Exercise: The Secret To Aging S-L-O-W-L-Y

I may not be able to convince you that exercising everyday is beneficial for you, but will you pay attention when scientific study after study says it really does make a difference? In fact, there are 19 good reasons to exercise! Unfortunately, there will always be someone who will be so averse to exercise that there is nothing one can do to convince them of the benefits otherwise, right? But, how much does one truly value the quality of their life?

This is where the "why" comes in. Why should we want to be better people, more productive at work, more loving with our families, have more of a positive outlook on life? The 'whys' in the previous statement are merely what draws us out to be better human beings, but think of the health benefits that exercise provides us.

Let's break it down even further and evaluate what draws our attention to the importance of exercise, starting with the some of the following points:

(1) Slows biological aging: I always think of little kids, especially when it comes to celebrating their birthdays. How many times have we heard an 8-year-old or a 12-year-old say something like: 'I just turned 12 today'! with all the exuberance that they can muster. How many times do we hear a 43-year-old person shout out, 'I'm 43-years-old today!' with the same exuberance as that child? Probably not many! 

Simply stated, it has been found that people who regularly exercise age more gracefully. The study conducted by Brigham Young University discusses this very thing and can be found by going to this link. The more active we are, the better the biological aging process unfolds for us. 

(2) Lengthen Your Lifespan: Imagine adding years -- quality years -- to your life? Really, who doesn't want to have more time to enjoy their lives, their families, travel, work and vacations? It has been found that people who actually followed through with completing a regimen of moderate exercise levels for at least 150 minutes a week added 3.4 years on to their lifespans! Breaking that down even further, exercising a mere 30 minutes a day makes a world of difference! If 30 minutes is too much, how about breaking that down even further to 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at lunchtime and 10 minutes in the evening? You've got to start somewhere, right? Our lifespans and energy levels typically increase even more when exercise levels increase too. 

(3) Other health benefits from regular exercise include:

• lowering of blood pressure;
• a healthier approach to dealing with stress;
• strengthening of the heart and keeping the arteries in a healthy state to deliver blood to our other organs;
• sleeping better;
• lowering type 2 diabetes risk;
• maintaining proper immune function;
• breathing better;
• and, a general healthier and more positive outlook on life.

In conclusion, I may or may not have convinced you that exercise is beneficial for you, but why wouldn't you want to give yourself the best gift ever -- good health that enables you to follow your 'heart's desires' to live life to the fullest?

If you have interest in better health, go to another highly recommended website called, 'Positive Health Wellness', that covers other immensely important topics of interest that include diet & nutrition, exercise, recipes, beauty and aging and even pain relief!

What is the Mediterranean Diet and should we follow it?

Can we even count how many diets exist today? How well do they work? When it comes to the word 'diet', it just sends such a negative message to people! It sounds so restrictive and frankly, a restrictive diet may be necessary for some that are in medical need of it, but what about those people that are relatively healthy, and just merely want to lose a few pounds? Generally speaking, the Mediterranean diet is one of the most sensible-sounding diets out there right now, and its recommended for people in order to minimize their chances of getting heart disease, cancer, depression and even dementia.

On another note, have you heard of the Blue Zones? The Blue Zones are based on 5 geographical regions in the world where people generally live to 100+ years...healthfully. The Blue Zones follow a sensible diet -- such as the Mediterranean diet -- along with other common denominators that consist of moving naturally, having a purpose in life, minimizing stress, following an 80% rule by eating deliberately and slowing down as to not overeat, eating mostly plant-based foods, drinking alcohol moderately, participating in a faith-based community, putting family first and keeping a strong social supportive group as one's 'tribe' of people. 

Now, going back to the Mediterranean diet and how the Blue Zones sets the tone for leading a healthy life, why not eat a variety of foods that include a multitude of fruits and vegetables. Think of the spectrum of the colors of the rainbow and apply those colors to the endless amounts of fruits and vegetables that include those foods. 

Imagine matching the order of 'rainbow colors' to those of a variety of fruits and vegetables. Here is an idea of what I mean:

• The first color of the rainbow, Red, best represents nutritious and natural antioxidants that occur in our foods such as red wine and red grapes for Resveratrol; chile peppers for Capsaicin; and tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit and bellpeppers for Lycopene. 

• The second color, Orange, best represents the natural antioxidants in the following foods such as Curcumin found in curry; papaya and tangerines that contain Beta-Cryptoxanthin which are important for our vision, bone and cell growth; sweet potatoes, carrots, winter squash and cantaloupe that contain Alpha-Carotene and lastly, citrus which contains the antioxidants Hesperidin and Naringenin.

• Our third color, Yellow, best represents Bromelain which is found in pineapple; Limonoids found in citrus and lastly, Lutein and Zeaxanthin found in foods like corn, leafy greens, and mango. 

• The color Green which follows next in the rainbow spectrum of colors best represents Chlorophyll found in foods like watercress, leeks, arugula and parsely; Apigenin and Luteolin, two natural and healthful compounds found in foods like celery and parsley; Catechins found in green tea and lastly, Isothiocyanates found in Kale, brussels sprouts and broccoli. 

• The fifth (Blue), sixth (Indigo) and seventh (Violet) colors would fall into the category of the Purples contain Indoles, Ellagic Acid and Anthocyanins which are best represented by such foods as purple cauliflower, purple cabbage, a variety of berries, red cabbage, eggplant and grapes. 

Other food categories that fall under the Mediterranean diet include:

• Eating a majority of plant-based foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes'
• Exchanging butter with healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil;
• Flavoring foods with herbs and spices rather than salt; 
• Restraining from eating red meat to a few times a month;
• Eating fish and poultry a minimum of two times a week;
• Enjoying meals with family and friends where foods are eaten more deliberately instead of in a rushed state;
• Drinking a moderate amount of red wine and lastly, getting plenty of exercise.

There is no doubt that there are many overlapping similarities when it comes to following the Mediterranean diet and attaining the many of the health-benefits that can be found in the Blue Zones. 

So why not try it out, the worse thing that can happen is living a healthier life -- isn't that incentive enough?

8 Superfoods For Better Sleep

While I can't emphasize enough -- as I'm sure many other health and wellness experts would agree -- good nutrition and exercise are essential building blocks for leading a healthy lifestyle. But, what about sleep? Well, yes, sleep should definitely not be overlooked!

In the fast-paced society that we live in there are so many demands, aren't there? 'I've got so much on my plate, there is no time to sleep!' However, in saying such a statement, we tend to forget the importance of sleep and how much of it we really need in order to function at our best. Sleep helps the body heal by repairing the heart and blood vessels. Additionally, by not getting enough sleep, the chances of getting kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes or stroke are that much more probable.

The following are 8 recommended superfoods for better sleep:

(1) Almonds: These delicious nuts are both high in potassium and B vitamins which are important for our nervous system to de-stress and relax. So, how about some almond butter on toast or a banana before bed?

(2) Bananas: Bananas are also chock full of B vitamins and potassium which help with getting yourself to a better sleep state. Bananas which contain a good amount of essential minerals and vitamins help with relieving insomnia.

(3) Brown Rice: Brown rice contains GABA which is an amino acid, aids in relaxing the nervous system as well and acts as a natural tranquilizer for a good night's sleep.

(4) Cherries: This fruit helps to promote the release of melatonin which is the hormone that aids in the ability for our bodies to fall asleep.

(5) Chickpeas: Chickpeas happen to have a good amount of B vitamins -- these vitamins aid in the making of melatonin, specifically B6. Even having chickpeas as an afternoon or late afternoon snack can make wonders happen when it comes to proper 'shut-eye'.

(6) Kale: Kale happens to have lots of Magnesium which helps quite a bit when it comes to getting good sleep. Magnesium has been shown to play a role with sleep.

(7) Oatmeal: Oatmeal can also help with getting you to sleep as it induces the release of melatonin which, again, aids in the sleep/wake cycle.

(8) Walnuts: Walnuts contain tryptophan which is an amino acid that greatly contributes as a sleep aid. Apparently, in the brain, tryptophan converts to serotonin which induces sleep.

In order to be more productive in our daily tasks/life there is no doubt that sleep is the third component -- along with diet and exercise -- to living a healthy lifestyle.