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How Important is Nutrition and Physical Fitness
A young person may get away with a less than perfect diet,
and the effects of those couch potato hours may not show up so soon, but older
people don’t have such luck! Is it just metabolism?
Quite often, neglecting the body has a rapid visual and
physical affect on adults. An unhealthy lifestyle ages a person in both looks
and vitality, while those who take care of themselves usually appear years
younger!
There is a reason for the phrase “you are what you eat”.
Mountains of documentation exist, validating how the vitamins and minerals in
food are necessary for the body to replenish, heal, cleanse and fuel itself.
There is also just as much data proving what the lack of these nutrients cause:
a multitude of deficiencies that render the body helpless in fighting
infections, fatigue, and physiological problems.
However, society is deluged with contradictive messages.
Fighting for consumer’s attention with the myriad of information on
vegetarianism, organic products, juicing and designer water is the media’s
pressure to save time and energy by purchasing pre-made, pre-packaged foods.
Little consideration is given to the fact that there could be just as many, if
not more, chemicals and preservatives in those selections as there is “real”
food, not to mention artificial colors.
Most of those full colored, cute ads in Sunday circulars
are for packaged and processed items. Why? Manufacturers pull out all stops in
getting the public to notice their products, and they usually succeed! The
public is so inundated with advertising that eating fake food isn’t given a
moment’s thought. Unfortunately, because the majority of people are used to
eating this way, they don’t realize that it is keeping them from their highest
potential of feeling their best!
But once an individual decides to improve their health and
lifestyle, a diet change is usually paired with a new exercise regime. And, for
most adults, it becomes very apparent that an implementation of any physical
workout can either be supported or hampered by diet. If one listens to their
body, it’s obvious that physical stamina varies. This may be due to amount of
sleep, time of day, or type of exercise being attempted. But it could also be
due to a blood sugar drop, lack of stored carbohydrates, not enough protein, or
other diet-related scenarios. The older one gets, the more obvious it becomes
that eating a rounded diet of fresh foods, in as natural a state as possible, is
necessary for maximum physical efficiency.
So why even bother with exercise if one’s diet is
improved? Well, why is it that so many athletes and celebrities who work out
daily appear to be younger than their years? It’s not just from plastic
surgery! The body’s structure has intended it to do more than sit, and the
physical successes of many prove that fitness boundaries are growing every
year. Until a person experiences the joys of a physical fitness outlet on a
regular basis, they won’t understand the emotional benefits that exercise
brings. The sense of achievement that accompanies every improvement in strength
or endurance has no comparison! Furthermore, the body is recapturing
vitality-the essence of health, youth, and life itself.
When good nutrition and physical fitness work together, the
body performs at its optimum. A better diet results in more energy to exercise;
more exercise means losing pounds and developing muscle. More muscle means a
stronger, leaner body. A new body may motivate one to continue the positive
cycle. Finally, this healthier lifestyle will bring a wealth of emotional
benefits, all of which may very well turn back the clock!
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