Fibre Power!

By RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR

To know your future you need astrology; to maintain ideal weight, you need to follow a regular, nutritious regimen for your dietary requirements. In other words, a diet with at least 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables, and greens.

However, fruits and vegetables are not necessarily enough. You need to also do regular physical exercises. Only then can you bring about the right balance to your health and life.

First, make salad a major part of your daily eating plan. Because, a high fibre diet is what you need most.

Prevent Free Radical Damage

A high-fibre diet keeps you fit and fine, and also helps ward off free radical damage, even before it bares its tentacles.

What are free radicals, you may well ask. Free radicals are a large number of harmful compounds released during any inflammatory/infection process, and so on. Normally, the body can handle free radicals. But, if anti-oxidants [e.g., vitamin C and vitamin E] are unavailable, or if free-radical production becomes excessive, damage can occur.

Free radicals have been implicated in diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer.

Even in the presence of disease, a good diet plan helps you live a healthy, active life. It perks up your existence in a manner that medications don’t!

Exercise is also just as important. Just don’t think, but you need to do exercises regularly and/or yoga. No two ways about it. Select the exercise that suits your physique best.

Speak to your doctor and physical trainer and create an exercise plan that takes into consideration your specific needs. Not something that others fancy.

Exercise: Stick To A Plan

You may do your work-out at home, or enrol in a gym close to your place of residence or work -- but, the important thing is you need to stick to a plan.

A 25-30 minute work-out 4-5 days a week is all that you need -- not just a pump-it-up exercise plan for extended hours. Remember, a reasonably good fitness programme takes the murmur out of your laid-back attitude and life. It gives you the energy and also the confidence to do better and well in your day-to-day life.

Also, keep in mind -- a good diet and a regular exercise programme are indispensable to good living and healthy longevity.

Easy Steps To Dietary Health

• Incorporate a good dietary programme on a daily basis… Go for a walk or a trek, as and when time permits. Or, ride a bicycle, for 45-50 minutes during weekends.
• Go for a 30-minute walk, set at a good pace, not too fast or not too slow, 4-5 times a week. Walking is the best, simple, and safest form of exercise.
• If, for some reason, you can’t do aerobics, or other exercises, walking by itself is a great exercise. Mahatma Gandhi called walking the “queen of all exercises.” Science attests to the view in equal measure, and more too.
• If you can’t, for whatever reason walk at all, try to laugh as much as you possibly can. Laughing burns calories, exercises your respiratory muscles, increases oxygen uptake, and boosts the production of the feel-good hormones -- endorphins. What’s more, it does not require any equipment or gear.
• Most important -- laughing exercises can be done anywhere. Better still, its overall benefits are just as good as doing physical exercise!

Simple, isn’t it? Yes! And, this is all you’d need to do and add to your daily schedule on a regular basis. Once you do that, you will reap the rewards cumulatively. Because, when you are healthy, you will be able to do your work better, and also more productively.

You will also burn unwanted calories.

The resultant effect? Optimal health and well-being, which will have a definite bearing on your earnings and wealth. It will also make you wise, too -- even if you are not wise to begin with!

Now, you know the reason, don’t you? Being healthy, as already emphasised, gives you the self-assurance to feel good. It gives the “fibre” to your life. It leads to a feel-good feeling too.

This feel-good feeling will extend to your decision-making abilities, poise, and well-being.

So, when you begin to do well, your personal index will also expand. You will also be more fit, alert, and vibrant!