By David McCormick
I am Mr. Weightless, and though I may be a superhero, and I maybe immune to heart disease and cancer, still Mr. Weightless cancatch a cold. Being fit means that it is very rare that I getsick, but a virus is a virus, and I caught a cold. Although Ifelt miserable, there came some good of it, because I came to arealization that will simplify how you can think about goodhealth and weight loss: Take the advice for the sick, even whileyou're well.
Why Is This Advice for the Ill?
All of the things we tell sick people so that they recover morequickly are exactly the things that we should be doing everyday. Following that advice will not only ward off disease, butalso lead to greater energy and vitality, and best of all,weight loss. How we came to ignore these positive factors in ourdaily lives, I don't know.
In our society, we have a tendency to put off what is mosthealthy because we think it is inconvenient. When we get sickand can't perform our "more important" jobs, then we make thedecision to do what is best for the body. If we took thesesimple pieces of advice in our regular routines, we would besick fewer days. So for those who think their work is moreimportant than their health... if you take care of your healthfirst, you'll be able to work longer and take fewer sick days,so you'll accomplish more work!
Prevent Disease and Lose Weight with the
Fluid Intake
"Drink plenty of fluids" is the thing everybody says wheneversomeone says they have a cold. Drinking water and natural fruitjuices is so easy, yet most people don't do it. There are amyriad of benefits to drinking water all day, which you can findin my article on
Natural fruit juices are also great for you. They contain sugarsto give you energy, but won't dehydrate you like caffeine will.They also contain all of the other vitamins and nutrients fromthe fruits themselves. In the case of citrus fruits, likeoranges, vitamin C comes in high concentrations. We'll get tothe vitamins in the next section. Other juices are good fordifferent reasons, but remember that there is no such thing as a"bad" natural fruit juice. Many natural juices are alsofortified with calcium, which is another excellent nutrient thatwill not only strengthen your bones and prevent osteoporosiswhen you grow older, but it is also related to fat loss.
No matter how good the label looks, do not drink artificialfruit-flavoured juice, because those only contain sugar, waterand flavouring.
Vitamins and Herbs
Many people suggest high doses of vitamin C to cure the commoncold. It is such a good nutrient, it should be taken daily,whether you're sick or not. Vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is knownto boost the immune system, which is why it is recommended fortreatment of the common cold. But a good immune system is alwaysbeneficial; it is better to prevent getting a cold by having astrong immune system than to treat it once you're sick. VitaminC is also a most powerful antioxident, which means that itprevents all sorts of cellular decay and counteractscancer-causing carcinogens. Finally, vitamin C boosts theproduction of adrenaline, which will boost your feeling ofwakefulness, energy and speed your metabolism, supporting weightloss.
Vitamin C is not the only supplement that sick people are toldto take. My mother is particularly fond of echinacea. This is anherb that also boosts the immune system. It has proven effectivein treating the common cold, but unlike vitamin C, it does notshow a significant effect on healthy people.
Taking a multivitamin everyday that contains high doses ofvitamin C, as well as a full complement of other vitamins,minerals and essential nutrients is a positive step for anyone.It is virtually impossible to get every nutrient that you shouldevery day unless you take a multivitamin. For those attemptingto lose body fat by reducing their food intake, it becomesessential. Not only will you replace the nutrients you're notgetting from your restricted diet, you're also packing in thosenutrients that can speed up your weight loss.
The best multivitamins and nutritional supplements can be foundon the
Chicken Noodle Soup and Other Good Food
When you're sick, you may have a friend who offers to take careof you and make you some chicken noodle soup. There are a lot oftheories about why chicken soup may be good for you when youhave a cold. Some say that it's just the steam and hot liquidthat opens up the airways; others claim that it inhibitsneutrophils, white blood cells responsible for inflammation. Mytheory is simpler: chicken noodle and chicken vegetable soupsare just good food, and should be consumed regularly. In a tastymeal, you've got protein from the chicken, carbs from thenoodles and/or vegetables, spices and seasoning that have herbalbenefits, and the chicken fat as well. A good rule of thumb isto eat simple, good food that has these properties.
An easier, faster way to get such a balanced meal (more completethan even chicken soup) is to have a meal replacement for twomeals a day. These can be found on the Products page, click here.
Sleep
The final and most important ingredient to beating a cold isrest. Of everything discussed in this article, it is also theelement that most modern men disregard. Even when sick, we tendto get up and do some work, rather than concentrating on gettingwell. Sleep is the time your body and mind recuperate from theday's activities. Without sufficient sleep, your body cannotheal properly, and your mind cannot function properly. Therehave been some studies that show that sleep deprivation can leadto overeating and obesity, due to the elevation of certainhormones.
Sleep recommendations have varied tremendously in all thestudies done. Most people today believe that 8 hours is theoptimum duration of sleep. However, some adults can't bringthemselves to sleep longer than 6 hours, and many will sleep for10 if not awoken by an alarm. The need for sleep steadilydeclines throughout your life. A baby can sleep as much as 18hours a day, but it will come at odd times until their rhythmsmatch their parents. So, it seems like they never sleep becausethey're always crying in the middle of the night, but they'resleeping a lot of the rest of the time. In contrast, the elderlyawake early and frequently cannot fall asleep until very late.Some may nap frequently, but in all, they are awake far longerthan most adults.
The amount of sleep any person needs seems to be quiteindividualistic. To find your perfect sleep duration, try wakingup at the same time every day for work, but go to bed onehalf-hour earlier each night. You may not feel comfortable rightaway, but you'll probably fall asleep within 10 minutes.Eventually, you will find a time that is ideal in that you willfall asleep easily and wake up feeling really energetic. On aweekend, you can test your theory by going to bed when you feeltired, and not set an alarm to wake you. When you wake up, writea note of the time you first woke up (in case you want to sleepin further). Then it is a simple matter to figure out how longyour body wants to sleep.
Sleep is not the only component of rest. People will actuallytell you to "take it easy" to help you recover. This is also agood idea for everyday life, not only when you're ill. Learn totake time every day to relax. There have been many books andstudies on the benefits of meditation. None that I know ofrelate meditation to weight loss, but it is related to areduction of stress. Lower stress levels will reduce your riskof heart disease, and if you're an "emotional eater", thenreducing your stress through meditation can be a big steptowards weight loss.
Feeling Under the Weather?
Until you become weightless, like me, you'll be "under theweather" because the clouds are above you. So, every day behaveas if you're under the weather: drink plenty of fluids,especially water and natural fruit juices; take a multivitaminand the proven herbal health boosters; eat natural food in goodproportions; and get adequate sleep, including meditation orsome form of relaxation.
Article Originally Posted: Article Source: www.ArticlesBase.com
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