3 ways to have a good health

In today’s hectic world that we live in, maintaining our good health is important. It's easy to let stress take center stage and set us up for poor diet and lifestyle choices. Our diet, exercise and behavioral choices can have a significant effect on our health. If you have a poor or unhealthy diet, you may run the risk of weight gain or increased your risk of chronic diseases (like diabetes or high blood pressure). If you're not active regularly, you may also run the risk of gaining weight but also miss out on the many benefits of exercise. If you smoke, don't manage stress or don't sleep well, you again can run the risk of having negative side effects on your health. Maintaining a generally healthy body will require you to make sure you're making healthy choices in a multiple areas of your life.                       Monitor calories. To have a generally healthy body, you should try to maintain a healthy weight. If you're overweight, you are not maintaining a generally healthy body.

• Calories are a unit of measurement. You eat calories from food and that energy is used to fuel your bodily functions and activities throughout the day.^[1]
• If you consume too many calories you may run the risk of gaining weight. If you do not eat enough calories you may lose weight.^[2] The American diet is based on a 2,000 calorie-per-day diet.
• You may need to change how many calories you eat daily to match your body's needs and to maintain a healthy weight. To lose weight, it is considered safe to cut 500 calories from your diet and aim to lose about one to two pounds per week.
• Use an online calculator or smartphone app to find out how many calories your body needs. A good rule of thumb is that a moderately active adult needs about 15 calories per pound to maintain her weight.^[3] Track calories to see if your current diet meets your needs.

Eat a well-balanced diet. Having a well-balanced diet is one of the most important parts of maintaining a generally healthy body. Without a balanced diet, it'll be very difficult to maintain proper health.^[4]

• A balanced diet means that you consume foods from each food group most, if not every day.
• In addition, you should consume a variety of foods within each food group. Having a wide variety of foods from food groups will allow you to consume a variety of different nutrients.^[5]
• Lastly, a balanced diet means eating the right proportions or servings of each food.^[6] If you eat mostly protein foods but very few fruits or vegetables, your diet isn't balanced. Following the appropriate portion sizes of each food group: 3-4 oz (card deck sized) of protein, 1 cup vegetables or 2 cups leafy greens,^] 1/2 cup chopped or one small piece of fruit, and 1 oz or 1/2 cup of grains.
• Balance your meals and snacks during the day. Aim for three to four servings of protein daily, five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables, and three to four servings of grains (1/2 being whole).                                                                                   Go for lean protein sources. Protein is an essential nutrient in your diet. It will provide the building blocks for many functions of your body including maintaining lean muscle mass, rebuilding cells and supporting your immune system.
  • Lean protein sources include: poultry, eggs, seafood, lean beef, pork, legumes (nuts and beans) and tofu.
  • Lean protein sources are low in fat and calories. This helps you get in adequate amounts each day without going over your daily calorie limit.
  • Consuming adequate amounts of protein has also been associated with a general healthy body. Some of these include: better management of your appetite and a healthy weight, support healthy cholesterol and lipid levels and better management of diabetes.^[