of national health, Australia was ranked one of the fattest nations in the developed world. With a host of secondary complications associated with obesity such as diabetes and stroke and vascular disorders, now is the time to start implementing a healthy lifestyle into your everyday activities.
Staying healthy and losing weight does not have to translate to hours sweating at the gym doing the same repetitive exercise or a strict diet of spinach and wheat grass juice. You would be surprised what effect small dietary changes and simple cardiovascular activities can have on your overall health.

So go ahead and implement a few of these easy activities and dietary rules into your lifestyle and watch as you shred the pounds and give your future health a hearty high-five.

 
Mind Your Mantra
The practice of yoga has been around for more than 5,000 years and is arguably one of the more iconic exercises of this century. You probably have seen countless TV commercials, web ads and billboards displaying someone perfecting their downward dog but you might be unaware of the slew of health benefits that are associated with this deeply relaxing and peaceful exercise. Practitioners of yoga enjoy:

• Improvements to your flexibility, strength and balance
• Lower blood pressure and heart-rate
• Boost in immune system function
• Arthritis relief and benefits to those with asthma

Implementing yoga into your life could be one of the best choices you could ever make. Even if you only attend a class once every week or two, the health benefits you will enjoy will definitely be worth it.

Your Daily H2O
Making sure you get your daily intake of water is perhaps one of the easiest and cheapest ways to start you on your way to a healthier and happier you. The benefits of getting your eight 8oz glasses a day are widespread and all equally important. An individual drinking the adequate amount of water each day can enjoy

• Weight loss (replace water with that high-fructose corn syrup soda, or fruit juice)
• Increase in heart health (a study of those who had adequate water intake were found to be 41% less likely to develop heart disease)
• Increase in energy (low energy is often the direct result of dehydration, replace that 2nd cup of coffee with a tall glass of water)
• Digestion issues (water is great for balancing out stomach pH issues and can be a great preventative measure in using that precious insurance deductible)
• Cancer prevention (studies also show that those who have enough water in their diet can cut colon and kidney cancer risks by almost half)

You Can’t Leave the Table till You Finish Your Vegetables
We have all heard this classic phrase and perhaps it was a staple conversation piece when you were growing up, frowning into your plate of now cold broccoli. Making sure your diet has a robust assortment of vegetables is extremely important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The benefits of eating your daily recommended allowance of vegetables include:

• A Younger, more youthful appearance (numerous studies have shown that individuals who eat the right amount of vegetables appear five to six years younger than those of their peers who did not)
• Increased alertness and cognition ( all those vitamins and minerals pack quite the punch for your brain function)
• Supplying your body with antioxidants (antioxidants act as little scavengers that go around your body and mop of all those free radicals and other potential cancer causers boosting immune defense and chances of infection)

This is by no means an exhaustive list. The combinations of diet and exercise are practically endless. By adding any form of increased exercise or small changes to your diet you will be creating the beginnings of great healthy habits. The younger you are when you start these changes, the sooner you can reap in the effects of their preventive care. Start one now and you can save at the bank too as you cut down on your future healthcare costs.

Kevin Murphy is a freelance writer and former insurance industry professional. He spends most of his time in his native Australia, and he writes about health insurance for Frank Health Insurance.