| Movement is essential to life. Just look inside any coffin - they are dead. Dead means there is no movement. If you want to be alive, you must move / exercise. You must, however, exercise intelligently by slowly increasing the amount of exercise (stress) you subject the body to. The capacity to strengthen your body was given to you at birth - the desire to move! If you looked inside the human body, you would be awed by the amount of movement that takes place. Exercise is one of the most important behaviors you can be involved in because it helps to make the body more efficient in its functioning. Every part of your being functions better if you are engaged in a regularly scheduled exercise program. Some of the ways efficiency is manifested: stronger bones, stronger heart, stronger lungs, stronger liver, stronger kidneys and a stronger immune system. Before engaging in an exercise program, ask your doctor to give you a complete physical check-up. Make sure you tell your doctor why you are asking for this check-up. If your doctor gives you the green light for starting an exercise program, go out and purchase a pair of sneakers and some loose fitting exercise clothing. Aerobic exercise is one of the most important forms of exercise because it conditions your body to consume more oxygen. Remember the importance of oxygen. You can not live five minutes on planet earth without it. Aerobic exercise is any exercise movement that is continuous for a minimum of 15-20 minutes and elevates your heart rate to 65-75% of its maximum capacity. The top 5 aerobic exercises are: Cross Country Skiing, Swimming, Running, Cycling, Walking But really all you have to do is go to your local park. Bicycle to the park, swing on the swings, climb on the poles, run, jump, hop, skip, swim in the public pool. It’s that simple and it’s all free! Start living la vida FUERTE! |
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| Living La Vida Verde Living La Vida Fuerte! by Chris and Regina Jamison |
| Color Me Latina Fall 2006 Issue Subscribe NOW! |
When you eat junk food your body says “Let’s see what we can do with this junk she just scoffed down." Junk food makes the liver work twice as hard because it has to try to revitalize dead cells. You should be eating to feed your cells, to keep them young, healthy, resilient. Instead most Americans eat for taste. Let’s see where taste will lead us:
According to Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson in their book Chew On This
*More than 40% of the children in New York City public schools are overweight.
*50 million American adults are overweight. An additional 6-7 million are morbidly obese (100 pounds heavier than they should be).
*Trans fats are now responsible for the deaths of at least 30,000 Americans every year.
If American kids continue becoming obese at the current rate, one out of every three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes. Among African American and Latino children, it is more like one out of every two.The consumption of organic fruits and vegetables is essential to a good diet. A diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables will result in a longer,
more vibrant life.
Meat and processed foods are dead. They have no vitality. Your body is a temple not a graveyard. Eat to live not to die. Put down that burger, pick up an apple or a banana, or guayaba, , kenepas, aguacate, lechuga, espinaca, bróculi.
Here are excellent devices for food preparation: juicers, blenders, citrus juicers, potato peelers (not just for potatoes), nut grinders and food choppers. These items can be purchased at a local department store. They are excellent for preparation of salads and drinks such as fruit juices, fruit smoothies, vegetable juices and nut milks. These foods are so important because they are low in fat and the body is able to utilize them right away - unlike those rice and beans or that fried chicken.
Go and find out where your local health food store is and talk to the staff about your need to feed your body healthy foods.
Start living la vida VERDE!
| Now that you know some of the statistics and you have some insight into exercise and healthy behaviors, you should write down the present condition of your body and how you expect your level of conditioning to be 1-5 years from now. You should start all exercise sessions with a 5-10 minute warm-up which should include stretching. Remember to end all exercise sessions with a 20-30 minute stretching routine. Exercise 3-5 times a week. Choose your food wisely. Start living la vida VERDE and living la vida FUERTE! |