Wellness is a Factor of Both Diet and Fitness

Wellness is generally used to mean a feeling one gets when one has a healthy balance of the mind, body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well being. Wellness can also be described as the constant, conscious pursuit of living life to its fullest potential. Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices towards, a more healthy existence. Wellness should be a natural goal for everyone, but this isn't always the case.

Wellness is largely ninety percent diet and ten percent physical fitness. Let's take a look at ones diet first. Dietary habits and choices play a significant role in health and mortality, and can also define cultures and play a role in religion for some. Changing ones dietary intake, or going on a diet, can change the energy balance and increase or decrease the amount of fat stored by the body. Sugar cravings are the major cause of diet and weight loss failures.

Sugar cravings for foods such as donuts, cakes, cookies, and highly process foods cause more weight gain than whole foods such as fruits and vegetables and home cooked meals. So instead of getting radical and cutting all sugar out of your diet, focus on reducing your intake of foods that contain high fructose corn syrup and added sugar, such as highly processed and fast food restaurants. It is sugars that are fast releasing that will encourage weight gain, and here's why:

If your blood sugar levels rise very quickly your body has to secrete or release more insulin in order to control it. This high release of insulin drives all the sugar circulating in the blood to your fat stores. The body must maintain a balanced blood sugar level to prevent disease associated with diabetes in healthy individuals. Eating foods that have less sugar in them can help one reduce weight and prevent diseases such as heart disease.

Overweight people are at higher risk of diseases and need more protective nutrients, such as B vitamins, fiber and antioxidants. If you are overweight, you are more likely to develop health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain types of cancer, gout or joint pain caused by excess uric acid, and gallbladder disease. If you're overweight, you also shouldn't let the specter of yo-yo diets keep you from trying to lose weight.

Dieting is the practice of ingesting food in a regulated fashion to achieve and maintain a controlled weight. Dieting can be very difficult because of dessert or sandwich can be very tempting and most overweight people believe they have cravings that can't be ignored.

Dieting reduces your overall daily caloric intake this is where exercise comes in to help you burn even more calories. Dieting means restricting calories or cutting down on certain food types. When dieting one should, avoid caffeine, lower salt intake, increase fiber intake, Lower saturated fatty food consumption, avoid acidic foods, eat smaller meals, avoid chocolate, and increase calcium in the diet by taking a supplement.

Researchers have found that fat and thin people can eat roughly the same amount of food each setting, but it seems that the type of food they are eating is different. This is due to the quality and kinds of foods eaten. By changing just the foods eaten can make a big difference in the weight of most individuals. Obesity researchers believe that truly overweight people should continue to try to control their weight because studies are inconclusive on whether weight cycling is harmful, according to the National Institute of diabetes, digestive and kidney diseases.

Staying fit does play a part in over all wellness and is not at all tough if one has the right determination and will power to stick to their workout schedule. Exercise can typically reduces stress and enhances body image, both of which is important in sticking to the goal and feeling better about ones self.

A lot of weight gain can happen during the winter months so maintaining physical fitness while the weather is unpleasant is largely a matter of motivation and determination. It is highly recommend, as you age, that you maintain a fitness level that enables you to move around without effort, loosing mobility later in life is depressing and can reduce ones sense of well being.

In conclusion, one should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem such as obesity. Loosing weight and improving wellness is possible for all individuals. Ninety percent of the work is dietary, by changing ones diet gradually; one can loose weight and feel great about them selves which in turn can help one feel healthy and well.