Beech Tree News Network

William Londen said, “To ensure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life” (http://www.searchquotes.com/quotes/author/William_Londen/). Over the past week, I’ve been reading about healthy eating and exercising. Three of the articles I read contained interesting information about eating fruits and vegetables, maintaining weight and quick weight loss. 

One article, “5 Easy Ways to Eat More Fruits and Veggies,” said: “…most adults don't eat enough fruits and vegetables….Variety is vital to get all the different nutrients and their health benefits” (http://diet.mayoclinic.org/diet/eat/easy-ways-to-eat-more-fruits-and-veg...). The author suggested selecting fruits and vegetables for snacks, including fruit in salads, choosing recipes that have vegetables or fruits as a main ingredient, and using fruits on cereal or vegetables in scrambled eggs. Finally, my personal favorite, the author suggested making smoothies and drinking the fruits and vegetables. Eating fruits and vegetables each day is not always convenient, but research has shown that our bodies need them.

A second article, “Why Maintaining Weight Can Be Trickier than Losing Weight” by Julia Malacoff, explained that although weight fluctuations are normal, keeping an eye on the scales is important (https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/why-maintaining-weight-can-be-trickier-tha...). Malacoff suggested having a mindset committed to healthy eating and living. She also encouraged eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are satisfied. By sticking to only one serving of high-calorie foods, most foods may be included in a person’s diet. Additionally, keeping a food log is a helpful practice. Managing stress is also important – perhaps through exercise, meditation or getting more sleep. When we are stressed, cortisol is released into the bloodstream, resulting in the glucose from eaten food being stored as fat rather than used for energy and also leading to hunger, cravings and fatigue. Another suggestion was to use smaller plates: the suggested plate size was 9 inches in diameter. Other suggestions were using new recipes to avoid food boredom, maintaining a regular exercise routine, and getting enough protein and fiber to avoid making poor dietary choices. In my opinion, maintaining a healthy weight is difficult, but the commitment is worthwhile.

A third article, “8 Ways to Eat and Exercise for Quick Weight Loss” by Lori Nedescu, made an interesting point that could be helpful to many. Nedescu stated:

“When you work out, especially high-intensity workouts, your metabolism is boosted through post exercise oxygen consumption and the hunger hormone ghrelin is reduced. Doing a morning session and an evening session can make this burn last all day long” (https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/8-ways-to-eat-and-exercise-for-quick-weigh...).

One summer, I walked in the morning and in the evening most days, dividing my distance goal between the two walks. That practice was the most physically productive walking I’ve ever done. The downside was showering after two walks instead of one.

Melanie Greenberg said, “It seems we have forgotten the wisdom of the ages that good health is not just the absence of disease, but involves healthy lifestyle, healthy mental attitude, and healthy ways of relating…” (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201305/...). A healthy lifestyle requires learning about healthy practices and what works. Then, healthy living is a series of choices – including but not limited to diet and exercise.