3 Simple Rules for Amazing Health

Following a healthy lifestyle often seems incredibly complicated.Advertisements and experts all around you seem to give conflicting advice.However, leading a healthy life doesn’t need to be complicated.To gain optimal health, lose weight and feel better every day, all you need to do is follow these 3 simple rules.

1. Do Not Put Toxic Things Into Your Body
Many things people put in their bodies are downright toxic.Some, such as cigarettes, alcohol and abusive drugs, are also highly addictive, making it hard for people to give them up or avoid them.If you have a problem with one of these substances, then diet and exercise are the least of your worries.While alcohol is fine in moderation for those who can tolerate it, tobacco and abusive drugs are bad for everyone.But an even more common problem today is eating unhealthy, disease-promoting junk foods.

If you want to gain optimal health, you need to minimize your consumption of these foods.Probably the single most effective change you can make to improve your diet is to cut back on processed, packaged foods.This can be tough because many of these foods are designed to be extremely tasty and very hard to resist (1Trusted Source).When it comes to specific ingredients, added sugars are among the worst. These include sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup.Both can wreak havoc on your metabolism when consumed in excess, though some people can tolerate moderate amounts (2Trusted Source).

In addition, it’s a good idea to avoid all trans fats, which are found in some types of margarine and packaged baked foods.

2. Lift Things and Move Around

Using your muscles is extremely important for optimal health.While lifting weights and exercising can certainly help you look better, improving your appearance is really just the tip of the iceberg.You also need to exercise to ensure your body, brain and hormones function optimally.Lifting weights lowers your blood sugar and insulin levels, improves cholesterol and lowers triglycerides (3).It also raises your levels of testosterone and growth hormones, both associated with improved well-being (4Trusted Source).

What’s more, exercise can help reduce depression and your risk of various chronic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's and many more (5).

Additionally, exercise may help you lose fat, especially in combination with a healthy diet. It doesn’t just burn calories, but also improves your hormone levels and overall body function.

3. Sleep Like a Baby

Sleep is very important for overall health and studies show that sleep deprivation correlates with many diseases, including obesity and heart disease (6Trusted Source, 7, 8Trusted Source).

It’s highly recommended to make time for good, quality sleep.If you can't seem to sleep properly, there are several ways you can try to improve it:

Don’t drink coffee late in the day.
Try to go to bed and wake up at similar times each day.
Sleep in complete darkness, with no artificial lighting.
Dim the lights in your home a few hours before bedtime.
It may also be a good idea to see your doctor. Sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, are very common and in many cases easily treatable.
Avoid Excess Stress
A healthy lifestyle involves a wholesome diet, quality sleep and regular exercise.

But the way you feel and how you think is also very important. Being stressed all the time is a recipe for disaster.

Excess stress can raise cortisol levels and severely impair your metabolism. It can increase junk food craving