An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cureEverybody probably agrees with the above statement, but that doesn’t mean we always live according to it. We know that how we treat our bodies affects what happens to it. If we work all the time, never let ourselves rest or have a free minute, and rarely get a good night of sleep, we are sure to be worn down and exhausted, and possibly one day suffer a heart attack or develop an ulcer. On the other hand, if we sit around all day watching television and eating all sorts of sweets and junk food, we are sure to have a weak body, and probably be overweight as well. Even though we know this, it is often hard to find the motivation to lead a healthy lifestyle.Choosing an unhealthy lifestyle is a choice we cant afford to make. Because so many illnesses and diseases are directly caused by unhealthy lifestyles, they can be prevented by choosing a healthy one.A healthy lifestyle includes a balance of nutritious foods, exercise, and plenty of rest. The human body needs food for energy.It is important to eat many different types of foods in order to get a variety of vitamins and minerals. We should get most of our energy from the first food group: breads, cereals, and grains.The second food group is fruits and vegetables. We need fresh fruits and vegetables every day in order to get enough vitamins and minerals. The third food group is dairy products,which give us calcium in order to make our teeth and bones strong. The fourth food group is meat and poultry. Humans don’t need meat, but if we choose to eat it, we should eat three to four servings per week. If we choose not to eat meat, we must get our protein through other sources – legumes, beans, and nuts. The fifth food group, fats and oils, is the one from which we should eat the least amount. Finnaly, the last group is sweets. Our bodies don’t really need sweets, and we should try not to eat them too often.
A healthy lifestyle also includes exercise. Ideally we should exercise thirty minutes per day,three days per week. This is easy to do if you enjoy sports. If you don’t, it is as easy as going for a brisk walk. An active lifestyle also includes taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or walking one to two stops instead of taking the bus or the trolley.Finnaly, we must get plenty of rest. The body needs time to recuperate all of the energy lost in physical activity. Adults should sleep seven to eight hours a night. Some teenagers can even need nine hours of sleep a night. If you follow these simple guidelines, you can prevent many illnesses and diseases, and save yourself the time,hassle,and discomfort of falling ill and going to the doctor.