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Do you lead a healthy lifestyle? Your personal wellbeing should be top on your list of priorities, and consequently, the best way to ensure a happy, prosperous life is to combat potential problems before they have the opportunity to get going by engaging in healthy lifestyle practices.
The good news is, it's often easier than most people suspect to create healthy lifestyle habits. What's usually required are just little adjustments and changes made gradually, over time.
So what are the cornerstones of a healthy lifestyle, and how can you implement them?
Top on the list of how to create a healthy lifestyle is one of the hardest ones to implement: you've got to stop smoking. Smoking is not only an expensive and anti-social habit; it also greatly increases your chances of developing heart disease, lung cancer, emphysema or stroke. Smoking also makes you more prone to respiratory ailments such as asthma, chest infections and croup. If you need help quitting, your doctor can advise you about programs and support groups available.
The next thing is to eat a healthy, balanced diet that contains all the recommended amounts for the various food groups. That means lots of carbohydrates like pasta, rice, bread and fortified cereals because they're great sources of vitamins minerals and fibre, and they're also low in fat. You'll also want to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and low fat dairy. Keep sugar, caffeine and alcohol to a minimum.
You'll want to complement your new meal plan with some moderate exercise. The intensity of the exercise you do will depend on your current levels of exercise. If you're already fairly active, then step up your program slightly, or join a new sporting event. If you've never exercised before, you may want to begin in small ways, like walking to work, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Make sure you get plenty of rest. In today's busy world, it's too easy to skimp on sleep, but it's rest that keeps us from falling ill and helps us to manage stress. Try to get 8 hours of sleep a night.
Lastly, drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. This keeps you hydrated, alert and functioning at your optimum!
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