Combine your healthy eating program with a simple exercise for the greatest effect on your long term health. Try these 5 tips.
Fitness is the ultimate key to a longer life. In fact, it's better to be fat and fit, than skinny and sedentary - but by far the best is to be slender AND well-toned. How to achieve it? Make sure your diet contains more fresh fruit and veg, wholegrain and low-fat foods, and less processed and junk foods, and include simple exercise in your daily routine.
Take just half an hour a day for fitness. If you sleep for eight hours, that still leaves 16 in a day...and yes, you can find just half of one of those to dedicate to a fitter you. Go for variety - one day a brisk walk, the next a cycle ride, then a badminton session, an aerobic class, or some weight-training at home.
Be prepared for after-exercise hunger A strenuous exercise session can leave you feeling ravenous, but don't use it as an excuse to binge. Get a good, healthy snack ready before you start exercising, so there's no danger of heading for the cookie jar. Try a banana and a glass of skimmed milk, a bowl of hearty soup that just needs warming, a wholegrain roll with hummus, a pot of low fat yogurt with chopped fruit stirred in.
Measure your waist. If your girth is more than 81cm/33 inches for women, 94cm/39 inches for men, then you're in danger of developing diabetes and heart disease. Start an exercise plan now, and make moves to reduce the amount of unhealthy foods you eat.
Check your portion sizes. Over-generous portions are one of the main enemies of healthy eating. Don't trust to guesswork. Half a cup - 70g - of dried pasta is a healthy serving. Always measure. You'll be surprised how easy it is for portions to creep up.
Spread your exercise across the week, and always having a healthy snack afterward. Make your new regime into a permanent part of your life. That way, you're far more likely to keep the healthy eating and exercise habit going into the future. Start now - and see how quickly you feel a difference!
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