It is common sense that a healthy lifestyle will make you feel better and simply live longer, but why does a healthy lifestyle make you healthier?

How to live a healthy lifestyle so you can enjoy all it’s benefits?This article speaks about that!

Your body is a complex set of systems that strive for balance. When your body is in balance you feel good and are healthy. Each system must work in harmony for you to be at your optimum health. When your body is out of balance you not only feel bad, but you are more susceptible to illness and disease. One of the biggest benefits of a healthy lifestyle is maintaining this balance and following good habits.

WHAT IS A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE?

A healthy lifestyle is all about balance. Eating the right foods, getting plenty of exercise and having a positive attitude are the cornerstones of a healthy lifestyle. Include plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, low fat protein sources, and whole wheat bread and pasta, and drink at least 8 glasses of water to have a healthy diet.

The American Heart Association recommends you get 30 minutes of exercise at least three times a week. Of course you should not smoke, take illegal drugs or abuse alcohol. Find enjoyable hobbies and try to look on the positive side of life. You will get down in the dumps once in a while, but try not to stay there. All of these things will add up to a healthy lifestyle and you will reap the benefits.

Healthy Mind/Healthy Body
You are more than just a collection of bodily systems. Your personality and mind play an important part of your overall health. Studies by leading universities have found a correlation between a positive attitude and your overall heal and how fast you heal from injury and disease. Another interesting finding is that people who are engaged in a spiritual life heal faster and can handle stress better than non-spiritual people.

Anyone can benefit from meditation. Meditation helps you to find your center and quiet your mind. A positive attitude is also very beneficial to your health. It can boost your immune system and protect you from catching every bug that comes along. The American Heart Association recommends regular exercise to boost your mental abilities. The reasons for this include an increased blood flow to the brain and release of the “feel good” hormones from exercise.

Keep Your Blood Flowing
Your circulatory system will benefit from a healthy lifestyle in many ways. When you eat right and get exercise your oxygen levels increase. This gives your body’s cells the energy they need to perform at their peak level. A healthy lifestyle prevents heart disease by keeping your arteries and blood vessels strong and elastic. Regular exercise strengthens your heart and lungs keeping your body fit.

A healthy diet low in fat and sugar can prevent the build up of plaque in your blood vessels and reduce your risk for heart attacks and strokes. It also keeps your cholesterol and triglyceride levels normal, another important preventative measure to prevent heart disease.

Strengthen Your Bones
Strong bones support your body and prevent osteoporosis. Your bones are the framework of your body and keeping them strong is important. When you lead a healthy lifestyle a good diet and exercise will strengthen your bones.

Getting enough calcium and minerals is important to build and maintain your bones. The Mayo Clinic reports that regular exercise not only builds muscle, but strengthens bones.

Breathe Easier
People who do not smoke have a much lower incidence of asthma and respiratory conditions. Men have a 23 times greater risk for lung cancer and women have a 13 times greater risk if they smoke than non-smokers. Smoking increases your risk for heart disease by 200 to 400 percent. Not smoking is just part of a health lifestyle, check some reasons to quit smoking.

Regular exercise increases your lung capacity and strengthens your lungs. It keeps your airways clear and helps prevent respiratory issues. When your lungs work better you bring in more oxygen which increases your overall health throughout your entire body.

Better Digestion
A diet high in fiber, low in fat and low in sugar helps your digestive system work well. An adequate amount of water also helps waste travel through your digestive system. Exercise increases the action of your digestive system because much of the action of your intestines depends upon the action of the surrounding muscles. When you exercise regularly your body burns the calories you consumes and gets rid of waste more efficiently.

It’s Never Too Late
It’s never too late to start a healthy lifestyle. It is not hard to develop healthy habits. It just takes commitment and education. Research your options to start living a healthy lifestyle and develop a plan to get your body in its peak condition. You will feel better, look better and have a better quality of life.

If you are pregnant your eating plan needs to change because you have nutritional needs that you do not have when you are not expecting. Remember everything you eat, drink and are exposed to also affect your baby. Your unborn child gets all of its nutrients from the things you eat and if you do not have enough of a nutrient, your body may begin to supply it from its reserves. Enjoy reading our healthy food guide for pregnant women.

One example of this is calcium. If you do not consume enough calcium in your diet or through supplements, your body will supply it to your unborn child from the reserves in your body. This can make your bones and teeth weak as well as affect your nails and skin. Get the nutrients you and your unborn baby need through a diet plan that is formulated especially for pregnant women.

IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS FOR PREGNANT WOMAN

Vitamins A and E, iron, potassium and folic acid are all essential for pregnant women. While your prenatal vitamins prescribed by your doctor give you an extra boost of essential vitamins and minerals, you can not rely on them to give you complete nutrition. Nothing replaces a healthy diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables as well as lean protein sources and whole grains. Take your prenatal vitamins, but also eat a balanced healthy diet to give you and your baby the nutrition you both need to be healthy.

Two of the most important nutrients for pregnant women are folic acid and iron. Folic acidhas been proven to help prevent neural tube defects. These are defects in your baby’s spinal cord and brain. Folic acid also helps prevent cleft lip and congenital heart disease. Iron protects you from developing anemia, a lack of red blood cells.
Iron also helps increase the oxygen transference in your bloodstream and builds red blood cells for the increased amount of blood you need in your body. Your baby also needs to store red blood cells to be used in the first few months of life.

Do not take large amounts of vitamins and minerals thinking more is better. Too much Vitamin A can cause birth defects, and be wary of herbal supplements. Herbal supplements have not been studied for their effects on unborn babies so don’t take chances. Take your prenatal vitamins as prescribed by your doctor. If you find they upset your stomach, try taking them at night or with meals.

DIETARY RECOMMENDATIONS

When you are pregnant you will give your baby a good start by eating a healthy and balanced diet. Some of the foods to include in your diet include the following which are high in the vitamins and minerals you and your baby need:

1. Fortified cereals and fortified whole wheat bread and pasta
2. Wheat germ
3. Orange vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkin
4. Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, collards, beet greens and turnip greens
5. Winter squash
6. Tomatoes and tomato sauces
7. Sweet red peppers
8. Melons like cantaloupe and honeydew
9. Citrus fruits and juices such as oranges and red or pink grapefruit
10. Orange fruits like mangoes and apricots
11. Bananas
12. Avocado
13. Fat-free dairy products
14. Dried beans and peas are excellent sources of protein. When served with a carbohydrate like rice they form a complete protein
15. Lean beef, pork and chicken
16. Shrimp, oysters, crab and clams
17. Halibut, rainbow trout, cod, herring, rockfish, sardines and yellow fin tuna

Foods to avoid include excess sugar, caffeinated coffee and tea, soda, diet soda, alcohol and foods high in fat and cholesterol. Drink plenty of water to keep your system clean and aid in digestion and bowel movements. If you experience indigestion, consult with your doctor about the use of antacids, or try a cup of peppermint tea to settle your stomach.

PORTION CONTROL

Your doctor will more than likely tell you not to gain much weight during your pregnancy. This can be hard because you may feel hungry most of the time. Snack on healthy foods like carrot sticks and some ranch dressing, celery and peanut butter, or an apple with cream cheese or peanut butter. Pay close attention to the serving sizes of your meals. One half cup is generally the serving size of starchy vegetables and high sugar fruits. Three ounces of meat is a usually a serving, but your doctor will give you guidance about your particular caloric allowance.

Although you want to eat healthy, don’t deprive yourself of a treat now and then. A piece of cake or pie is fine as long as you stop at one piece. Many times you can have up to 300 extra calories per day. This means you can have a treat once in a while so you don’t feel like you are missing out on your favorite treats.

Eat healthy, get plenty of rest and take your prenatal vitamins and you can give your baby a healthy start to life.

When most people think of coconut oil, they merely consider its ability to flavor food. But the truth is that flavoring food only scratches the surface of what coconut oil can do since it’s a useful beauty product, offers healing powers, helps with weight loss and does much, much more. Seeing as how coconut oil has so many all-purpose benefits, it’s worth looking at this product more in-depth.              

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXPELLED AND VIRGIN COCONUT OIL

There are different types of coconut oil that will provide the desired result you’re looking for. If you don’t want to add a coconut flavor or smell to a recipe, expeller pressed (refined) coconut oil is the perfect choice for you; it can be used for cooking and beauty treatments.

The most common type found in health food stores is virgin (unrefined) coconut oil. You can add the coconut oil to recipes in place of butter and other oils, and you’re also able to use this type of coconut oil as a beauty treatment on both skin and hair. Extra virgin coconut oil is the best oil to have for beauty-related treatments and can be used in the same way as the other oils mentioned.

THE HEALING POWERS OF COCONUT OIL

There is little that coconut can’t cure or treat, and it’s a one-of-a-kind oil that has become increasingly popular. Furthermore, coconut oil is great for fighting off various illnesses and can be applied topically or swallowed.

People who suffer from ulcers, urinary tract infections, yeast infections, gum diseases, and throat infections will benefit from taking coconut oil orally because it has anti-bacterial capabilities. You can also use coconut oil to promote a healthy immune system since it’s anti-carcinogenic, which means it prevents the spread of cancer cells.

As if those reasons aren’t enough, coconut oil can kill viruses that cause influenza, among other viruses, with its anti-viral capabilities. This oil is also a great antioxidant, so you can use it to keep free-radicals from damaging your skin.

If you’re looking for an inflammatory suppressant, then look no further: coconut oil is also anti-parasitic and can help your body absorb minerals and vitamins more efficiently. You can feed coconut oil to your animals to help keep fleas off of them, and children can eat small amounts with no discomforting side effects.

Here are just a few health problems that coconut oil will help relieve when it is taken internally:

• Acid reflux and indigestion (consume coconut oil after meals)
• Asthma (even in children)
• Bowel function
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Kidney Stones (helps to dissolve them)
• Migraines (if taken regularly)

HOW TO USE COCONUT OIL FOR HEALTH & BEAUTY PURPOSES

Coconut oil has been used in various beauty treatments for skin and hair. Taking coconut oil orally can improve the appearance of skin, boost your immune system, and help your hair look shinier. You can also apply it topically to reduce a lot of skin issues, as well as combat dry and damaged hair. Here is a list of ways to use coconut oil to enhance your natural beauty and health of your body.

Decrease Discoloration on Skin
A small amount of coconut oil applied to age spots (liver spots) will help to fade them gradually. It does require dedication and regular use of coconut oil though. If you have bruises, you can use this same method to encourage a speedy healing process while minimizing swelling. You’ll also be glad to learn that coconut oil is great to apply on small burns; it has a natural cooling sensation and helps to alleviate pain.

Soothe Skin Irritations
Skin goes hand-in-hand with coconut oil; they’re best friends because psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, stretch marks, and sunburn can all be treated using coconut oil. It’s great for damaged skin, and it helps even-out discolorations as well.

Use coconut oil as an aftershave because it won’t clog your pores, yet will alleviate pain associated with razor burn. Rub the oil onto your legs or face before shaving to help nourish and protect from possible cuts or razor burn. Bug bites are itchy and can be painful, but using the oil will soothe the uncomfortable sensation and helps to heal the bite faster. You can also use coconut oil on small cuts and scrapes to both protect from infection and speed up the healing time.

Prevent or Slow Hair Loss

If you’re worried about hair loss, start using coconut oil to keep your cells happy. Apply coconut oil to the areas of your scalp you are most concerned about three times a day. This oil is also great to use as a hair conditioner by applying the coconut oil to the ends of your hair. You can also apply it to your scalp to relieve dandruff and dry scalp.

Tone Down Frizzy Hair
Apply coconut oil to your hair before shampooing since it cuts down on the frizz and promotes shiny hair. It will also help reduce split ends and damage caused by hot hair tools. Make it a hot oil treatment by soaking a towel in hot water, then, with a shower cap on your coconut covered strands, wrap the towel around your head and leave it on for 15 or more minutes.

Soothe Diaper Rash
For babies with sore bottoms, coconut oil is an organic way of relieving the pain and discomfort, and this method is compatible with cloth diapers. For babies with a dry scalp, rub coconut oil on the scalp to moisturize the dry skin. When you’re between feedings, your nipples can become dry, so put coconut oil on a cotton ball or cotton round and leave it on your nipples between feedings.

Moisturizing Lip Balm
Coconut oil is a great natural moisturizer for skin all over your body. Your lips become dry and chapped, so using coconut oil as a moisturizing lip balm helps to soothe your lips and prevents other issues with them. Put some coconut oil in a small container to keep in your purse; even if you don’t use it every day, you’ll have it with you in case of emergencies.


Antiperspirant

It may be surprising to learn that coconut oil is a great deodorant, and the power of it increases with the help of cornstarch and baking soda. This is a great all-natural deodorant to try for sensitive skin.


Brown Sugar and Coconut Exfoliate

Using coconut oil as a moisturizer is not a big secret, but it can also be used as an aid to exfoliate your skin. Combine coconut oil with brown sugar for an effective body scrub and exfoliate. Sea salt can also be used, but isn’t as gentle as sugar. 


Heal Skin around Eyes

To take care of puffy eyes, under-eye bags and wrinkles, dab coconut oil below your eyes as you would with an eye cream. It’s also gentle enough to apply to the eyelids before bed. Applying coconut oil to your skin will help strengthen connective tissue in your skin, which prevents wrinkles from forming and reduces the appearance of wrinkles that you already have.

Face Wash
Coconut oil is an all-around beauty miracle product because it not only acts as a moisturizer and exfoliates, but it can also be used as a face wash too. Mix together a half teaspoon of coconut oil with a half teaspoon of olive oil or castor oil, and use this instead of other face washes to wash your face. It’s best used on those with dry skin, but it is healthy for all skin types. Rinse the oils off of your face after letting it sit for a minute or two; pat your face dry and continue with the rest of your routine. 


Tame Frizz, Promote Curls

A little goes a long way, but you can also use coconut oil as a curl booster in your curly or wavy hair. Get a small amount and melt the oil in by rubbing it between your hands. Scrunch your hair to de-frizz your curls and add shine (stay away from your roots); this works for all hair types.


Makeup Remover
The best makeup remover is one that requires little-to-no rubbing at all, breaks up oils in the makeup, and leaves your skin feeling hydrated, rather than bone dry. Interestingly enough, coconut oil can do all of these things. Hold a cotton ball with coconut oil over your eyes for a few seconds before swiping the product off of your lids and lashes. Then continue using the oil to remove the makeup from the rest of your face.

Nourishing Massage Oil
Coconut oil proves to be great massage oil because it nourishes skin while allowing your hands to move around easily. A lot of massage oils sold today have no nourishing benefits to them, and tend to be sticky; however, coconut oil feels, tastes and smells great, and gives your skin a boost of nourishing moisture to boot. 


Tame Oily Skin

Although there are a lot of skeptics surrounding the use of coconut oil on oily and acne-prone skin, it’s truly nothing to worry about. Use a pea-sized dollop of coconut oil as a foundation makeup primer because this is said to reduce oily appearances.


Mild Sun Block
Coconut oil even has small amounts of SPF, which makes it great to use if you’re going to be outdoors for a short while – although it is still suggested that you use a sunscreen lotion with an SPF of no less than 15. Coconut oil applied to your hair before leaving the house in the summer can help protect your hair from the sun’s damaging rays.

Heal Tattoos
Body art is becoming more and more popular, and not too many people know that coconut oil is a great moisturizing tattoo healer. It will lessen the chances of infection, and moisturize your tattoo to a speedy healing process.


Make Toothpaste
If you’re out of your favorite toothpaste, you can mix baking soda and coconut oil to create one from scratch. Put the mixture on your brush and you’ll have clean teeth in no time at all.

Prevent Nosebleeds
Changes in weather can create nosebleeds, but using a Q-tip to apply coconut oil to coat the inside of your nostrils helps prevent them from happening.

REASONS TO EAT COCONUT OIL

There are plenty of reasons to apply coconut oil to your skin and hair topically, but the benefits of eating coconut oil are abundant too! Eating coconut oil regularly will help boost immunity among other things. Here is a list of ways coconut oil will help you. And note that you can add coconut oil to various foods or just eat it out of the jar. Before feeding coconut oil to children under 12, it’s best to consult their physician – although a lot of mothers who make their own baby food add small amounts of coconut oil to their food for the added nutrition.

TIPS FOR COOKING WITH COCONUT OIL

Coconut oil can be a great substitute for margarine and butter; just replace the amount of butter or margarine your recipe calls for with coconut oil. If you’re used to using butter, lard, Crisco, or Pam to grease your pans, you can try using coconut oil in its solid form to make your recipe a little healthier.

Also use coconut oil to sauté vegetables, add it to smoothies, put it on baked potatoes, or add it to almond butter or other nut jars of butter to make them creamier.

Mothers who Breastfeed

For mothers who are breastfeeding, eating three tablespoons of coconut oil a day will enhance the nutrients in the breast milk.

Healthy Bones and Teeth

Coconut oil can help your body absorb magnesium, calcium, amino acids, and other vitamins and minerals, which are very beneficial to your bones and teeth. The absorption of essential nutrients will also help your digestion, and coconut oil has saturated fats which keep indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, and other digestion-related issues in check.

HELPS WITH WEIGHT LOSS

When you eat coconut oil, you will see an increase of energy because it triggers your metabolism, betters your thyroid function, and increases your endurance. Coconut oil also helps to maintain cravings while increasing your metabolic rate.

Using Coconut Oil with Animals

As with humans, animals will benefit from eating coconut oil too, and most of the benefits we have with using coconut oil also apply to your animals. It’s best to ask your veterinarian for how much coconut oil you should give your pets; the basic formula for figuring out the dosage for your animals is to give them one-fourth of a teaspoon for every 10 pounds their bodyweight.

Feeding Coconut Oil to Animals

Feed your animals coconut oil by adding it to their food, water, or just giving it to them directly from a spoon to help maintain healthy digestive tract, relieve arthritis and ligament pain, and reduce hairballs and coughing.

You’ll be happy to know that coconut oil helps heal your pet’s dry skin, flea bites, eczema, itchy skin, cuts, and stings when applied topically. Applying coconut oil topically will disinfect cuts, bites, and other wounds that occur. Coconut oil is also used for the prevention and control of animal diabetes, weight loss, brain energy and reducing odors.

OTHER CLEVER USES FOR COCONUT OIL

The use of coconut oil for your health and beauty are abundant, but there are other reasons to keep coconut oil on hand. Use coconut oil to remove chewing gum from your hair by massaging the oil onto the gum stuck in your hair; this saturates the gum and hair around it. Leave the oil on your hair for half of an hour, and then use your fingers to roll the gum out of your hair.

Remove Glue and Make Soap

For arts and crafts, coconut oil and baking soda come in handy to remove leftover residue on jars and bottles from labels and tape. Mix together equal parts oil to baking soda, apply the paste to the sticky area, leave on for a minute or two, and then scrub off with a ball of foil, scrub brush or toothbrush. If you enjoy making homemade soap, try using coconut oil as a fat in the soap!

Polish Furniture and Kitchen Utensils

Polish and clean wood furniture and leather items with coconut oil; mix coconut oil with a small amount of lemon to polish and clean wood furniture, cabinets and shelves. But before using the mixture on your items, test it on a small area to be sure you like the results of using the mixture.

When you’re polishing leather, just using coconut oil will due. You can also use coconut oil and lemon to cleanse and polish wood cutting boards, spoons, and bowls in your kitchen. If you happen to have a bronze statue, then you can use coconut oil to keep the statue shiny and deepen the bronze color.

Insect Repellent

If you’re prone to attracting insects and suffer from itchy bites, use coconut oil and peppermint oil extract to massage onto the exposed skin. This mixture will keep insects away more effectively than store-bought repellants with fewer chemicals.

With so many uses for coconut oil, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be using it! Don’t forget to share “Health Benefits of Coconut Oil & Beauty Uses” article with your friends!