Healthy Lifestyle

A healthy lifestyle can be achieved by eating right and getting regular exercise. You don't have to eat tofu everyday and you don't need to be able to run a marathon; good general health can easily be achieved by making educated nutritional choices and breaking a sweat as little as three times a week.

Nutrition

Breakfast

A lot of people skip breakfast and think they will lose weight because of the calories they don't eat.  This is very wrong. If you do not eat a wholesome breakfast, not only will your energy be low, but you will be more likely to overconsume later in the day.  It is also important for jump-starting your metabolism after waking up.  So even if it is just a bowl of whole-grain cereal  and a tall glass of orange juice,  the good calories, protein, and nutrients will get you through the day and enhance your overall health.  Also, your body loses water while you sleep, so be sure to rehydrate yourself.

Lunch

Think of lunch as your opportunity to get nutrition from protein, grain, vegetables, and fruits. A club sandwich  or chicken salad  are solid choices.  Stay away from fried, greasy food, and most importantly, do not drink carbonated sodas.  These are basically liquid hard candy, and at best, the zero calorie diet drinks will only severely dehydrate you.  Drink water--this is the most important lifestyle choice towards maintaining your health.  Water will also leave you feeling full so that you do not overeat.

Dinner

The basis of a healthy dinner is a protein such as a lean chicken breast  or fish, a grain such as rice  or bread,  and a vitamin-rich vegetable such as carrots  or spinach.   Obviously, you can deviate from this basic meal, but it gives you an idea of what to eat.  And again, drink water to stay hydrated.  You can also drink a nutritious fruit juice for Vitamin C, but juice alone will not properly hydrate you.

Exercise

While a gym membership is highly recommended, it is not completely necessary.  The perks of a gym membership include having access to expensive gym equipment and personal trainers, and some provide free sessions of whatever sport you can think of.  If you don't feel like making the monthly commitment to a gym, some home equipment that will help you stay fit is listed below.

Your workout routine should always include aerobic as well as anaerobic workout.  This means you should strength train in addition to running, swimming, or biking etc.  Don't forget: going outside and running in the park or playing a pickup basketball game is a great way to keep exercise fun.  Mix things up so you don't get burnt out.

Pull Up Bar  Many pull up bars can be easily installed in doorways without any nails or screws.	Dumbbell Set  Buy at least a few different weighted dumbbells so that you can progressively lift more, or go for the Bowflex Select Tech,  which instantly changes weight settings from 10 to 90 pounds.	Treadmill  Running is a great full body aerobic workout.  Sometimes weather is inclement or too cold to run outside so a treadmill is a convenient option.	Exercise Bicycle  These are time tested devices that are also a relatively cheap way to get a good cardiovascular workout.

 More Equipment

• Balance Balls 
• Rowing Machine 
• Bench Press Set 
• Jump Rope 
• Elliptical Trainer 
• Step Machine 

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Vitamins	Weight Loss Programs	Sports and Recreation	Fitness