How to Improve Your Health Essay

Introduction Who wouldn’t want to know the recipe for good health? The mixture of healthy diet and physical activity helps the body’s system function better, reducing the risk of heart diseases, diabetes, between other diseases that cause death. To be healthy your body requires a balance of the consumption of the calories on your foods and drinks with your physical activity. Nowadays people are always in a hurry and they forget the importance of taking care of themselves. Most people are sitting at work or in front of the TV the whole day and since people don’t make enough time to prepare their food, all they can eat at a restaurant it is not exactly healthy food. You must understand that not taking care of what you eat and the physical activity you follow every day you are just harming your health and putting it at risk. Today I will speak about how to improve your health. Transition: So what can people do to improve their health? Body It is very important for everyone to take care of themselves. Our body is the  only place we have to live in and it needs for us to take care of it. A healthy diet and physical activity are two essential things to improve our health. I According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 69.2% of the population is overweight; this is mainly for the lack of care and time that we put to ourselves. But people need to be committed to make a healthy change in their life to make a difference. A I completely understand that when people hear â€Å"Healthy Diet† they automatically associate it with something hard, almost impossible to do. So we can call it healthy eating habits, but it is easier to understand, the unhealthy foods you need to avoid, such as food with high saturated and trans fats, added sugars and high amounts of sodium which only raises your blood pressure. B You can start by doing changes in your diet, such as switching from whole milk to low fat milk o r fat free milk. Changing a drink loaded in sugar for a natural fruit juice, and avoiding white bread changing it for wheat bread. II If exercise and healthy eating improve your health, bad eating and a sedentary life does completely the opposite; causing overweigh and increases the risk of cancers. A According to the National Heart and Blood Institute over weight and obesity are the main causes of Heart Disease, strokes, type 2 diabetes, cancer, between many other health problems. B Health care professionals state that risk increases with a waist greater than 35 inches for women, 40 inches for men. The recommend diet to follow is rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free and low-fat dairy products. It is very important to add fruit and vegetables to each meal because they contain many vitamins and minerals our body needs to lower the risk of diseases. III Balance calories from foods and drinks with physical activity are very important. Physical activity will help to lower the risk of heart diseases and cancers. A Exercise help strength your heart and help your lungs work better. It also strength your muscles and keep your joins in good conditions. It is recommended a minimum of 30 minutes of cardio a day. B You don’t necessary need to go to a gym, daily activities count too, you just need to make sure you are doing them to raise your heart rate. Walking the stairs instead of taking the elevator, or choosing a far parking space so you can walk to your destination, as well as washing your car are some  examples of daily activities that can help you. Conclusion I A balance diet and physical activity improves your chances of living longer and living healthier A Unhealthy eating and sedentary life lead to diseases B Healthy diet C Physical activity References U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2008. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d). â€Å"Obesity and Overweight.† Nov 21, 2013. CDC/ National Center for Health Statistics. March 28,2014. Print. National Heart, Lung, and Blood. (n.d.). â€Å"What Are the Health Risks of Overweight and Obesity.† July 13, 2012. USA.gov. March 28,2014. Print.