Diet and Exercise

Those who take fruit and fresh vegetables in diet enjoy the longevity of life, good health, agility in activity, spirituality of mind and humanity of outlook. A diet rich in fruits and fresh vegetables lowers the incidence of disease such as cancer, diabetes, cataract, heart attack etc. Fast food and soft drinks should be strictly avoided although every individual has his own requirements.

Dietary habits of childhood are difficult to change afterwards. So mothers should refrain from overfeeding their children. Some important tips of good eating habits are (1) make breakfast the largest and dinner the lightest meal of the day, (2) be a nibbler not a gourmet, (3) eat your salad before your eat the meal, (4) don't starve yourself and overeat subsequently, (5) fast food and canned food are costly both for your pocket and your heart, (6) yellow orange and green vegetables and fruits add life to your heart and (7) as age advances eat less and exercise more.

An activity requiring physical effort is called exercise. Exercise is generally of two types, light and heavy. Exercises are done by turning, bending and stretching the body keeping in mind the structure of the body. An ideal exercise is the one which facilitates the movement of each and every part of the body. Walking, running, cycling, playing, swimming, gardening, skipping, weight-lifting and yoga are some common forms of exercise which keep someone fit. But going to gym for exercise is a fashion now.

Basic Metabolic Rate increases if a person exercises. As a result the absorption of digested food increases. Exercising also burns the excess fat in the body and improves the functioning of vital organs. Regular exercise reduces the excessive body weight as well as the danger of high blood pressure due to obesity. Deposition of syrup lipids in blood because of extra fat can also be reduced by doing regular exercise. It makes the heart more active and reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease. Regular exercise also tones the muscles and removes the wrinkles on a person's face. Exercise is essential for both obese as well as weak people because it results in the loss of calories ultimately reducing the weight in case of obese and results in the weight gain in case of weak by increasing the appetite by stimulating the digestive system.

Yoga and meditation increase energy, give freshness and infuse new confidence in a person.

Sleep is the physical and mental state during which nervous system undergoes an active reorganization rather than real inhibition. The requirement of sleep varies from one age group to another. Every part of the body relaxes during sleep but organs like heart, kidney, lungs and the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) remain active. In children the requirement of sleep is high, around 12-14 hours and the normal adult requires 7-8 hours of sound sleep daily. However adults nowadays are sleeping less because of busy schedules, night shifts and late night parties.

Physical well-being wholly depends upon a sound brain as all activities of our body are controlled by the mind. Any disturbance in the mind will disturb the body giving rise to various abnormalities. So a sound sleep is must for a healthy person. Some useful tips for it are - (1) before going to bed get rid of your stress by meditation, 92) don't' sleep during the day, (3) perform physical and mental work to get some sleep, (4) do your exercise regularly, (5) drink warm milk and avoid spice food before going to bed.

The quality and not the quantity of sleep are important, although 8 hours sleep is necessity for sound health.

Thus, balanced diet, regular exercise and sound sleep are the prerequisites for sound physical fitness and physical fitness is the key to a productive and successful life.