Unhealthy French Fries

French fries are believed to have originated in 19th century Belgium, spreading later into France and then into the greater part of the Western world. Today in Belgium they are still prepared from fresh potatoes and sold on the streets from many french-fry shacks. You may credit American fast-food chains for making french fries a fixture in casual cuisine.

A study from Harvard questions potato-eating, linking it as a leading contributor to long-term weight gain. It’s not that you can’t eat potatoes, you simply need to eat them in a much more healthy way. Baking a potato with the skin on and eating yams and sweet potatoes include the healthy options. Most French fries can increase your LDL cholesterol while they reduce your HDL, which can increase your risk of cardiovascular diseases. Some french fries may still be deep fried in trans fats. These saturated fats also remain in the body longer and raise circulating blood triglycerides that lower “good” cholesterol. Damage caused by saturated fat is found in margarines, vegetable shortening, and anything that says “partially hydrogenated”.

America’s battle appears to be the potato, not sweets, sodas, or burgers. French fries lead the list for weight gain: Increased consumption of this food alone was linked to an average weight gain of 3.4 pounds in each four-year period. Other important contributors were potato chips (1.7 pounds), sugar-sweetened drinks (1 pound), red and processed meats (.95 and .93 pound, respectively), other types of potatoes (.57 pound), sweets and desserts (.41 pound), refined grains (.39 pound), other fried foods (.32 pound), 100-percent fruit juice (.31 pound) and butter (.3 pound). It might not sound like much, but after some time this adds many pounds that your body doesn’t need.

McDonald’s french fries have acquired a reputation for being delicious but unhealthy. We are all aware that french fries aren’t the best thing for you on any restaurant menu. A medium order of McDonald’s french fries has 19 grams of fat with 2.5 grams of that being saturated fat. With 170 calories coming from fat and a total of 380 calories in a medium order, 45% of the calories come from fat. This is not a good ratio. The 2011 award for the best fast-food french fry, health wise, goes to Sonic Drive-in’s regular fries, which are lowest in calories, fat grams, percentage of calories from fat, and total amount of “bad fats.” (And also second lowest in sodium.) The runner up is McDonald’s small fries, which ranked second lowest in calories, fat grams, and “bad fats.”

There’s another significant health issue associated with french fries that’s less well publicized. Research shows that many fried foods, particularly fast food french fries, are high in a substance known as acrylamides, which are thought to be associated with an increased risk of cancer. Some acrylamides information from ScienceDaily.com: Acrylamide is a chemical formed when frying, roasting, grilling or baking carbohydrate-rich foods at temperatures above 248°F. Acrylamide is thus found in a number of foods, such as bread, crisps, french fries and coffee. Tobacco smoking also generates substantial amounts of acrylamide. “Animal tests have shown acrylamide to be a carcinogen, but until recently no studies have demonstrated a link between acrylamide in foods and cancer in humans. Ours is the first epidemiological study using biological markers for measuring acrylamide exposure, and the first to report a positive association between acrylamide and breast cancer,” says Henrik Frandsen, senior scientist at the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark.

Fast food french fries are easy, filling, convenient, and cheap. Few people can eat only one. There’s something addictive about munching on french fries as evidenced with the growth of fast food places serving mega-size orders. Don’t get into the habit of eating this tasty, but unhealthy treat. Save them for a special occasion.

Water

You would think fresh healthy water, so readily available, would be simple.

Water is one of the most important elements in the body, which is over 80% water.  It is essentially the most abundant compound in the human body. It helps to transport nutrients and helps with elimination of waste.  Water is one of the most important factors when becoming and staying healthy and vibrant.  Water is what provides life, without it we die.

The big debate is whether tap or bottled water is better for you.  Most of us rely on tap or bottled water for our daily drinking water.  Some say when you drink either tap or bottled water you are playing a kind of Russian Roulette, though a low risk version of that deadly game.  There are many valid arguments for tap water being safer, and the same for bottled water, so what are we to do? Recently I heard of alkaline water, another type of water to research and add to the confusion.

Some water that comes out of the tap has a strong chlorine odor and taste, making it undesirable.  In small communities, scarce financial resources and lacking expertise often make tap water safety questionable.  In fact, both regulation and enforcement of bottled water safety is weaker than of tap water safety.  Even with all the precautions in place, both tap and bottled water have had their fair share of bad press.

Unlike tap or bottled water, alkaline ionized water has anti-oxidants which provide numerous benefits for our body. Normal tap or bottled water is clustered in 11 to 16 water molecules, where as alkaline water is reconfigured until it consists of 5 to 8 molecules per cluster.  Alkaline water delivers oxygen to your body cells more efficiently than tap or bottled water.

 

Dirty Tap Water Infographic

 

Presented by Online Education
The Facts About Bottled Water

Superfoods that Squash Stress

Life has a way of getting the best of us some days.  Whether it’s working too many hours, shuffling your kids all over town for their activities, taking care of your household, or dealing with personal or family matters, stress can take its toll on you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  But there are simple steps you can take to combat stress, starting with the foods you eat. 

Avoiding caffeine and alcohol is a good start when life’s particularly stressful.  Stimulants and depressants like these can both zap your energy and rob you of the fuel you need to successfully cope with tension.  Sugary foods should also be avoided as well, as they cause your blood sugar levels to spike then dip rapidly, which can in turn make your energy levels spike and dip at the same rate. 

However, there are several superfoods out there that provide you with the energy and nutrition your body needs to keep stress in check:

Asparagus, which is high in folic acid, can help level out your moods. Folic acid and vitamin B are key players in producing serotonin, a chemical that gets you into a good mood.  

And though we may hear negative things regarding red meat, it’s actually a wise dinner option for a stressed-out family. Beef’s high levels of iron, zinc and B vitamins not only help get you into a good mood, but help you stay there as well.  Your local butcher can help you select lean cuts for the healthiest options.

Milk really does a body good. Chock full of calcium, protein, antioxidants, and vitamins B2 and B12, it helps strengthen bones and promotes healthy cell regeneration.  Paired with a healthy whole-grain cereal choice in the morning, low-fat milk is a great way to start your day and arm yourself to do battle with the stressors that await you.  Cottage cheese is also another great dairy choice, and when coupled with a fruit that’s high in vitamin C, it helps the body battle free radicals that run rampant during your most stressed periods. 

Almonds are also an awesome choice when it comes to arming yourself against stress.  They’re high in magnesium, zinc, as well as vitamins B2, C, and E and unsaturated fats, all which are great warriors against free radicals, which have been shown to cause cancers and heart disease.   

Liver and surrounding organs

Cleansing Toxins – Protect Your Liver

When most of us think of toxins poisons and radioactive spills come to mind – chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects and barren soil.  However toxins are all around us and sometimes we ingest them on purpose in our beloved products such as alcohol, refined sugar and trans fats.  We go about our daily lives unaware of these toxins because of the wonderful liver doing the job of filtering and cleansing toxins.

Your liver is probably the most uncelebrated hero of all of organs.  It may seem a little strange to speak of an organ in this manner but so few people really understand all your liver does for you.  Not only does your liver carry out its primary function of cleansing toxins, but it produces bile for the breakdown of fats, senses when carbohydrates are unavailable and metabolizes fat into glucose for energy.  Your liver is also the source for the activation, detoxification and excretion of most medications.  Yes even the Tylenol taken for a headache must pass through your liver.

Still we pile more on.  We eat food that is barely qualified to be called such, drink alcohol to excess and smoke cigarettes -and these are the things we do on purpose.  We’re exposed to less fresh air, more carbon monoxides, and pesticides.  Why even our antiperspirants contain enough aluminum to bear a warning.  Nonetheless, our liver does its job of cleansing toxins and harmful chemicals and protecting our bodies from damage.

Unfortunately as with any protector each battle leaves evidence, and this steady barrage of toxins that enter our body can take its toll.  Because your liver is the primary depot for all the junk we absorb, it’s particularly important you avoid toxic substances as much as possible and cleanse your liver once per month.

Since your liver also metabolizes fat it plays an important role in your weight loss effort.  Years of high fat and oil consumption can result in a condition called fatty liver, where fat accumulates in your liver cells.  This invasion of fat diminishes your liver’s capacity to perform the job of cleansing toxins and metabolizing fat.  Therefore it is very important that you take steps to keep your liver clean and free of fat.  Maintaining a low fat high-fiber diet plus a periodic liver cleanse will help keep your body’s internal security bouncer functioning properly.

Unlike other organs, your liver has the capacity to regenerate and heal, even after years of abuse so it’s never too late start taking better care of your liver.

Carbohydrates: Simple, Complex, or Starchy?

Loaves of breadCarbohydrates are sugars or starches which give strength for the body. They are the group that includes simple sugars and more complex molecules made up of many sugars bonded together.

Complex carbohydrates are the good carbohydrates for your body. They’re usually referred to as good carbs, and simple carbohydrates as bad carbs. They are in foods often referred to as starches. They can be further divided into two classes, starches and fibers. Complex carbohydrates are healthier because they are rich in fibers, zinc and vitamins.

Complex carbohydrates are high-fiber foods, which help improve your digestion, stabilize blood sugar and maintain energy levels. They are very important to maintain blood sugar levels and provide a constant source of energy. Complex carbohydrates are absorbed and metabolized at a slower rate and provide a more sustained supply of energy.

Complex carbohydrates are good for your heart and your digestion, and may reduce cancer risks. They are not processed, and are very nutritious and an important part of a healthy diet. Complex carbohydrates are often also lower in fat and provide higher amounts of other essential nutrients like dietary fiber. The quantity of complex carbohydrate starches (grains, beans, rice etc.) at each meal impact blood sugar levels, as well as time taken for digestion. Focus on eating a lean, nutritious diet that promotes a lean body composition.

Complex carbohydrates are easily broken down into glucose monomers, which provide nearly all cellular energy. They are carbohydrates that take longer to break down into glucose. Complex carbohydrates are much more nutrient-rich than simple sugars. They are considered healthier mostly because they are digested by the body slowly, providing a steady source of energy.

Complex carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for the human body system. They are starches and fiber found in bread, cereal, rice, pasta and vegetables like potatoes, corn and peas. They are found in starchy foods such as pasta, bagels, bread, rice, legumes, other grain products and some vegetables. Complex carbohydrates are abundantly found in foods like cereals, bread, pasta, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, tubers, nuts and seeds. They are easy to assimilate and digest and are therefore the active ingredient in most weight gain powders.

Complex carbohydrates are polymers, or repeating structural units of simple sugars or glucose molecules. They are made up of sugar molecules that are strung together in long, complex chains. They are very large energy rich organic molecules that contain carbon hydrogen and oxygen. They are turned in to energy that your body needs in order to refuel itself from normal activities.

Simple carbohydrates are broken down faster and deliver energy more immediately. They are broken down into glucose and turned into energy very soon after they have been eaten. They are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and offer a quick form of energy. They are called “simple,” because your liver quickly breaks them down and turns them into glycogen for energy. Simple carbohydrates will give you a quick burst of energy followed by a quick crash and fatigue. They do not usually supply any nutrients or fiber.

Simple carbohydrates are sugars — like glucose, sucrose, lactose, and fructose. They are the most basic of carbohydrates found in foods such as natural and processed sugars, jam, honey, soft drinks, fruits, vegetables, milk, corn syrup, and molasses, candy, fruit juice, and sport drinks. Simple carbohydrates are found in highly processed foods such as white bread, cookies, pizza and cakes.

Simple carbohydrates are extracted from whole foods, but in the body they act very differently than complex carbohydrates. They are easy to digest, and your system quickly breaks the foods down. Simple carbohydrates are foods that will increase your weight, and add inches to your belly and waist. They are single — meaning one molecule of sugar.

Our daily diet is quite often based on starchy foods. They are considered as fuel for the body, providing energy. They are high in carbohydrates, which help supply your body’s energy needs. Some starchy foods are breads, potatoes, corn, rice, pasta, and baked beans.

Starchy Foods are often recommended by doctors for patients who are suffering from diabetes. They are thought to be “fattening” and society pushes to cut out these types of foods. They are one of the main sources of carbohydrate in our diet-along with milk, fruits, and sweets. They’re not fattening if you don’t add butter, cheese, or cream sauces. Starchy Foods can be balanced with lighter vegetable dishes and still allow dishes to reflect cultural preferences.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency

whole grain cerealIt is difficult to pin down just how many people suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency, but it’s safe to say that many people have the condition without knowing it. In most cases there’s another health condition that leads to the deficiency. Some of these health conditions include Crohn’s disease and other bowel problems, being an alcoholic, or being elderly.

However, as vitamin B12 is found in greater amounts in animal products, vegetarians and vegans may also have a vitamin B12 deficiency unless they’re mindful about what they eat. One of the most common treatments is to be put on supplements or to obtain a shot of the vitamin, but vitamin B12 deficiency diet therapy is often the better option.

No matter what the cause is, if you are not getting enough B vitamins there’s a chance you’re doing a lot of damage to your body. Your development and growth, nervous system and blood cells all need vitamin B12 to function properly. That’s why it’s extremely important to get it treated.

You should have some idea of what the symptoms are so that you can seek treatment if you need it. The challenging part is that many of the symptoms may be signs of something else, or may be dismissed as not being serious. Some of these symptoms include insomnia, being tired all the time, diarrhea, confusion, breathing trouble, pale skin and irritability. You may easily experience one or two of these symptoms and think there’s nothing wrong with you medically. But they may be signs of something more serious. The only way to know for sure is to have a blood test done to find out if you are low in vitamin B12.

There is a tendency in modern society to correct every medical problem with medication. After all, it’s easy to swallow a pill and think all things are taken care of. Your doctor may prescribe medication, but this should only happen if yours is a more extreme case, so make sure to talk to your doctor about other choices. Also, the body doesn’t absorb nutrients from tablets as well as it does from natural sources.

If you don’t have a severe case, then vitamin B12 deficiency diet therapy could be the best option for you. Start immediately with a breakfast that contains whole grain cereals that are high in B vitamins. If you’re not a vegan, you can add meat, dairy and eggs for an even bigger B12 boost.

Vegans will have a harder time since the body has a harder time using B12 derived from plant sources. Health food stores may have vegan products which claim to be high in the vitamin, but there’s some evidence that the body can’t access it. This means vegans may have to take supplemental B12 to make certain they’re getting enough of this essential nutrient.

If there’s any way you can do it, vitamin B 12 deficiency diet therapy is the better way to go. While medication can help to fix the problem, it can’t encompass the total value of nutrients that are naturally available in food.

 

 

Reading Food Labels

Food Nutrition LabelYou simply can’t measure every morsel that passes your lips; nevertheless, it is a good idea to measure most foods and liquids until you have a feel for portion sizes.  It’s a supersized world out there, and everyone seems to be shocked to discover that their concept of a single serving is in fact two or three.

If you’re into gadgets, you can find food weighing scales which are preprogrammed with nutritional information, as well as scales that will keep a running total of your everyday food and nutritional intake for you. The only equipment you really need is a simple and inexpensive gram scale, dry and liquid measuring cups, and info on accurately reading food labels. Among each of the mentioned tools, reading food labels seems to be the best way of determining the right kind of food to be purchased in the grocery store. It enables you to make sensible food selections. Through the “Nutrition Facts” section on a particular item in the grocery store, you can identify the number of serving sizes provided in the product.

With food labels, you can clearly see the amount and types of nutrients that are provided in the product. Usually, it includes the information on saturated fat, sodium, total fat, fiber, and cholesterol amount “per serving.”  Even so, understanding and reading these food labels can be quite puzzling. An average consumer would definitely ask what those numbers mean and how it’s going to impact their diet intake if they will conscientiously follow the serving guide as specified on the food label.

To help have a clear and more extensive understanding of the items stated in the food label, here’s a list of things that you should know:

1. Serving size
This is the primary item you’ll see on a food label. The amount of servings stated on the food label refers to the quantity of food people generally consume. However, this does not always mean that it reflects your own personal amount of food intake.  Moreover, serving size determines the amount of vitamins and minerals that enter your body. This means that if you will follow strictly what the serving size is, you’ll obtain the same amount of nutrients according to the serving size that was given in the label.  For example, if the serving size says one serving size is equal to 54 grams, that would mean you have to measure 54 grams, consume that and you will have just eaten one serving. The amount of nutrients stated in the food label is the same amount that has entered your body considering the fact that you have just eaten 54 grams. However, if you have consumed everything, and the food label says that each pack is equivalent to 4 servings, you have to calculate the quantity of nutrients that have entered your body. This means that if the food label says 250 calories per serving it means you need to multiply it by four to find the total amount of calories you have consumed.

2. Nutrients
This refers to the list of available vitamins and minerals in a specific item. It’s also where the nutritional claims of the product based on the recommended daily dietary allowance are reported. In order to understand the numeric value of each item, you should know that the “% daily value” the food label indicates is in fact based on how a specific food corresponds to the recommended daily dietary allowance for a 2,000 calorie diet. If in case you’ve purchased an item that has a dietary allowance different from the 2,000-calorie diet, you just need to divide the stipulated amount by 2,000 and you’ll be able to determine the “% daily value” for the nutrients.

3. Ingredients
This refers to the list of the ingredients which were used to manufacture the product. The listing is normally arranged from the main ingredients that have the greater amount by weight, up to the smallest quantity. This simply means that the actual quantity of the food includes the largest quantity of the main ingredient or the first item and the minimum amount of the very last ingredient.

4. Label claim
This refers to the kinds of nutritional claims of a specific food item. As an example, if an item says it’s sodium-free, it has less than five milligrams per serving, and a low fat item actually contains three grams of fat or less. Without a doubt, reading food labels can be quite tedious and confusing. Even so, once you get the hang of it, it may be easier for you to watch your diet because you can already control the amount of food that you take.

Fitness man

Fitness and the 24/7 Healthy Lifestyle

A healthier lifestyle doesn’t happen at the doctor’s office. Fitness has caught on as a trend. Health and fitness is definitely the GOAL here, remember.  It’s really a journey, not a goal you’ll be able to reach in a day.  It is defined as being in shape or good physical condition.  The majority of people would do anything to stay fit.

Fitness is all about improving endurance, flexibility, and strength via regular physical movement. It’s taking care of both your body and mind and giving yourself the very best you can. It’s not at all about being slim, having a tiny waist, or having large muscles. Fitness is obtained by being physically active on a daily basis.

Fitness diet and workout go hand in hand. Eating the right foods is essential for the fitness of your physical, mental and spiritual self. If you are not at your ideal weight or level of fitness, why did you fail in the first place? Was it a rigid diet plan that left you feeling hungry all the time and it was only a matter of time that you would fail? Was it an exercise program that demanded a minimum of an hour a day with strenuous workouts that you just couldn’t keep up with?

Fitness goals must be carefully considered because when you set fitness goals that excite you then you’ll find the motivation comes easily to execute the training needed to get there. If your desired fitness goals are not measurable, it could be because the goal is not specific enough.  When setting fitness goals, be sure you consider both the short and long term. Just keep setting fitness goals of things you know you’re able to do.

Next, start to set fitness goals of making sure you will adhere to your workout schedule at the days and times you said you would. If you’re setting new fitness goals for weight loss, keep in mind that losing one pound of fat requires you to burn 3,500 calories.  Your short term fitness goals are extremely important.  Letting other people in on your fitness goals helps keep you committed to the changes you’re making.

“Many women have the misconception that weight training is for men or athletes, but the truth is women need the lean muscle mass and strength just as anybody else,” says personal trainer Rachel Koester. A training session may only last an hour, but the challenges of leading a healthy lifestyle are 24/7. Typically a program set forth by a health and fitness coach will include a cardio workout in order to enhance health, burn fat, and other training to speed metabolism. Core work, for example yoga or Pilates is needed to strengthen abdominals and back muscles.

Improving athletic performance is an easy one to work on as the person is already emotionally committed to a goal activity in which the workout is a means to an end. Ask any pro athlete why they exercise and they’ll say to make them better at their sport, which in turn means they’re able to keep their job.  If we were to tie employment to physical fitness the way a professional athlete, firefighter, armed services personnel or law enforcement officer does, we probably wouldn’t have an epidemic of obesity and health-related issues.

Natural Weight Loss

Eat right, keep moving.

You most likely have read all that you need to know about how to prevent being overweight. That simple set of instructions should be easy to follow, but not for 35% of Americans who are unable to prevent gaining weight and stay overweight. Of course, once we are overweight, we usually want to trim down for a great deal of reasons, some related to health, others having to do with looks.

It is never too late to lose weight. But the reality is, it’s a whole lot easier to prevent putting on pounds than to try losing them down the road. If there is one thing we all know, it is that weight gain is likely to happen if we do not take forward-looking steps to stop it. Health experts say that most individuals who are trying to lose weight usually stray. They tend to return to their old eating habits even after they learn to enjoy low-fat eating. They tend to return to sedentary ways even though they enjoy exercising.

But despite the momentum toward weight gain, you can stop it from happening, experts say. There are plenty of good reasons to avoid excess pounds, reasons that go beyond vanity or social acceptance. In fact, some health experts contend that the significance of excess weight is more than cosmetic. They say that it takes a tremendous toll on people’s physical health.

The Way to Losing Weight… Naturally

The nuts and bolts of eating right and maintaining a healthy weight is not all that complicated. In fact, it’s a good bet that most people know pretty well what is best. Hence, losing weight the natural way should not be a problem at all. Consequently, a reasonable approach for losing weight naturally is to stick to a diet that is high in complex carbohydrates, high in fiber, moderate in protein, and low in fat.

A complex carbohydrate is a baked potato. Fat is the sour cream and butter you should not put on it. Fiber is vegetables. Fat is the oil you should not fry them in. Protein is a lean cut of meat. Fat is the gravy you should not pour over it.

Moreover, health experts say that dietary fat promotes weight gain because it’s a very dense source of calories. Also, whenever you consume excess calories from dietary fat, you store those calories as body fat more efficiently than excess calories from other sources. On the other hand, it can also help you lose weight naturally if you will not fall into the so-called “fat-free” trap. Manufacturers keep coming out with low-fat or fat-free versions of their best-selling foods, but Americans keep getting fatter anyway.

One of the greatest delusions of the 1990s is that “no fat” means “non-fattening.” The reality is, you are often getting just as many calories from the no-fat version, even if the calories are not coming from fat.

The term fat-free can be a trap if you start to believe that you can eat any amount of the foods that are advertised that way. What’s more, it is best to react to hunger with healthful snacks. Health experts say it would be better to try eating every three to four hours, which may mean a nutritious low-fat snack between lunch and dinner.

When you feel the urge for food coming on, snacking on something healthy such as a slice of whole-grain toasted bread is a better alternative. Never skip a meal and eat snacks instead because that is the worst action you can take if you are trying to control your eating habits and weight.

Remember, if you want to lose weight naturally, you need to keep track of every food you eat and of every activity that you do. Natural weight loss means that you do not have to use some accessories or helpful aids just to lose weight. Losing weight naturally is a process and not a fad. Hence, it would take a lot of dogged determination, self-control, and discipline just to achieve your ideal weight. Good luck!

The World on a Man's back

5 Ways to Promote Positive Mental Health

Positive mental health is a great way to ensure you lead a long, happy and healthy life. Maintaining your mental health is easier than most people think and will have a significant impact on your everyday life.

Would you like to have more energy? What about a good night sleep? How you would like to go an entire year without catching the flu once? Achieving a positive mental health state will not guarantee these things, but it sure will help.

Here are the top 5 things you can do to help promote positive mental health in you and your children:

1. Eat Healthy. Eating fast food 3 times a week and downing a few cold ones before bed might be easier than making a home-cooked meal and more enjoyable than drinking a cold glass of water but it won’t do a whole lot for your health. Eating home-cooked foods (especially fruits and vegetables) and staying away from the fast food joints will help you achieve the healthy lifestyle you desire.

2. Drink Lots of Water. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, average individuals are expected to consume at least eight glasses of water a day. And while this seems like it may be a lot, it’s actually not. Eight glasses is almost equivalent to filling up your water bottle a few times between waking up and going to bed. Remember, if you work out, you will need to increase your water intake to compensate for the water you’re burning off while exercising. Drinking water will detoxify your body and restore it back to a healthy state – especially after drinking coffee or alcoholic beverages.

3. Kick the Bad Habits. We’ve already mentioned it a few times but eliminating significant alcohol intake will have positive results on your mental health. Likewise, kicking other bad habits like smoking and drinking considerable amounts of coffee will also help keep your mental health at its best.

4. De-Stress. Stress is one of the leading causes for poor mental health. When you’re stressed out, your body has to work harder to keep up and, overtime, it will take its toll on your body and your brain. Next time something stressful happens, try lighting some candles and taking a bath. If that doesn’t work for you, try letting off some steam by going to the gym or going for a run. Keeping a positive frame of mind will promote positive mental health and eliminate undue stress on your brain.

5. Book Regular Check-ups. Unfortunately, you can do all of the things listed above and still suffer from mental health problems. In fact, you might have a mental illness and not even know it. Make sure you’re mental health is in good condition by booking regular appointments with your doctor. He/she will be able to confirm whether you’re lifestyle is healthy or identify where you may need to make some changes.

Author: Adella Klein

Adella Klein is dedicated to Healthy Living and wants to be the same. When she’s not speaking to adults and children in her community about the importance of positive Mental Health, she’s sharing her knowledge with the world by contributing to OneHealthyLifestyle.com