Benefits of Making Healthy Choices
Written by Super Member: darvis simms
Let’s talk about the power of your daily choices and how they affect your health. While the occasional Krispy Kreme donut won’t ruin your life, chronic bad habits can add up to life-altering ailments.
Modern medicine has largely reduced mortality associated with infectious diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, and tuberculosis over the past century. Today, diseases caused by individual lifestyle choices are the leading causes of death in the United States. The top three bad habits are 1) tobacco use, 2) excessive alcohol consumption, and 3) poor diet and inactivity.
These three bad habits (and leading causes of death) are all within the realm of the lifestyle you choose to live - things that you can control.
If you choose to smoke or to use tobacco products, you also choose to increase your risk of lung cancer, respiratory infections and heart disease. Decide not to smoke and increase your life span and decrease your risk of developing these diseases. A recent British study concluded that the average life of a smoker is 10 years shorter than that of a non-smoker.
While studies have shown that by drinking moderately, you have better health and you will live longer than those who abstain or drink heavily, choose to abuse alcohol and you also choose to increase your risk of liver disease, cancer, and high blood pressure.
Choose to eat poorly and to be inactive and you also choose to increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. Choose to eat a healthy diet and exercise and you also get the following benefits:
- Stronger heart and lungs and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
- Stronger muscles and bones and a reduced risk for osteoporosis
- Reduce your risk of developing diabetes
- Achieve and maintain a healthy weight more easily
- Reduce your risk for certain types of cancer
- Ease depression and manage stress better
- Sleep better
- Have more energy
You are responsible for and must live with the consequences of the daily choices in your life. It’s never too late to choose a healthy lifestyle and reap the associated benefits. Start today. Make smart choices and exercise - for yourself and all the people who love you and depend on you.
This Article was contributed by a Super Member:
Darvis Simms is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer & author of Ageless Fitness and The Ageless Fitness Daily Workout Journal. Darvis is available for speaking engagements and interviews. For more information about Darvis, visit www.darvissimms.com.
|
|
|
|
|
Chinese
Print Article
Email Article
Comment on Article
Write New Article
Search Articles
