Healthy Living Facts, Diet And Exercise! Trivia Quiz

To build endurance, do aerobic physical activities such as brisk walking, running, bicycling or swimming.  To build strength, try weight lifting.  To improve flexibility, do stretching and movements that put each part of the body through its full range of motion. See John or Manual at Buena Vida Fitness Centre... they will help you through a complete fitness routine scaled to your fitness level.

These fats help keep cholesterol from clogging your arteries. One study of heart patients found that a so-called Mediterranean diet rich in monounsaturated fats cut the risk of a heart attack by 80 percent. Just remember, even healthy oils have a lot of calories, so don't drown your salad in them -- the key is always moderation.

Vitamin B6 help lower levels of homocysteine. At high levels, this amino acid has been linked to heart disease. To increase your intake of B vitamins try green, leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli, cabbage), beets, oranges, bananas, lentils, almonds and other nuts and grain products fortified with folic acid.

For all of these reasons, it is recommended that you eat four to five servings each of fruits and vegetables every day. Do NOT over-cook vegetables or fruits... both are better raw or lightly cooked. And remember that some fruits and fruit juices can be high in sugar and calories, and should be avoided in large quantities.

Exercise is one of those rare things where the hype actually meets reality. Next to not smoking, getting regular physical activity is arguably the best thing you can do for your health. It lowers the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and certain cancers. Plus, it helps keep weight in check, helps control stress, and gives a boost to mood. Simple aerobic exercise for 30 minutes at least five days a week is all that is needed. A lot of activities count as exercise: brisk walking, cycling, dancing, swimming, gardening. Just get out and get moving.

Animal protein and vegetable protein probably have the same effects on health. It's the protein package that's likely to make a difference. A 6-ounce broiled porterhouse steak is a great source of protein—38 grams worth. But it also delivers 44 grams of fat, 16 of them saturated. That's almost three-fourths of the recommended daily intake for saturated fats. The same amount of salmon gives you 34 grams of protein and 18 grams of fat, 4 of them saturated. A cup of cooked lentils has 18 grams of protein but under 1 gram of fat. So when choosing protein-rich foods, pay attention to what comes along with the protein. Vegetable sources of protein, such as beans, nuts, and whole grains, are excellent choices, and they offer healthy fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The best animal protein choices are fish and poultry. If you are partial to red meat, stick with the leanest cuts, choose moderate portion sizes, and make it only an occasional part of your diet.

During aerobic activity, you repeatedly move large muscles in your arms, legs, and hips. You'll notice your body's responses quickly. You'll breathe faster and more deeply. This maximizes the amount of oxygen in your blood. Your heart will beat faster, which increases blood flow to your muscles and back to your lungs. Your small blood vessels (capillaries) will widen to deliver more oxygen to your muscles and carry away waste products, such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid. Your body will even release endorphins, natural painkillers that promote an increased sense of well-being.

When you eat a healthy diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, you usually get most of the fiber you'll need, which means you'll also be lowering your risk of diabetes, heart disease, diverticulitis, and constipation. Officially, fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body can't digest. Most adult women should shoot for over 20 grams of fiber a day; men should shoot for over 30 grams. Great sources are whole fruits and vegetables, whole-grain bread and breakfast cereals, and all manner of beans. High intake of dietary fiber has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease in a number of large studies that followed people for many years. Cereal fiber, which is found in grains, seemed particularly beneficial. Fiber intake has also been linked with reduced risk of metabolic syndrome, a constellation of factors that increases the chances of developing heart disease and diabetes. These factors include high blood pressure, high insulin levels, excess weight (especially around the abdomen), high levels of triglycerides, the body's main fat-carrying particle, and low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. Several studies suggest that a higher intake of cereal fiber and whole grains may somehow ward off this increasingly common syndrome.

Anything made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil contains a dietary villain known as trans fat. This type of fat, which lurks in stick margarine, fried foods, and many snack foods, threatens the heart in two ways. Not only does it increase your artery-clogging LDL cholesterol, it also lowers your HDL ("good") cholesterol. A recent Harvard study of more than 80,000 women suggested that replacing just 2 percent of trans fat calories with calories from healthier fats reduced the risk of heart disease by more than 50 percent. You can help lower your trans fat intake by avoiding potato chips and other foods that crinkle, getting margarine in a tub rather than a stick, and buying crackers made with olive oil. One exception is peanut butter – although "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil" is usually on the label, it's still considered good for you.

Choose healthy fats, limit saturated fat, and avoid trans fat. The total amount of fat you eat, whether high or low, isn't really linked with disease. What really matters is the type of fat you eat. The "bad" fats—saturated and trans fats—increase the risk for certain diseases. The "good" fats—monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats—lower disease risk. The key to a healthy diet is to substitute good fats for bad fats—and to avoid trans fats. Although it is still important to limit the amount of cholesterol you eat, especially if you have diabetes, dietary cholesterol isn't nearly the villain it's been portrayed to be. Cholesterol in the bloodstream is what's most important. And the biggest influence on blood cholesterol level is the mix of fats in your diet—not the amount of cholesterol you eat from food.

How much salt is OK? Unfortunately, there isn't a simple answer. In the most general terms, getting less sodium (the problematic component of salt) in the diet lowers blood pressure. But how sodium reduction affects an individual depends on his or her genes, age, and medical conditions. Many heart health advocates urge us all to cut back on salt. But there really isn't a one-size-fits-all recommendation for daily sodium intake. If you are under age 50, your blood pressure is in a healthy range, and your health is good, you probably have little reason to worry about salt intake. A lower-sodium diet is good for people who are older, who are of African American descent, or who have high blood pressure, heart failure, kidney disease or diabetes. These folks should seriously restrict their sodium intake. Most people get three-quarters of their daily salt from prepared or processed food. Here are some basic tips to help you cut back on salt: - Read food labels and choose low-sodium foods - Avoid the use of canned, processed, and frozen foods - Cook with herbs and spices instead of salt - Don’t add salt to food while cooking it… a little bit at the table is easier to control

Tea's health benefits are largely due to its high content of flavonoids — plant-derived compounds that are antioxidants. Green tea is the best food source of a group called catechins. In test tubes, catechins are more powerful than vitamins C and E in halting oxidative damage to cells and appear to have other disease-fighting properties. Studies have found an association between consuming green tea and a reduced risk for several cancers, including, skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder. Additional benefits for regular consumers of green and black teas include a reduced risk for heart disease. The antioxidants in green, black, and oolong teas can help block the oxidation of (bad) cholesterol, increase (good) cholesterol and improve artery function. A Chinese study published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed a 46%-65% reduction in hypertension risk in regular consumers of oolong or green tea, compared to non-consumers of tea. Other food sources include broccoli, kale, tomatoes, apples, blueberries, grapes, and red wine.

Nothing in your diet, not even cholesterol, will boost your cholesterol levels faster than trans and saturated fats. See a new posting on trans fats on the website soon.