Health Fitness Tips That Help You Stay in Shape By [http://EzineArticles.com/expert/David_Patullo/339765]David Patullo One of the biggest

competitions of today is staying fit. It seems like people nowadays want to lose weight instantly as if there is no tomorrow or it is as if it is a passport for the general population. Losing weight and staying fit is never easy. Following health fitness tips requires a lot of behavioral changes to be able to attain the desired fitness. With modern technology and medications, weight loss treatments have sprouted everywhere like grass and weeds in a garden. Due to its high demand, statistics show that up to 40 to 50 billion US dollars are spent annually for weight loss alone. Together with unproven medications containing dangerous components, health fitness tips have also swarmed the Internet, for determined followers to turn to. They either have to take in the pill or follow a lenient lifestyle modification. The main factors that help one lose weight are diet and lifestyle. Diet, more than anything, dictates the shape of one's figure. With today's rampant fast food chains, food may just be as sinful as it can be. Some simple tips on diet may help with a few instructions. What ought to be eliminated initially on one's diet is red meat. Red meat is hard to resist as they come in different displays such as mouth-watering burgers and the like but risks of certain health conditions are linked to consumption of red meat. Since red meat is high in purine, daily consumption of red meat can lead to gout. Red meat is also high on fats, which may eventually help in faulty weight gain. Instead, eat fish meat, chicken or turkey meat. Health Fitness tips also recommends eating baked, grilled, broiled or boiled foods instead of fried ones. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables are also in the list of Health Fitness tips. Only be sure that the dressing is not high on caloric count otherwise, the healthy green is pointless. Health fitness tips also point to lifestyle modification.

 Diet always come hand in hand with exercise to obtain maximum effect of fitness. Exercise comes in a very broad range personalized for different body mass indexes but the main point in exercise is to slowly increase the workload as time progresses. Health fitness tip number one on exercise is to stretch first before the workout. Strenuous exercise can produce too much lactic acid in the muscles, which will then cause muscular pains. Another health fitness tip on exercise is to prevent doing the same exercise over and over. Eventually, when the body adjusts to the activity, it is recommended to increase or change the exercise regimen to explore different ways of maximizing body potential. Health fitness tips also recommend that vices should be stopped. Smoking predisposes one to vascular conditions such as arteriosclerosis and heart diseases. Alcohol consumption need not be eliminated but should be limited to 30 jiggers a day only. Alcohol still has health benefits such as vasodilation. These are just some of what Health fitness tips recommend. There are tons of health fitness tips but diet and lifestyle modification are the basic steps to a healthy lifestyle and fitness. David has been writing articles for nearly 2 years. One of his many interests is web hosting and the procedures involved. So come visit his latest website that discusses best hosting products such as the best web hosts [http://www.bestwebhostsstore.com/] and the best web site hosting [http://www.bestwebhostsstore.com/21/best-web-site-hosting/] companies that everyone should research before hosting their own site. Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Health-Fitness-Tips-That-Help-You-Stay-in-Shape&id=3731137] Health Fitness Tips That Help You Stay in Shape

Healthy habits made easy

Sick of making promises you can’t keep? We’ve asked the experts how to reboot your life the healthy way, for keeps
What woman can’t recite a list of healthy habits she wants to keep? Lifting weights, running more, drinking eight glasses of water a day, wearing SPF to protect skin, booking regular smears, and not forgetting planning in regular meditation to beat stress.

The habits themselves might change, but one thing tends to remain the same: sticking to them all is almost impossible.

Yep, come February, our New Year’s resolutions have usually fallen by the wayside. Bad habits, on the other hand, are a cinch to keep! Whether it’s forgetting about breakfast, grabbing that 3pm sugar fix to beat the afternoon slump or enjoying a de-stressing cigarette after a meeting, we’re all guilty of indulging in bad habits. Luckily, our experts are here to help you break the cycle and build good habits for life.

Find the fun

It’s hard to adopt a good habit if you see the change as a chore. ‘Choosing a workout you enjoy is the ideal way to change a “why bother” attitude as it doesn’t feel like hard work and is fun enough to take your mind of it,’ says Felicity Cole, personal trainer at Fitness First.

Visualise your goals

Bad habits are easy to keep because they are easy to do. After all, it’s much easier to lounge on the couch, than hit the gym, or to speed dial a takeaway than make a healthy meal. But explains Dr Sohere Roked, a nutritionist and naturopath (holistic-doctor.co.uk), you can begin to break bad habits by visualising the long-term effects. ‘Visualise how you want to feel and look,’ says Dr Roked. ‘Really feel it. Then think about how you will feel in one year if you are in the same position, and in five years and 10 years. This will help you to focus on why you are making the changes.’

Cook ahead

We all have those days when we just can’t be bothered to cook a healthy meal, and find ourselves reaching for the takeaway menu. But, says Holland & Barrett nutritionist Alex Thompson, preparing for those days in advance can stop you falling into the junk food trap. ‘Cooking large batches of meals such as soups, stews, tomato sauces and low-fat curries or chilli con carne and then freezing them is a great way to always have healthy evening meals ready to use,’ Alex says. ‘Preparing larger batches isn’t a lot more effort in terms of preparation and the cooking time will be very similar. This is the ideal way to avoid the temptation to eat commercially available sugar and fat-laden ready meals or takeaways when you’re tired.’

Zap cravings

We all know those 3pm sugar cravings are caused by a dip in blood sugar, but while you might not be able to resist the mid-afternoon vending machine run, you can help combat cravings by upping your protein intake. ‘This will slow the release of sugars to your system and combat cravings,’ says nutritionist Claire Harper from Ovivo Wellness. ‘If you must eat chocolate, make it choc Brazil nuts, or if you must eat a croissant, make it an almond version, as the protein in the nuts will keep you full for longer.’

‘In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need alarm clocks and we would spring out of bed at 6am for a pre-work gym session without any trouble’

Tune in

A recent study from Stanford University found that our unconscious mind is in the driving seat a whopping 95 per cent of the time, meaning that a lot of the time when we indulge in bad habits, we’re functioning on autopilot. But that’s no excuse! By improving our awareness we can cull negative behaviour, says Yvonne McMeel, resident nutritionist at Urban Retreat, Harrods. ‘The power to change occurs once you recognise what you are doing,’ says Yvonne. ‘Usually it’s a feeling that triggers a negative behaviour: you’re feeling stressed at work, you’re feeling a bit down, you’re bored, or you’re feeling sad. Food, alcohol, cigarettes or whatever you can then use as a replacement to fill that void, helps to ease the pain or it can distract from the problem. EFT (emotional freedom technique) is a relatively new tool that alleviates the emotional cause of the problem by using the body’s energy flow. When we have bad experiences or traumas, the energy flow is disrupted in the system. EFT is a technique that uses the body’s own meridian points and these points can be stimulated by tapping gently with your fingers, so you are tapping into your body’s own energy and healing power.
It’s a simple and painless technique which can be learned by anyone and used
to live a more healthy empowered life.’

Break the cycle

All the good intentions in the world
can fall by the wayside when stress enters the picture, and you’re reaching for that chocolate bar faster than you can say ‘Arrgh’. A recent study presented at the Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting found that stressed people reach for foods out of habit – regardless of how healthy or unhealthy they are. But replacing the stress-eating habit with long, deep breaths will be much better for your sanity – and your waistline. ‘Our bodies are programmed to shut down digestion when we’re stressed, so anything you eat will sit in the stomach and intestine far too long and could cause problems,’ explains Claire. ‘It sounds simple, but getting away from the source of your stress (the phone, computer, room full of people) and taking a few deep breaths, will switch your nervous system into an optimal mode for digestion. Now you can eat!’

Don’t dread change

Part of the reason we get so sucked into bad habits is because we often view them as treats, whereas good habits are viewed as laborious and punishing. But if you switch up this mind-set to see the reward in good habits, you’ll be more inclined to keep them. ‘In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need alarm clocks and we would spring out of bed at 6am for a pre-work gym session without any trouble,’ says Felicity. ‘However, in the winter months, this can be particularly troublesome. Try going to bed early and finding ways to get inspired. Get excited about a tasty and healthy new breakfast idea you can enjoy post-workout, listen to new songs from your favourite artist or try doing a different running route or class.’ Anything to get you excited to get up and get out there will stop
that snooze button habit in its tracks.

3 of the best self-help tools

App: Habitual

Cross out a day on the calendar and get cheered on every day, break down your bad habits and use this information to help you make plans to help yourself be even more successful.

Free, iTunes

App:  EFT Clinic

Get introduced to finger tapping with this easy-to-follow app, endorsed by Deepak Chopra, which guides you through the basics of EFT, with downloadable videos.

Free, iTunes

Book: Making Good Habits, Breaking Bad Habits by Joyce Meyer

This book tackles every bad habit you can imagine, examining destructive behaviour patterns and how to break them.

£12.99, amazon.co.uk

Source: http://www.womensfitness.co.uk/fitness-tips/1588/healthy-habits-made-easy

Wellbeing and Fitness: Nutrition Article Category

Attempt One New Healthy Meal Every Week 

One of the primary driver for over the top weight increase is because of the sustenance decisions made all the time. On the off chance that you regularly visit fast food spots, eateries, or request home pizza conveyance, then you will probably reliably have issues attempting to handle the weight reduction issue since those dinners for the most part give very huge of elixirs for one single feast. When you're genuinely prepared to begin changing your nourishment around, one of the most ideal approaches to get a solid handle this is to attempt another sound supper consistently at home. When you're endeavoring to change your sustenance keeping in mind the end goal to eat in a more sound way, it's critical you break out of your typical schedule. 

Hold up, Don't Leave The House! Do You Have Food and Snacks With You? 

Staying with solid nourishment when you're far from home can be intense. This is especially troublesome on the off chance that you go out with no nourishment and snacks in your ownership. On the off chance that you've made the dedication to enhance your wellbeing and get more fit, then your every day sustenance is what is going to get you to effectively perform this objective. Rather than making the weight reduction handle more troublesome than it should be, give yourself an edge by guaranteeing each time you go out for work or to run errands, you have sustenance for when it's an ideal opportunity to eat. 

8 Healthy Eating Tips

1. Base your meals on starchy foods: bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, noodles

Choose whole grains and potatoes with skin where possible which have

more fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Remember starchy foods contain fewer than half the calories of fats per gram

2. Eat lots of fruit and veg

Choose a variety of fruit and vegetables as they contain different combinations of vitamins and minerals.

Fresh, frozen, tinned and 100% fruit juices all count!

Try grating vegetables like carrots and courgettes into bolognaise or add lots of vegetables to homemade tomato sauce and blend.

3. Eat more fish - aim for at least two portions per week and one of these should be oily

Remember that one portion of fish is approximately 140g cooked weight.

Oily fish are one of the only natural food sources of vitamin D, important for bone health. Oily fish includes salmon, fresh tuna, sardines, mackerel and trout.

Choose from fresh, frozen, smoked and canned, but remember that smoked fish contains salt, and canned can do, so check labels and pick lower salt varieties.

4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar

Although we need some fat in our diet (to provide the essential fatty acids and aid the absorption of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K), too much fat may lead to weight gain, as fat provides 9 calories per gram, more than double that from carbohydrates and protein.

Replace saturated fats from butter, lard, pastries, cream, pies and cheese (which can increase your blood cholesterol levels) with unsaturated fats found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, oily fish and avocados.

Too much sugar, especially between meals can increase risk of tooth decay and will add extra calories so limit your added sugar intake! If you get a sweet craving try having fruit instead, helping you to achieve your 5-a-day!

5. Eat less salt, adults should eat no more than 6 g per day and children should have even less

A high salt intake is associated with an increased risk of developing high blood pressure which puts you at a greater risk of developing stroke or heart disease.

Most of our salt intake comes from processed foods rather than salt added during cooking or at the table, so always check food labels for the salt content!

When comparing foods, a high salt content is more than 1.5g salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium). Low is 0.3g salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium).

Try using extra herbs, spices, citrus juices (lemon and lime), mustard or vinegar to flavour foods so you can use less salt in your recipes.

6. Get active and be a healthy weight!

The government recommends 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes vigorous intensity physical activity for adults 19-64 years of age and muscle strength training on at least two days per week.

What counts? Moderate intensity activities include cycling or brisk walking. High or vigorous intensity activities include swimming and running. Muscle strengthening activities include weight lifting, exercises with weights or carrying heavy boxes or groceries.

Did you know….? Over 60% of adults in the UK are overweight or obese which increases the risk of getting type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Physical activity can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke and help maintain a healthy weight.

7. Don’t get thirsty

Aim for 8-10 glasses of fluid per day. Water is the best choice as it hydrates you without adding any extra calories to your daily intake.

Most types of drink count including water, tea, coffee, soft drinks, milk, fruit juice and smoothies, but try to avoid added sugar in your drinks as this can increase risk of dental decay.

Alcohol does not count because it makes you pass urine more frequently and contributes to dehydration rather than hydration!

8. Don’t skip breakfast

A healthy breakfast can provide fibre, calories, vitamins and minerals important for health. Choose wholegrain cereals, porridge or wholemeal toast with fruit for a healthy start to the day.

Source: www.nutrition.org.uk

Stop Eating Fast Food: Why Fast Food Is Slowly Killing You

1. Fast food makes you fat.
A 15-year study of over 3,000 people found that eating fast food is linked to weight gain and insulin resistance. In others words, fast food makes you fat and increases your risk of type 2 diabetes. You probably know this already. But here’s something you may not know—

2. Fast food is addictive.
The more you eat fast food, the more you crave it. One study found that fast food is “a potentially addictive substance that is most likely to create dependence in vulnerable populations.” If you eat fast food once a week or more, you may be addicted to it.

3. Fast food eggs are definitely not the breakfast of champions.
Breakfast sandwiches at fast food restaurants are a true modern marvel of chemistry. The “egg” sandwich at Subway, for example, has ingredients like glycerin, which is found in soap, and dimethylpolysiloxane, a type of silicone found in Silly Putty and many lubricants.

4. Fast food is affecting your kids.
According to the CDC, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years. Kids have an amazing ability to recall ads they’ve seen. Fast food marketers know this, and design ads accordingly. Research shows strong associations between increases in advertising for non-nutritious foods and rates of childhood obesity.


5. Fast food “burgers” don’t have much burger in them.
One study found that most fast food burgers are composed of about 50 percent water and the actual meat content is only 2.1 to 14.8 percent. So what makes up the rest of it, you ask? Chemical fillers and preservatives, mostly. That’s why we see read horror stories about burgers that don’t go bad.

6. Fast food “chicken nuggets” are even nastier than “burgers.”
Many chicken nuggets at fast food restaurants contain a chemical preservative called TBHQ, which can cause nausea, vomiting and even death. Some also contain dimethylpolysiloxane (the stuff in Silly Putty). If Silly Putty nuggets don’t deter you from eating them, maybe this will: many fast food chicken nuggets and patties are still made from mechanically-separated chicken, which is a slimy mixture that’s created from the processed bones and carcass of leftover chickens.

7. Even “healthy” fast food isn’t that healthy.
Fast food restaurants are catering to consumer demands to produce healthier options. The problem is, their definition of “healthy” is quite lax. One of the healthiest dishes at Burger King, the Garden Fresh Salad Chicken Caesar with TENDERGRILL Chicken and dressing, still has almost 500 calories and 28 grams of fat, and nearly a day’s worth of sodium.

8. Fast food is inhumane to animals.
Okay, this one may not be a reason why fast is killing you, but it’s still a compelling reason to stop eating fast food. 9 billion animals were slaughtered in the U.S. alone in 2012 and much of that meat is for your fast food burgers and chicken sandwiches. Large factory farms resemble more of a “business” than a “farm.” Animals suffer in crowded spaces where they rarely have access to the outdoors or sunlight. They are pumped full of antibiotics to combat disease, which runs rampant in these conditions. Livestock is one of the biggest sources of pollution and environmental negligence, according to the UN.

9. Fast food sodas are loaded with sugar.
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is the cheap sweetener most fast food restaurants use in their sodas, desserts, and many other products. Princeton University researchers linked HFCS consumption to obesity in an animal study. Rats given HFCS gained more weight and body fat than those given table sugar.

10. Fast food doesn’t really taste that good.
What’s better: a fast food burger or one you cook that’s straight off the grill? For my money, I’d rather eat a delicious grass fed beef burger that I cooked than a crappy fast food pseudo-burger.

Maybe that’s just me though.
Source: http://www.lifehack.org/

Top 5 best exercises to lose belly fat

Who doesn't want flat abs? People desperate to lose weight will willingly starve themselves, take expensive supplements or do the latest fad diet that promises to give them that flawless figure in 30 days. Thankfully, belly fat is metabolically active and easier to lose. However, if proper nutrition is not observed and the resort is made to low calorie diets, weight loss may not happen within the desired time frame. Hunger and calorie deprivation will eventually kick in and dieters confronted with that favorite food they have been avoiding will have the tendency to binge at the first opportunity. The likelihood of gaining more weight than they originally lost is not far-fetched.

According to Christine Rosenbloom, a nutrition professor at Georgia State University, eating a calorie-controlled diet and 60 minutes of daily moderate exercise activity will result to weight loss and can even help with the desired weight maintenance. In fact, according to Professor Michael Jensen of the Mayo Clinic, intense aerobic exercise will result to being leaner around the abdomen.

It is important to remember that keeping the body's metabolism up and running so that the body continuously burns calories prevents it from going into the fat-storing mode that causes unnecessary weight gain.

Why exercise is necessary

Most people involved in weight loss believe that it's all about the calories. If you burn calories more than you take in, you lose weight. If you take in more calories than you can burn, the body gains fat. While this piece of logic may make sense, it is only partly true. What burns calories nonstop is actually the lean muscle mass underneath body fat that allows more intake of calories without weight gain.

The body actually adapts to the changes it undergoes. Losing weight without exercising increases the risk of losing lean body mass, slowing the metabolism and putting the body into fat-storing mode. People who have lost body fat and muscle mass may notice that they don't have the muscle mass they once had. Worse yet, once they overeat even a little bit, they start filling up on body fat once again.

Building up muscle mass

An important thing to remember when undergoing a weight loss program is to understand what needs to be done. Realistic and achievable goals can help in building the confidence needed to make the necessary leap for the achievement of a desired weight.

Researchers at the Biomechanics Lab at San Diego State University took a look at some popular abdominal exercises and ranked them. Results of the study revealed that exercises that require constant abdominal stabilization and body rotation resulted in the most muscle activity in the abdomen.

Below are the top five belly exercises as ranked by the study:

1. The Bicycle Exercise - best for targeting the six pack muscles and the obliques. To do this exercise, get into a supine position with hands at the back of your head. Bring knees to the chest while lifting shoulders off the floor. Slowly bring your right elbow towards your left knee as you straighten your right leg. Switch sides and continue in a pedaling motion. Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions.

2. The Captain's Chair Leg Raise - This exercise requires a captain's chair, a rack with padded arms allowing for the legs to hang free that is commonly found in gyms or health clubs. To do this exercise, stand on the chair and grip hand holds. Press back against the pad then raise knees to the chest to contract the abs then lower them back down. Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions.

3. Exercise Ball Crunch - For this exercise, an exercise ball is necessary. In this routine, the abdomen does more exerting but will still need the entire body to stabilize it throughout the routine. To do this exercise, lie on the ball with your lower back fully supported. Place hands behind the head. To lift the torso off the ball, contract the abs to pull the bottom of the rib cage towards the hips. Keep ball stable as you curl up, then lower back down to stretch the abs. Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions.

4. Vertical Leg Crunch - Performing this exercise is similar to doing a leg crunch except that the legs are straight up, forcing the abs to work and adding intensity to the routine. To do this, lie on the floor with the legs straight up, knees crossed, and place the hands beneath the head for support. Contract abs lifting the shoulders off the floor and keep legs in a fixed position to crunch. Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions.

5. Long Arm Crunch - This is a variant of the traditional floor crunch where the arms are held straight behind you, adding a lever to the move and making for a challenging exercise. To do this, lie on the floor or a mat then extend arms straight behind, keeping them clasped and next to the ears. Slowly contract abs and lift shoulders off the floor carefully to keep the arms straight. Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions.

The best strategy to weight loss is to observe a healthy diet coupled with exercise of at least an hour a day. Although there is no sure fire way to deal with belly fat, there are a number of activities from which to choose and enjoy. As long as you're having fun, you can lose weight without realizing it. It is important to look for an exercise you enjoy. If the suggested exercises above do not suit your taste, taking a hike, swimming or biking are just as effective in burning fat and toning muscles.


Source:http://www.naturalnews.com

7 Ways to Stay Healthy After 40

Age 40 is a milestone when the risk of many health conditions increases. This makes the birthday a perfect time for taking stock of your health, experts say.

Whether people have demanding jobs, aging parents, growing children or all of the above, it's easy to put health aside. But 40 is the time to evaluate your wellbeing, and to plan for the long-run.

"Forty is a good time to take a deep breath, and, although you have a lot of other things out there, do a little introspection and say, 'OK, there's some things I need to do to make sure I stay healthy,'" said Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, an internist at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta.

And if you're not there yet, there's no reason to wait, said Dr. William Zoghbi, professor of medicine at the Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center in Houston and president of the American College of Cardiology.

"It's not like people are going to wake up and say, 'I'm 40, I'm going to change everything I'm doing to get healthier,'" Zoghbi said. Instead, "the earlier they can start, the better it is for them."

Here are seven ways to stay healthier when you are nearing or turning 40:

Keep your eyes open for vision problems

At age 40, vision can start to worsen, so have your eyes checked out, Fryhofer said. "You need to be able to read the fine print on medicine labels, and lots of different labels. If you don't have reading glasses and you can't read the fine print, you might miss some important information," Fryhofer said.

She also suggested wearing sunglasses to prevent further damage. "Too much sun exposure can increase cataracts, so sunglasses are a good idea," Fryhofer said. "Make sure they have the UV-A [and] UV-B protection."

A diet high in fruits and vegetables – which are full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals – may slow vision loss, added Heather Mangieri, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

The leading cause of blindness in the elderly is a condition known as macular degeneration. It affects 9.1 million Americans over age 40. "Macular degeneration tends to be genetic, but we can use nutrition, a diet rich in lycopene (found in red fruit and vegetables) and antioxidants to slow down that vision loss," Mangieri said.

Know your numbers

Age 40 is a good time to look into your numbers for blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar and body weight. "People need to know what their cholesterol level is and if they haven't checked before age 40, they should," Zoghbi said.

When you visit a pharmacy, take time to get your blood pressure measured, and visit your doctor to get a simple blood sugar test, he suggested. Knowing these numbers will help you and your doctor identify potentially hidden disease risk-factors.

For example, people with higher blood pressure are at higher risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney failure, Zoghbi said.

Explore your family history

During your fifth decade, it's time to look carefully at your family tree to find out if your genetics increase your risks for diseases such as cancer or heart disease. "Once you hit 40, when things go wrong, you have to think of the C-word and that's cancer, cause you're no longer a kid," Fryhofer said. "That's a good time to make sure you understand your family history."

For example, those with a family history of colon cancer may want to get a colonoscopy at age 40, instead of waiting until age 50, Fryhofer said.

The same goes with heart disease: a calcium test can help determine whether your arteries are starting to harden, and if you need major lifestyle changes or medications. "People get by with a lot until they hit 40, but then when you hit 40, it's got to be a little bit about you. It can't be just worrying about everybody else," she said.

Muscle up

Starting at age 40, we lose about 1 percent of muscle mass per year.

So people can benefit from incorporating weight-bearing exercises, along with cardiovascular exercise, into a weekly physical activity plan, Mangieri said. "Even if it's using cans of soup to do some bicep curls — it doesn't have to be in a gym, it just needs to be some sort of resistance training," Mangieri said.

As we age, we also become less flexible. Mangieri suggested adding yoga or Pilates, which can help improve flexibility, core strength, balance and range of motion. "If we can maintain our muscle mass and maintain our strength, then as we get older, we can continue to do the things we enjoy doing," Mangieri said.

Fiber is your friend

The days of gorging without gaining weight are over. And as your metabolism slows around age 40, eating fewer calories can boost health. But you should also make sure to get adequate fiber and fluids, Mangieri said.

"We want to make sure the calories that are decreasing come from things like sweets, but we keep those high-fiber foods in the diet, and we also make sure we meet our fluid needs. That's really important," Mangieri said. "Make sure that our daily eating plan is packed full of nutrient-dense food, like lean protein, fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy and whole grains.

"Those items are important through all the stages of life, but as we get older, we want to make sure we maintain those high-nutrient foods even though our caloric needs are less," Mangieri said.

Consider the big picture of your lifestyle

Dr. Elizabeth Jackson, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan emphasized the difference that a generally healthy lifestyle can have on preventing heart attacks and strokes.

For cardiovascular events, "we know that the risk increases with age, and you can't get younger. There's no cure for getting older," Jackson said.

But losing the spare tire around your middle could help you not only fit into your clothing, but reduce the risk for heart disease, diabetes and vascular diseases. "When you think of lifestyle modifications, there's a lot of bang for your buck in all different factors," Jackson said.

Doing regular physical activity, reducing stress levels, maintaining a healthy weight and a eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables and polyunsaturated fats all "help keep our blood vessels healthy," Jackson said. "And that keeps our heart healthy, that keeps our brains healthy, and it really helps us prevent that waistline increasing. An investment in healthy lifestyle will pay off through every subsequent decade," she said.

Butt out

Age 40 should include a reality check for smokers.

"If you're a smoker, it's time to take this seriously and stop it by whichever way, shape or form. Get some help," Zoghbi said.

Quitting "is not easy, but believe me, it will decrease the incidence of everything bad that you can think of, from heart attacks [to] heart disease, stroke, kidney failure as well as lung cancer and lung disease," he said.

Thyroid check

People who feel worn out, and are gaining weight and whose hair and skin have lost their luster, may consider getting their thyroids checked. This neck gland helps control energy levels and regulates hormones, and 40 is a time "when thyroid disease can show its face," Fryhofer said.

A test can determine if your thyroid is functioning as it should, she said. An underactive thyroid is primarily results from genetic condition causes, but you can stave off its complications with prescription medications, Fryhofer said.  

Source: http://www.livescience.com/