Exercise, healthy eating, you’ve probably heard it all before. It's good for you, you're not doing enough they say. And with all this there's always a new piece of workout equipment, program, super food or diet waiting to jump into your wallet under the auspices of making a healthier better you. Benefits of a healthy diet and exercise. While the effects of a healthy diet and good physical activity are essential to a good quality of life, it's important to know how and why to actually achieve these goals without getting sold on myths and snake oil.
When it comes to exercise, mindfulness, safety and quality over quantity are essential. Know the state of your body, what it can handle and what you need to do for the goals you’ve set for yourself. No use in doing copious amounts of high intensity cardio if you’re underweight and have a weak heart for example. Always consult a trained professional in the fitness or medical field before embarking on any sort of dedicated training protocol. Don't rely on the heresy of fitness trends that come and go quicker than the results they promise.
For diet. It's always easier to know what's bad for you first and then start learning what is specifically good for. Right off the bat, learn your allergies, this could be a matter of life and death. Next stop is to reduce or eliminate processed food products. Especially those with high levels of added trans fats and sugar. Look out for foods that are seemingly healthy, but really aren't. These tend to use the “wholesome goodness” angle to mask some grave health risks. Food items like 100% fruit juice blends, granola and dried fruit may seem like super healthy choices.
Unfortunately, these are laden with so much excess sugar, you may as well have browsed in the confectionery aisle. When it comes to diet plans, try be mindful about those that offer real benefits versus what are known as “fad diets”. You can tell which is which by the way they are promoted. A good meal plan is often tailored to your needs and administered by a practicing dietitian or nutritionist. Fad diets often come with the pomp and ceremony of a huge book and media deal. All types of buzzwords including the name of the diet author are used in excess to sell the idea. Fad diets offer a one for all silver bullet eating plan when in reality, everyone has different dietary needs.
Knowing all this, you can begin to unravel the true effects of a healthy diet and exercise. Here are 5 amazing benefits of a healthy diet and exercise to achieved through a good diet and exercise.
Top 5 Effects of a healthy Diet and Exercise.
Mood Booster.
One thing that plagues society today is the amount of stress and mental pressure most face. On a day to day basis, there is so much more to worry about and seemingly less to look forward too. Aside from the pressures of work/school and social life, there are many aspects of modern life that have hampered our ability to naturally alleviate stress. Environmental factors such as pollution and electromagnetic interference are big contributors. You also have lifestyle factors such as poor diet and lack of exercise affecting mood.
Concerning diet, many of the foods readily available to use actually decrease mood and can lead to mental illness or neurodegenerative complications. Poor diet also suppresses many mood boosting hormones such as testosterone and HGH.
By improving the diet, including foods rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, you can ultimately re engineer neural pathways and hormone balances. The effects of a healthy diet on mood are worth looking into.
When it comes to exercise, the benefits on mental mood are well documented. A state called “runners high” is a common known effect. This occurs when the body’s reward response causes a release of endorphins. These feel good hormones act in order to signify the completion of tasks beneficial to survival.
Benefits of a healthy diet and exercise. Good exercise also promotes the release of human growth hormone and testosterone. These are known mood boosters Lastly, frequent exercise builds confidence through dedication and discipline. Mental fortitude is built over time and new neural pathways also open as a result. This makes you less prone to stress and mental fatigue.
Weight Loss.
Probably the most sought after effects of a healthy diet and exercise surround weight loss. It is after all the leading motivation behind embarking on diet and exercise journey.
With diet, the quickest way to achieve weight loss is through a caloric deficit. This means eating fewer calories than you burn in a typical day. The best way to achieve this without feeling starved is to incorporate a high protein diet. The high satiety of protein means you can eat less for the same feeling of being full. Cutting down on sugar and trans fat once again is a good option in this regard.
For exercise, going for long slow jogs won’t get you far. Well, it will literally, but not when it comes to weight loss. That is because long distance runs or any similar forms of cardio are classed as steady state cardio. Great if you want to condition your endurance, but almost useless for significant weight loss. Best opt for high intensity cardio or heavy resistance training. That is because these forms of exercise cause a state called anaerobic respiration. During this state, your body burns way more calories, including more fat.
Better aesthetics.
Eating good and exercising properly make you look just as good as you feel. Ultimately, many people workout and eat well simply to look better for themselves or in society. Optimizing your appearance is important as it not only increases your social appeal, but also boosts your sense of self value. Along with fat loss the effects of a healthy diet and exercise on your appearance are pretty amazing.
A good diet can have many profound benefits on physical appearance. For example, a diet rich in antioxidants can slow down or even reverse some signs of aging. Having a healthy protein and unsaturated fat intake is good for the inside as well as the outside of your body, improving hair, skin and nails.
Exercise also improves physical appearance. An obvious benefit is an optimized physique through muscular development and skeletal alignment. Working out also releases more of the hormones that burn fat and improve muscle tone such as HGH. Improved posture and spatial awareness also become noticeable as a result of proper training and conditioning.
Immune Boosting Effects.
One of the most vital functions of the human body is the immune system. With correct diet and exercise you can actually stave off most common illnesses and even treat chronic conditions.
A good nutrient rich diet will have a direct positive impact on your immune function both in the short and long term. You probably know nutrients like vitamin C, B6, iron and zinc are good for your immune system. But there is so much more. To experience the full effects of a healthy diet on the immune system, you must remember that your immune system is a very complex machine. It requires every aspect of your health to be in check in order for it to function. Benefits of a healthy diet and exercise. So making sure you load up on all the essential nutrients is important.
Exercise also plays a role in boosting immunity. By working out, you are boosting your metabolism. By boosting your metabolism, you are optimizing all systems, including your immunity. The targeting of infections, removal of toxins and repair of damaged tissue is more efficient with regular activity. Physical activity also assists your circulation, especially the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is the main starting point of immune functions in the body and is reliant of contractions of your skeletal muscles. That means the more you exercise, the more active your lymph circulation.
More Functional, More Useful.
Having a healthy diet and exercise routine not only improves your state of well-being, it also increases your overall value as a member of society. We all have a duty to contribute meaningfully to our society. From your immediate family to the greater community, you have a responsibility to at least not be a burden.
All the benefits and effects of a healthy diet and exercise should culminate in not only what you can do for yourself, but what you can do for others. Increased strength, mental fortitude, longevity are necessary qualities to help boost the overall value of our collective existence.
In Conclusion.
The benefits of healthy diet and exercise are essential indicators of a good quality of life. Equipping yourself with the correct knowledge and direction is the first step. Consult healthcare professionals for the best possible guidance.
Share this post