Too Much Sugar

Refined sugar is essentially empty calories. Unfortunately many of the foods that we love to eat contain sugar and yet they have no nutritional benefit. What's worse is that most Americans eat way too much sugar. The problem occurs when we eat these foods instead of nutrient dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy. We completely miss out of the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients but we still get all the calories, making us fatter, unhealthier and more at risk for disease. While sugar gives us empty calories without any nutrients we put ourselves at risk for lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, atherosclerosis, cancer, stroke, depression, etc. The best thing you can do for yourself is cut back or cut out as much refined sugar as possible.

Exercise To Reduce Your Risk Of Disease

Exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. On average 50 million Americans are living sedentary lives. This puts them at increased risk for healthy problems and an early death. Exercise not only increases overall circulation throughout the body, it builds muscles, burns calories, improves mood, self esteem, and reduces the risk for disease. Aim to get 30 minutes of physical activity per day. Make it fun, something you enjoy doing, such as gardening, playing with your kids, walking the dog, bike riding, hiking, etc. This will make it easier to fit it into your daily schedule.