Pledge to start a healthier lifestyle

Most people never worry about the state of their health till they reach a certain age; to some people it's 40, others 50 or 60 and later when they start having symptoms of certain diseases. I realized that taking care of my health and fitness should start early and that we should keep watch over what we feed our mouths and to make extra effort to counter the sedentary lifestyle because of the conveniences modern living. Decide to start doing it now.

Heart disease, kidney failure, liver malfunction, stroke, hypertension, diabetes and cancer are caused mainly by our diet and lifestyle. So, to minimize our chances of acquiring these serious illness, pledge to cut on the following favorites:

1. Sweet foods and desserts. Never starve yourself with your favorites but indulge only in small portion or serving. This could be very difficult if you really like to eat chocolates, ice cream, cake, leche flan, pastry, among many others.

2. Salty foods like chips, fries, chicharon, soy-based dips and dishes (adobo, barbeque) taste really good but too much sodium in our body harms our kidneys and joints.

3. Fatty/fried dishes. We'd have to visit KFC less frequently even though we love eating Coronel Sander's friend chicken. Choose to eat soup-based meals that are boiled, poached or braised

over grilled, fried or sautéed.

4. Watching too much TV/browsing idly on the Internet. If radio waves from TV and computer monitor weren't toxic enough, sitting down in front of the tube and doing nothing else is very unproductive and unhealthy, too.

5. Soda/Alcohol intake - It's an empty calorie which contributes greatly to belly fat. Other serious ailments are caused by soda and alcohol as well.

In addition, it would be good to do more of these:

1. Eat more dark colored and leafy vegetables. They're nutritious and rich in fiber which would make metabolism work faster. They also have vitamins and minerals and other nutrients which boost immune system and fight with free radicals.

2. Eat more fish meat as healthier substitute to red meat (pork/beef). Meat products are good sources of protein but these type of meat are harder to breakdown and takes two-four days to be fully digested.

3. According to a recent research, green tea targets belly fat as a fat-fighter and helps reduce excess weight from our body.

4. Drink more water - not only will it flush toxins and other harmful oxidants, it also keep the body hydrated, plus sufficient water keeps skin healthy.

5. Exercise and do circuit training for 40 minutes 3x a week. Exercising releases endorphins or a.k.a happy hormones which improves mental health. It also keeps muscles toned and firm. Workout to get rid of those bulges in your tummy.

6. Drink milk. The body can only absorb calcium during the first 25 years of our lives, so stock-up much of this very important mineral especially because it keeps our bones and teeth in perfect form.

There you go, let's keep the health revolution going!

Photo credit: here and here