Introduction
A person’s health is very important and should be taken care of at all costs. While many factors affect a person’s health, nutrition and fitness habits are among the major contributory factors. Nutrition habits are very important since what we eat is the chief determinant of our health. Our body also needs exercise to be in a position to utilize the food that we eat appropriately. Since I know the importance of good nutrition, I practice good nutrition and fitness habits.
First and foremost, I always eat a balanced diet because the body requires all three classes of food in the right proportions. Every meal that I take especially the main meals must contain protein, carbohydrates and vitamins. Moreover, since I like taking snacks, I make sure that I eat healthy snacks that include vegetables and fruits. I take water regularly and to enhance the same, I always carry enough clean drinking water in my bag so that I can access it every time I need it. There are some snacks that I decided to eliminate from my diet since they have little benefit in the body. For instance, I rarely take sugary snacks and beverages since they are not very healthy and are great contributors to nutrition and health problems.
For fitness purposes, I always get involved in moderate exercise. For example, it is my habit to jog in the morning for around twenty minutes before embarking on my daily activities. In addition, whenever I get a chance, I also engage in other sports like swimming once a week. Walking briskly is also a fitness habit that I have adopted as it is very important.
Health Risks Caused by Obesity
Obesity is a condition that arises when the body mass index turns out to be thirty or more. It generally refers to a condition where a person has more weight, greater than what is healthy for a particular height. Obesity is a health hazard because causes many diseases and health conditions like heart diseases. Some conditions linked with obesity are serious risk factors of various heart diseases. It is more likely for people suffering from high blood pressure and high levels of cholesterol to develop heart disease and both conditions are associated with obesity as studies of Insel & Roth, (2007) indicate.
Type 2 diabetes also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is a condition that is characterized by the body’s inability to control sugar. It is also common among obese and overweight people. Moreover, several types of cancer are closely linked with obesity like cancer of the cervix, breast, gallbladder, uterus, prostate, colon, and ovarian cancer, to mention just a few. Some conditions like sleep apnoea are more common among obese people. Other health risks closely tied to obesity are inclusive but not limited to conditions like osteoarthritis, gout and gall bladder (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention n.d ).
Three New Fitness Habits that can be Incorporated in my Lifestyle
Walking is one of the fitness habits I can incorporate into my routine. Experts explain that even a twenty-minute walk in a day can make a great difference since walking is a form of exercise. Instead of driving and sitting down, I would be spending some time walking because when I am busy, I do not get time to practice regularly. Since I spend most of my time seated, I will avoid playing games that spend less energy like computer games. Instead, I will incorporate exercise habits like bike riding and leg lifts given that they are more appropriate and makes someone lose more energy (Insel & Roth, 2007).
Fitness habits are very important because they will contribute greatly to improving my health. To begin with, exercise is very important since it increases someone’s strength. For example, some of the exercise habits like lift ups are very important in strengthening one’s muscles thus increasing body strength. In addition, exercises like running, walking and bike riding are very important in improving body flexibility. Lastly, the exercise habit will also help to improve the body’s endurance. The above habits are very important in burning excess body fat and the same is very important in improving and increasing endurance.
Nutritional Habits to Be Incorporated In My Lifestyle and Their Benefits
First and foremost, I will incorporate a balanced diet in all my meals. Most importantly, I will ensure that I eat the right proportions as highlighted in the food pyramid. Secondly, I will make sure that I will be eating in moderation because there is no bad food as long as it is eaten cautiously. For instance, I have been avoiding taking sugary beverages and since they are not all that bad, I will incorporate them in my meals but in moderation. Lastly, I will be making more healthy food choices. For example, it is important to eat healthier foods than to eat foods of low nutrition value. Instead of eating highly processed and polished cereals, I will be eating whole grains and unpolished cereals.
The new nutrition habits will improve my health greatly. To begin with, eating a varied and balanced diet is very important because it will boost my immunity and therefore, protect my body from diseases. Making healthy food choices is very important because it will help maximize the benefits of each type of food. Eating moderately is effective in improving health because it prevents someone from developing nutrition disorders that are detrimental to the health of a person.
Bodyweight is greatly determined by a person’s nutrition habits and therefore, the above-mentioned nutrition habits will be very helpful in promoting healthy body weight. For instance, eating a balanced diet in the right proportion helps to prevent excessive intake of fatty and starchy foods which contribute to obesity and overweight. In addition, eating in moderation also helps to ensure that a person has taken all the important nutrients which are a great contributor to healthy body weight. Lastly making healthy food choices is also very important because it enables a person to eat more healthy foods which in turn results in healthy body weight (Insel & Roth, 2007).
General Health Benefits of the New Nutrition and Fitness Habits
The importance of reasonable nutrition and fitness habits requires no further emphasis. The health of an individual is greatly affected by such habits. Eating a balanced diet helps greatly in disease prevention. For example, a balanced diet incorporates enough fruits and vegetables which mostly contain antioxidants. Such oxidants help greatly in preventing disease conditions like cancer. Eating in moderation also decreases problems like type 2 diabetes. Moreover, healthy food choices help to improve a person’s mood, reduce cravings, and therefore, it results not only in a healthy skin but also slows down aging process.
As highlighted earlier in the introductory part, fitness habits are very crucial to healthy living. Exercise improves metabolism and blood circulation and therefore, improves health. The body needs to be flexible and the same is promoted by various forms of exercise. Moreover, exercise like walking briskly controls body weight which has become an important health hazard (Cho, 2010). Therefore, it is important to incorporate reasonable nutrition and fitness habits early in life because they are chief determinants of health.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Overweight and Obesity. Web.
Cho, E. (2010). Fitness Habits and Losing Weight.
Insel, P. M., & Roth, W. T. (2007). Core Concepts in Health, Brief Update. New York City: McGraw-Hill.