10 Easy Diet And Exercise Tips

By: Sylvia Cochran

Break Studios Contributing Writer

There are 10 easy diet and exercise tips that can change your life, health and overall sense of wellbeing. Calorie counting has never worked and no amount of gym memberships will lead to a trim, muscular body. That being said, a little reworking of the food pyramid and a realistic, level-headed approach to exercise is sure to pay off; this is where the ten easy diet and exercise tips come in.

  1. Go easy on red meat, butter, white rice, refined-flour bread, potatoes and avoid the empty calories of sodas and other soft drinks. While they make up the bulk of the food that Americans currently consider staples, they have very limited space in the pantry of someone ready to turn over a new leaf.
  2. Stock up on fresh fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and whole grain products, such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta and unprocessed oatmeal. These foods should make up the basis of the daily diet.
  3. Discover new favorite seafood and poultry recipes. Since red meat is not exactly among the ten easy diet and exercise tips, count on these healthier proteins to provide main dishes.
  4. Exercise daily, or at least three to five days a week. Find an activity that is enjoyable: running in the park, walking the dog, skating, jogging, tennis, swimming, gardening and dancing all count! Do not feel entrapped to run on a treadmill if you loathe it. Remember: These are the 10 easy diet and exercise tips. As long as the activity gets you off the couch and moving, it is exercise.
  5. Break up the exercise. If 30 minutes sounds like a lot, make it three sessions of ten minutes each. Use a pedometer as an alternative means of measuring physical activity. The ideal goal is 7,000 daily steps.
  6. Incorporate physical activity throughout the day. Park at the far end of the lot and walk to the door; take the stairs instead of the elevator. These steps make it possible to start small and gradually build up a tolerance for increased exercise.
  7. Find a workout buddy. Exercising with a friend adds enjoyment to the activity and also provides that little bit of encouragement when you feel tempted to stay on the couch.
  8. Give the salt shaker the boot. The human body only needs an average 500 mg of daily sodium for healthy functioning. The average American ingests about 6,900 mg or more. The result is an increased risk of high blood pressure.
  9. Start small when following ten easy diet and exercise tips. Changing a diet overnight or plunging headfirst into a strenuous exercise regimen is most likely not a sustainable effort. Begin by exercising ten minutes a day and gradually work up to 30 minutes over the course of a couple of weeks. Gradually cut down on the red meat as you discovery tasty poultry and seafood dishes.
  10. Avoid fad diets. They are frequently lopsided and disrupt the healthy workings of the body. Worst of all, they are not sustainable over a prolonged period of time. Before long, the temptation to just go back to the old way of life is too great.

Since they are sensible and easy to integrate, these ten easy diet and exercise tips may very well spell the difference between an unhealthy today and a healthier tomorrow. Why not give it a try?

Posted on: Jul. 26, 2010