Tips To Help You Reach Optimal Health

Plan your meals. Start every day knowing when and what you are going to eat. That way, you'll avoid that shift between starving and over indulging if you skip a meal.

Don't under eat. When you try to “diet” by going for long periods of time without eating or by taking in too few calories, your brain senses starvation and sends an SOS signal through your body to store fat. To really lose weight, you have to keep your body from switching into starvation mode. So instead, eat often, in the form of frequent, healthy meals, and snacks.

Take a walk. Try to walk a minimum of thirty minutes each day. You will notice not only the positive physical effects, but also psychological effects.

Substitute saturated fats for unsaturated fats. Meals high in saturated fat produce lower levels of leptin than low-fat meals with the exact same calories.

Stand up straight. One of the easiest ways to strengthen your abdominal muscles – and support your back – is through good posture. Practice good posture by bringing your head and neck back, and breathing in to tighten your gut.

Get quality sleep. If you get less sleep than you need, you increase your risk for heart attack and other diseases. The optimal amount of sleep is different for everyone, but aim for 7-8 hours each night.