Health

Maintaining Optimal Heath

Most of us think we are pretty healthy. We are able to function in our daily lives, sleep when we are supposed to and don't sleep when we aren't supposed to. We are able to walk, talk and eat. We don't feel 'blue' too often and don't have obsessive thoughts of any kind. All of these are signs of good health. But there are sooo many additional aspects to being healthy.

Vitamins, herbs, minerals, capsules, powders, drinks... all types of supplements are available to help us get healthy and stay healthy. Some of them help us conquer some issue we have with our health such as insomnia, depression, impotence, aches and pains, and on and on. Other supplements don't help us get the health we desire, they help us keep what we've got. In other words, you need to be healthy before you even start with those supplements.

Eating healthy is another topic we often consider to be a cornerstone of good health. What, exactly is eating healthy? Vegans usually think they are very healthy. Veganism is more than just not eating meat. Vegans live a lifestyle that includes using no animal products. They eat no form of meat, eggs, milk, even honey is on the 'no-no' list for them. In addition to what goes in their mouth, they also use no products tested on animals such as shampoos and cosmetics and wear no products derived from animals such as leather, silk, fur and feathers. Vegans don't even use lotions containing lanolin. Now that takes living healthy to a new level!

Other forms of eating health include a more relaxed vegetarian diet and modified vegetarian diets like lacto-vegetarian. We are often plummeted with information about how to eat to improve or maintain our health. Many diseases are directly related to how we eat. High fat diets will certainly lead to gallbladder disease and as we get older, colon cancer. Breast cancer has certain dietary roots and even our skin is the unfortunate recipient of problems related to our diets.

Dieting in and of itself isn't always healthy. The dieting options are incredible: low carb, high protein, low fat, no meat, no animal products, balanced diets, the options and combinations are endless and every year brings another new study and another new way to diet, and another new way to eat healthy.

Eating isn't the only thing that affects our health. Exercising and activity are certainly a huge factor in how healthy we are and how healthy we are going to be. As the 'Wiggles' have pointed out, you are never too young to start exercising and our doctors and scientists insist that you are never too old to continue on that track. Exercise programs are always a part of senior citizens centers and even in retirement homes.

Health, whether taken for granted or guarded fiercely, good or bad, your health is the one basic cornerstone of your existence that you can change. Guard it, fight for it, protect it and treat it with the respect it deserves.