There is a lurking health menace that is perhaps as dangerous as a bad diet or not getting enough sleep and it is not something most people readily identify. This health menace is not moving around enough or sitting for most of the day. In fact, being sedentary has been ranked as the fourth leading cause of death.
We shouldn’t think we have our bases covered if we are physically fit just because we exercise on a regular basis. We are still in a bad health mode if we find ourselves in a sitting position or not moving around during working hours or the majority of the day. A sedentary lifestyle can have an impact on our health by increasing:
- Back pain
- Cancer risk
- Cardiovascular disease
- Confusion
- Fatigue
- Tension
- Type II Diabetes
Thankfully the goal to walk 10,000 steps a day is gaining in popularity and fitness trackers are becoming more common to see. But an added goal should be to vary our routine and not sit for more than three hours at a time.
Some practical ways to do this are:
- Walk around while talking on the telephone
- Set a timer to remind us to stand and move at regular intervals
- Invest in an exercise ball that will engage core muscles while being in a seated position
- Stand and move while watching television or make it a goal to get up and move around during commercial breaks
Keep in mind that standing up is still not enough; it is getting up and moving around that counts. Studies show that if we do manage to walk about 10,000 steps a day, we can burn 300 calories as well as increase our attention span, energy, and sense of well-being.
THREE CHEERS FOR: Lily’s™ Chocolate Bars
Do you find yourself hankering a chocolate bar but are concerned about the sugar added as chocolate is very bitter and takes a great deal of sweetening? Then check out Lily’s™ chocolate bars sweetened with herbal stevia. Lily’s™ chocolate bars are also a non-GMO food.
Lily’s™ chocolate bars can be found in a variety of flavors including almond, dark chocolate with sea salt, extra dark chocolate, milk chocolate, salted almond, crispy rice, coconut, and blood orange. Lily’s™ even has stevia sweetened chocolate baking chips.
Keep in mind that Lily’s™ chocolate bars, though sweetened with herbal stevia, are still not a low calorie food. Visit their website at: www.lilyssweets.com
FIVE FOODS IMPORTED FROM CHINA TO AVOID:
- Apple juice
- Cod
- Garlic
- Mushrooms (canned)
- Tilapia
