How To Stay Healthy

One thing that is important to have in life is a health regimen. This can be what you do for your diet, exercise, and where you live. Physical health is a big part of your well-being, and it's essential to take care of yourself physically so that mentally, emotionally, and spiritually you are balanced.

To achieve proper health, one must have healthy body weight for their height or ideal body weight. If you are overweight, maintain a stable weight by slowly losing excess pounds through dieting and exercise rather than quickly through crash diets or bariatric surgery. Lastly, one should stay hydrated by drinking at least eight glasses of water each day, in addition to adding fruits with high water content into one's daily diet.

*Note: World Health Organization (WHO) defines the "body mass index" (BMI) for adults as follows:
Underweight = < 18.5 kg/m2
Normal weight = 18.5-24.9 kg/m2
Overweight = 25-29.9 kg/m2
Obesity I = 30-34.9kg/m2
Obesity IIa = 35-39.9kg/m2 Obesity IIb = 40 - 44.9kg/m2 Obese I = 45-49.9kg/m2 Obese IIa= 50 -54.9kg/m2 Obese IIb=55 -59.9kg/m2

The WHO also has tables for children and teens (click here or below).

What you eat or drink directly affects your overall health. Common sense dictates that one should not eat junk food, sweets, greasy foods and drinks, and smoke in excess to gain weight. This will lead to obesity and diabetes. Also, the American Dietetic Association and American Heart Association recommend that people who exercise regularly consume at least 45-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour of exercise and eat a diet filled with fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain bread cereals and low-fat dairy products.

The American Heart Association recommends that people who exercise regularly should consume at least 45-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour of exercise, in addition to eating a diet filled with fruits, vegetables, whole-grain bread, cereals and low-fat dairy products.

*Note: The Dietetic Association and American Heart Association do not support the use of high fructose corn syrup. If you buy fruit juice, make sure it doesn't contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS is in most supermarkets and convenience store juices and soft drinks (soda) such as Coca-Cola or Pepsi. It is not as healthy as the sugar (sucrose) found in most juices and sodas. One of the reasons is HFCS can lead to obesity and diabetes.

For breakfast, it's recommended to eat a high fibre cereal such as Fiber One with skim or low-fat milk and an egg-white omelette or egg substitute and one slice of whole-wheat toast with grapefruit juice. For lunch, you should eat grilled chicken breast on top of brown rice with fruit salad. And for dinner, choose foods that are good for you, such as skinless chicken breast with baked potato or pasta salad and a big salad drizzled with fat-free Italian dressing.

Drink a lot of water, especially if you're exercising to keep your body hydrated. It's always a good idea to drink at least six 8-ounce glasses of water each day. Reducing dehydration can help to prevent serious health problems, such as kidney stones and high blood pressure. Avoid caffeinated beverages, which can dehydrate you and give you a "caffeine high", followed by a crash because it has no fibre. Caffeine is also associated with irregular heartbeat, arrhythmias, sleeping problems, headaches and fatigue.

Stay away from trans fats since they have been linked to heart disease. These include partially hydrogenated vegetable oils such as margarine, shortening and some snack foods. These foods can also contain saturated fats and artery-clogging cholesterol.

Keep in mind that if you keep a positive attitude about exercise, you will stick to it much easier. Studies have shown that positive attitudes help people stick to their goals. And if you stick to it, in turn, it will help your overall health. If you don't feel good about something—whether it's an exercise routine or a job—you're not going to want to do it! "A healthy body would be capable of walking at least 4 hours a week." One way to obtain this is walking with a walking buddy. The benefit of walking with a friend is that you're not going alone, and it takes twice as much time.

Below are some quotes from 'The Family Doctor' by James G. Robinson that I have come across over the years to help you reduce weight and control diabetes:

"Most people do not have accurate enough scales to measure their weight accurately. If you are overweight, a scale can be a very good tool for assessing your situation."

"Remember the old saying, "The best diet is the one you can stick to." There are many different diets out there. Some are very restrictive and require a lot of willpower, discipline, and motivation. Some diets are more liberal, which means that you don't have to give up anything. You just have to control portion sizes, choose healthier options, and watch your calorie intake."


"When eating out, make sure to split the meal with a companion or order an appetizer as your meal. You can also ask for your food to be put in a take-home box at the end of the meal so you can pack up half of it for lunch the next day.