by A. Fader

Created on: February 25, 2009

Weight: the vice of North American society today. We're a culture obsessed with weight, sometimes for the right reasons, sometimes for the wrong. However, with Hollywood alarmingly underweight, and the average North American overweight, I think we can agree that society is finally putting more emphasis on just being healthy. This is where staying fit and healthy comes in and I can promise you, this isn't as difficult as you think. There is absolutely no reason why anyone cannot live this kind of lifestyle - all it takes are few small changes. Leading a healthy lifestyle simply requires discipline in three main areas: Diet, exercise and attitude.

Diet

Contrary to popular belief, diet has a greater bearing on your physical health than exercise on its own. Both are absolutely required for a healthy lifestyle, however it's more of a 70/30 split: 70% diet vs. 30% exercise. If you think about it, you can exercise your tail off day in, day out, but if you're feeding your body junk all the while, don't expect great results. Your body needs the right fuel to run off of in order for exercise to pay off; therefore you'll need to take note of what you're eating. NO dieting! Simply change your everyday diet regime. Incorporating healthier, whole foods into your diet and phasing out highly processed foods and junk foods is the way to go, and all it starts with what you have in your cupboards. I have found that people are more likely to eat bad food when they conveniently have it on hand at home. So if you fill your fridge and cupboards with healthy alternatives you won't have the option of binging on those double-fudge chocolate chip cookies every night. This also means however, that convenience foods such as frozen entres and fast food should be heading out the door as well. If you think these are the only foods you have time for, I say B.S. In this article excuses don't fly; if you don't make the time, no one else is going to do it for you. So it's time to get cooking. And healthy foods don't have to be boring! Think garden salads are bland? Throw in a few nuts and a sprinkle of feta cheese and voila, you have a much tastier dish. There are endless healthy ways to spice up your foods, and a multitude of sources from which to find ideas, the Internet being #1. A few things to keep in mind with diet though - eating healthier foods is a must, but take it easy on the condiments! This can be killer. If you happen to love condiments (like me) than just try switching things up,

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