Wholesome Living - 6 Things Every Health Conscience Person Recognizes

 

Living a healthy lifestyle requires you to make some conscious decisions. For people who are accustomed to living this way, it becomes second nature. If you are not health conscious, however, it will take some effort and retraining yourself. The following are five habits or practices that healthy people recognize and you should too.

 

“Occasional” Bad Habits Accumulate

This goes for both positive and negative habits. Many people rationalize unhealthy habits by saying something like “just one or two won’t kill me.” This might refer to cigarettes, alcoholic drinks or junk food. The problem is, if you do these type of things consistently, they have a cumulative effect on your body. That’s why healthy people recognize that it’s better to curb bad habits to a bare minimum.

 

Taking Care of Your Teeth and Gums is Vital to Your Health

Recent research shows that there is a connection between people’s dental health and their overall health. Cavities, oral infections and gum disease can not only cause problems for your mouth, but they can spread to other areas. That’s why people with gum disease are more likely to suffer from heart disease. That’s why healthy people take good care of their teeth, which includes brushing and flossing daily and scheduling regular appointments with the dentist.

 

Social Connections Are Essential to a Healthy Lifestyle

Being connected to other people and even animals is beneficial to your health. Isolation, on the other hand, can lead to depression and poor health. Studies show that people who are socially isolated, such as many older retired people, are at greater risk for many illnesses than those who are more sociable. That’s why healthy people make an effort to stay connected with friends, family, neighbors and activity partners.

 

It’s Important to Get Enough Rest

Lack of sleep not only makes you feel tired and drained, it takes a toll on your health. There is even evidence linking sleep deprivation to obesity. When you don’t get enough sleep, it can disrupt the balance of hormones that regulate your metabolism. Most people need at least seven hours of sleep per night. If you have difficulty getting enough sleep, you can try scheduling a nap in the afternoon or early evening.

 

Eating Right Can Do Wonders for the Body

People who are serious about their health are often talking about the last meal that they had. They normally use words like quinoa, kale and chicken. Eating right can reduce risk of several diseases like cancer, heart disease, and type-2 diabetes. A great option for a healthy meal would be a nice peanut butter and honey sandwich with some Klosterman Baking Company bread. Controlling you portions has a direct effect on your waistline. Make sure you continue making correct decisions and pick the carrot over the cake.

 

Stress is Bad for Your Health

Stress is one of the most harmful factors when it comes to your health. When you are tense, angry or frustrated, your body releases adrenaline as though you were under attack. If you are frequently in this type of state, it takes its toll on the body. Healthy people understand the importance of relaxing and letting go of stress. Techniques such as yoga, meditation, aromatherapy and massage can help you reduce stress.

 

There are quite a few ways that health conscious people differ from their less healthy counterparts. The above guidelines are some of the most crucial areas to keep in mind if you want to enjoy better health and a better quality of life.

 

Categories: bad habits, diet, eating right, Gum Disease, health, health conscious, healthy lifestyle, healthy people, heart disease, nbsp, nutrition, people, people recognize, Rest, teeth

The ADHD Diet Question – Just Eat Right!

Prevention is better than cure they say. This is so true as to what to give your kids to eat. Expectant mothers have to watch their health and lifestyle too. The facts are that the worse the diet, the more likely it is that pregnant mothers will have complications at birth such as neural tube defects (NTDs) which lead to brain defects including ADHD. The children themselves, if they are on a diet of red meat, soda pop and processed foods are more at risk in developing learning disorders and ADHD.

 

We know that a poor diet does not in itself cause ADHD but making good food choices will actually help to lessen symptoms and make ADHD more manageable.  It should be just one element in a comprehensive program which will also include physical activities and basic parenting skills.

 

Look at the statistics

 

There are all sorts of alarming statistics which are related to ADHD and what we eat and drink. Consider the following:-

 

• ADHD children and adults are liable to be obese – they are plagued by problems connected with impulsivity and this is a big problem when faced with food choices


• Pregnant mothers who are overweight are much more likely to have children who will go on to develop ADHD or other NTDs . About 66% of expectant mothers in the USA are overweight!


• Obesity itself in both children and adults will have a knock on effect with depression and anxiety gaining ground as co-morbid disorders


• One of the effects of ADHD meds is that there is an increase in anxiety levels among the children, yet nobody talks about this.

 

It is a matter of life and death

 

Whether we have ADHD or not, it just makes good sense to make sure that we eating right. We are going to avoid obesity, diabetes and heart disease for a start. Then there are a whole range of diseases which are linked to obesity.

 

Reading the very sad and tender book called ‘Big Brother’, the author Lionel Shriver describes how she fought alongside her brother to help him get his weight down. There was a tragic sequel as her brother died of an obesity related illness.

 

Making the right food choices

 

So, we need to implement a few changes without going to the extremes of having a gluten free or casein free diet although there are some people who actually thrive when they do that. However, these extreme diets are not really necessary in the majority of cases. As I said, let us keep this simple.

 

1. Add in protein in the form of eggs, cheese or meat at breakfast time. The extra protein here helps to avoid sugar crashes later in the day and helps to prevent mood swings,. We know that protein is a key element in keeping the brain transmitters in tip top condition.

 

I know some ADHD parents and kids have found that their focus level and impulse control are much improved when they remember to have that vital protein at breakfast time. It is well worth the effort.

 

2. Ramp up on fruit and vegetables in whatever form you like. The USDA are recommending that 50% of what is on our plate should be fruit or vegetables. The other two quarters should be some form of protein and carbohydrates.  We can use smoothies or put vegetable toppings on pizza and so on.


3. Getting kids involved in the shopping and the preparation of vegetables is a great way of making the whole operation much more appetizing for them.


4. Go for nuts and fruit as snacks


5. Add in fish when you can – that is a whole lot healthier than red meat for example. Great favourites are trout, salmon and mackerel. These contain Omega 3 fatty acids and that helps brain function.


6. Use whole grains as much as possible.


7. Vegetables can be transformed into smoothies or put into tarts and quiches. You can even try making sweet potatoes into a puree, adding in some orange juice and yogurt and even freezing them so that are like vegetable lollipops.


8. Try portion control. The Mayo Clinic recommends keeping in mind visual clues. One fruit serving could be a small apple which is the size of a tennis ball while one vegetable serving could be a pepper which is the same size of a baseball and so on.

 

Diet can really help with ADHD

Getting your food choices right will be an enormous advantage. It will not cure ADHD but will help to keep it under control. One dietician remarked that when her ADHD daughter has the right mix of proteins and carbohydrates her behavior is much more stable and manageable.

I know another family who, when they relax the above dietary guidelines, their behavior and focus gets out of control. So, the bottom line is – just eat right!

 

Robert Locke MBE is an award winning author and has written extensively on ADHD and related child health problems. You can visit this page on http://www.natural-adhd-cure.com ADHD natural treatment to find out more.

 

Categories: ADHD, breakfast time, diet, eating right, expectant mothers, food choices, nbsp, pregnant mothers, question, red meat