Bad Habits Reading

How to stay fit, happy and healthy

If you’ve been listening to the news you already know about our national obesity levels rising by the day. It has never been more important ___1___ and to get an adequate amount of exercise and sleep to keep yourself fit and healthy. 

Though it may feel like really hard work at first, once you adopt an exercise routine and start ___2___ , you’ll forget you ever did things differently.

Here are just four of the top adjustments to make:

1. Get more sleep!

Sleep is huge and almost a third of the US population doesn’t get near enough to staying physically and mentally healthy. If you are sleep deprived, try changing your habits in order ___3___

2. Strive for a better diet

Look at your diet and what you’re eating now and make changes where you see fit. If you are susceptible to snacking, keep a piece of fruit or a few nuts at hand. The key is to eat small meals throughout the day. Reduce portion sizes, take out white bread and replace with whole grains and make sure each meal contains at least one portion of fruit and – or vegetables. Healthy food doesn’t have ___4___ , and you can get an abundance of low priced fruit and veggies, like apples, bananas, potatoes and peas.

3. Stop all those bad habits

Take a look at your current lifestyle and make a small list of everything you do that is not good for your health. This could be anything, from eating too much junk food or drinking too much caffeine, to smoking or drinking. Start the process of breaking these habits one by one. Some will be easy, while others may take months or maybe years ___5_, but the sooner you start fighting, the better.

Some addictions (like smoking, drugs or alcohol) are incredibly bad not only to your health, but also to your pocketbook. If you smoke and – or drink, start by cutting back on how many drinks you have, or cigarettes you smoke, in a day, and if necessary, seek medical advice and assistance ___6___ .

4. Exercise, exercise, exercise

We all should be doing at least 30 minutes of exercise, 3 to 4 or more times a week, __7___. This can be pretty much anything that is physical, like walking, cycling, running, swimming to weightlifting, etc. This too does not have to be expensive, and you can get a great work out without joining any costly gyms. Most of these exercises are inexpensive, and just doing a cardiovascular exercise, like walking, jogging, or walking on a treadmill a few times a week will do your body (and heart) good.