Home > Health Center > Articles > Other Articles > The Five Universal Principles of a Healthy Body
 
ARTICLES

 
The Five Universal Principles of a Healthy Body
  1. Maintain a steady and rigorous resistance and cardio training regimen. Keep your metabolism fired up. If you want to maximize this principle, include morning exercise in your program. You burn more calories from fat in the morning (on an empty stomach), and you get a greater metabolic increase than if you exercise at night. Start that engine early and it will run for you all day and night.
  2. Be cautious of faddish body fat reduction programs. You do not want to lose weight and then hope for a miracle to keep it off. You need to make changes that you can live with the rest of your life, that you would not have to think twice about, and that improve your life without setting up impossible goals. Challenge yourself in a steady. Progressive manner with lifestyle choices that involve variety, fun and moderation. Avoid overnight diet wonders. They would not last.
  3. Drink more water. Water is essential to mobilizing and burning fat. Keep a 20-ounce water bottle by your desk, in your car and by your bedside and try to drink five of them a day.
  4. Balance the calories you take in with the calories you burn. To calculate a starting  point, take your bodyweight in pounds and multiply it by 13. This is called your Resting Metabolic Rate or RMR. Next, add the number of calories you burn through  exercise to your RMR to get a total to measure against what you eat. To make this work, you have to keep a record of your daily caloric consumption as you fine-tune your program according to your goals.
  5. Enjoy a treat or two. Allow yourself some of the foods you love - in moderation. It will keep you sane and increase your commitment to the entire program over the long haul.