5 Ways to staying young fit and energised

Most people simply hate the fact of getting old. We are all lead to believe that getting old means slowing down and not being able to do the things you enjoy. What a load of crap. Not doing something because your getting old is a bad excuse, it doesn’t matter if your 25 or 75 you can still be fit, healthy and energised. Here are 5 simple things you can do to live the life you want to.

1. Avoid processed foods
Processed foods are toxic to your body. They are full of unhealthy additives to preserve their shelf life or to enhance the colour and taste. They often contain hidden sugars, salts and unhealthy fats not to mention many other hidden ingredients. The nutrient value of processed foods is very little. So often, synthetic vitamins and minerals are added to make up for it but unfortunately your body has a very tough time absorbing these synthetic vitamins and minerals as they are not naturally recognised by your body. All these toxic chemicals will rapidly age your body not to mention give you a fat belly and maybe even heart disease.

2. Drink plenty of fresh water
Water covers two-thirds of the earth of which only 3% is fresh and only 1% is accessible to humans. Of this 1% the US Environmental Protection Agency has identified that there are over 700 pollutants that often occur in our waterways. So what do we do about this? I recommend installing a filtration system into your homes to minimise the exposure of chlorine, heavy metals and other toxic chemical waste. Another option is to buy bottled water at the supermarket; brands such as Evian, Volvic and Fiji are all good choices. So you’re wondering how much water you need to drink. Dr Batmanghelidj, a water specialist, recommends you drink your body weight in pounds, divided by two and drink that many ounces of water each day. This will ensure your organs, your skin, your muscles and your brain function optimally.

3. Sleep
In my opinion sleep is one of the most overlooked factors for human health and wellbeing. After a good night sleep you feel better, you think more clearly and your emotions are less fragile. On the flip side, sleep deprivation has been linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and even early mortality. Your body has a natural built in circadian cycle meaning that you should be tucked up in bed by 10pm and sound a sleep for at least 7-9 hours.

4. Go Organic
I know organic food is not the cheapest but the way I look at it is that you can pay now and live a healthy life or you will pay later with constant visits to the doctor and thousands spent on health bills. Organic food is free from toxic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and chemical fertilizers all of which are foreign to your body. Organic food is nutrient dense full of vitamins and minerals to keep your body young and vibrant.

5. Exercise
Challenge yourself with functional strength training. This will strengthen muscles, joints, ligaments and keep osteoporosis at bay. Research by Sasaki and Fumiyoshi Kasagi, appearing in The American Journal of Medicine, shows that grip strength is associated with longer life expectancies. Now I am not saying you should spend hours in the gym training your grip strength, what I am saying is that if you perform full body, functional exercises such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, pull ups and push ups you will find yourself in great shape and ready to tackle anything the world throws at you.

I guarantee if you follow these 5 simple tips you will feel better, look better and perform better not only in the gym but in every day activities.

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