Be Slim, Be Fit, Have Health

Because of the pattern of eating and lifestyle of millions of Americans ninety percent have a minimum of at least one risk factor for heart disease. Almost all Americans have at least one risk factor including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, being obese, or working out too little.

Since the 1990s Americans have continued to pack on the pounds. Therefore more people are getting heart disease and diabetes. Thousands of Americans between the ages of 25 and 74 participated in the study. The outcome showed that only 10 percent of Americans had low risk scores in all five groupings. These results are extremely valuable because the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S. and many other countries is heart disease.

It seems that this isn’t just a crisis for Americans. Obesity rates are also rising in many other parts of the world. And this is diabetes, high blood pressure, and Body Mass Index (BMI) to rise in the wrong direction. Even if it seems like every person is on a diet and trying to eat healthier but there hasn’t been much of a a change.

However, now more than ever people are either exercising, getting surgery, or going on excessive diets to discard those pounds. Even with these efforts, the waistlines don’t seem to be shrinking but progressively growing.

There are so many temptations when it comes to the world of cuisine. Especially, since we live in such a busy world. We are on the run 24/7 and at times the only thing we can get to eat is a fast food combo meal that has as many calories crammed into one oily sack as we should consume all day. Plus there are always those little snacks and soft drinks that creep past our lips.

It actually is true “what you eat in private shows in public.” What makes this even more tough is that it’s so easy and cheap to buy the fattening food that tastes good but it’s pricey and time consuming to cook your own meals, although this considerably cuts down on your every day fat intake. Here are 5 simple ways to cut down, trim your waistline, and stay healthy.

1. Gulp Water
Drink at least 64 ounces of water. Water helps cleanse out your system, keeps your body hydrated, and also helps you control you’re eating.

2. Eat Fat Burning Foods
When you’re snacking have healthy foods. Try fat burning foods like almonds, grapefruits, oranges, and berries. And also vegetables are generally pretty filling, have very little fat, and put you on the pathway to healthy eating.

3. Take Extra Steps
Work out when you can. You don’t have to spend hours at the fitness center. Try parking further away from the building, walking to get meals, or even exercising on your lunchtime break. A few extra steps you take will end up saving you calories.

4. Put in writing What You Eat
By recording what you eat, you are going to eat less. It is a proven fact that if you write down all the stuff you eat, you will eat less. Because when you see what you have consumed in writing, it’s easy to count up the calories, make some changes, and know when to stop eating.

5. Cut out the Soda
I myself am a huge sodaholic but if you can make some small adjustments you are bound to see results. Just by altering to a diet version of Pepsi, Cola, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper or others will cut out a lot of calories. Also if you cut out soda completely, you can shake off 15 pounds. It may be tough, but you will see results.

Ninety percent of Americans have at least one factor leading to heart disease. Even though the statistics aren’t good there are steps that Americans can take to become healthier. These 5 tips can help you discard pounds and lower your risk factors for heart disease.

Diane Johnson earned a bachelor?s degree in Political Science from the University of Utah. She likes to write about the news, politics, college degrees, education online, and the college experience