1. Water : Adequate hydration raises metabolism and stored fat to be burned more effectively. It slows the heart rate, reduces blood pressure and also reduces fluid retention.
Adequate water intake can reverse atheroscelosis (hardening of arteries due to plaque). Water can actually flush the arteries of plaque. Water expands blood vessels and makes arteries more elastic, which is essential for healthy hearts.
2. Breakfast : Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should be eaten within 30 minutes of waking .
Breakfast should include atleast four grams of fibre, which in turn reduces cholesterol and fat in the blood. Every ten grams of cereal fibre reduces the risk of heart diseases and diabetes by thirty percent.
It also reduces the risk of cancers by preventing absorption of carcinogens and reduces cholesterol by preventing its absorption.
Breakfast should be the heaviest while lunch should be little less and supper be the lightest meal of all. Our body becomes more efficient and burns those calories if we eat a good breakfast.
3. Vegetables : A minimum of two vegetables should be eaten at lunch and at supper. Eat a minimum of one cup of vegetables at each meal and then eat the rest of the meal. Rice, potato and corn are starches and are not considered as vegetables.
4. Meat : Eat a maximum of four ounces of meat, pork chicken or fish everyday.
5. Walking : A 30 minute walk after supper is more beneficial than walking before supper. This lowers the blood sugar level by 50 percent. Large meals and evening snacks raises the blood sugar levels really high before sleeping. A higher bedtime sugar creates extra weight and extra cholesterol and lowers anti oxidants which help in preventing cancers.
These suggestions are based on certain statistics. People with cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart diseases, bowel problems and those who are overweight, generally have five things in common.
They have:
- Small or no breakfast with adequate fibre.
- Inadequate water consumption.
- Inadequate activity after supper.
- Inadequate daily fibre intake.
- Inadequate daily vegetable intake.