You might be surprised to discover just how many people are in poor health. There are large numbers of people that are overweight, disabled, struggling with ailments, lacking energy, and dealing with a host of other conditions. So what can you do to make sure you stay healthy, and don’t become a statistic? Let’s look at the three major factors you should be concerned about. 

#1 Eat Properly

Obesity is epidemic in the United States. With more than 60% of Americans overweight and 36% obese. In fact, 32% of all adolescents are overweight. This is alarming. Just a generation ago, obesity was rarely seen. While some of this can be related to genetics, most of it is related to sedentary lifestyles and improper eating. 

There is an endless array of books written on dieting. We have seen everything from low fat diets so no fat diets to low carb diets, and everything in between. The best diet in the world is to simply eat sensibly. Include fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, low fat dairy products. Avoid fat, sugar, sodium, alcohol, and refined sugars. Try to avoid prepackaged foods. 

#2 Exercising

Great you’ve your diet balanced, now it is time to exercise. Remember calories in equals calories out will maintain your weight. That means you need to burn off the calories you eat. If you walk at a steady pace for just 20 minutes, you will burn around 300 calories. 

Studies have shown that a person’s metabolic rate will increase during exercise and will remain elevated for several hours after. That means you get the benefits of that 20 minutes worth of exercise for some time.

Go slow if you have been leading a sedentary life. Start small. If you have health issues always check with your doctor first. One of the easiest and most effective exercises is walking. You need nothing more than a good pair of walking shoes or runners and you will reap all the benefits of exercise including calorie burn, strengthening your heart, building endurance, and improving your bone density.

#3 Sleep

Sleep is as important to staying healthy as is exercise or eating. In general, an adult needs 8 hours of sleep every night. Sleep is excellent at curing many things because this is the time that the body recovers, and your immune system gets a boost.

A recent study by the American Cancer Society found those that sleep less than 6 hours or more than 9 hours had a 30% higher death rate. So make sure you are getting the sleep you need.

Three simple things that each of us does every day. It’s deciding how you do them that matters.