Youth is a gift. With youth comes vitality, prime, and potential. It's easy to understand why the youth of today can take advantage of their natural gifts and lead a promising life.
However, all beings are time-bound, and like all things, youth decays. It's up to you on how you can extend your vigor. According to a New York Times article by Tara Parker-Pope, here are some ways to make sure you keep yourself in check.
Know your Weight
Being aware of your ideal weight is one thing, but maintaining it is another. The best way to know if you're straying from your ideal weight is finding out if you're adding extra pounds as early as possible. It's easier to lose two or three pounds and attack the problem right away, as opposed to losing thirty or forty pounds when it's too late.
Learn how to Cook for yourself
Aside from the financial rewards of cooking your own food, the health benefits are immense. You can shape your diet according to your preferred amount, you'll know what your body is taking in, and it isn't too bad to learn a very wonderful skill. Barbara J. Rolls, a professor and Guthrie Chair of Nutritional Science at Penn State suggests "to develop a nutritious and enjoyable eating pattern that is sustainable and that will help you not only to be well but also to manage your weight."
Eat Right
Cook the right food and take in the proper portions. Cut back on sugar, as excessive sugar intake has been linked to diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Sugar will not provide the balanced diet you need, since it's basically "empty calories", and holds very little nutritional content. Eat more vegetables, as they contain fiber and nutrients for daily use. Lastly, practice portion control. You don't need to take out carbohydrates or sugars from your diet; just know the amount you can eat, and compensate by eating the amount necessary for healthy, nutritious food.
Exercise
Active living is required to make sure your body is kept healthy. Incorporating 20 to 30 minutes of exercise a day, even just by brisk walking or riding a bike, will work wonders for one's health and fitness.
By following these habits, you can essentially avoid pitfalls that average Americans fall into. Unless you work in a city that promotes an active lifestyle, with work and socialization, Americans tend to forget about health and fitness and fall into a trap of gaining weight as they get older. With added weight come health risks such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. There is research from the Northwestern University last 2012 that shows that by practicing five healthy habits, you can maintain your weight and be able to avoid a health risk profile even well into your middle-aged years.
