I saw a post recently about a guy in his 50s that worked out regularly and played tennis 3 times a week, yet he suddenly dropped dead in his mid 50's.
Upon autopsy they discovered that his arteries were seriously clogged, and he had died from a heart attack.
When his nephew went into his home he found a ton of empty crisp packets and takeaway cartons lying around.
Conclusion - you can look healthy on the outside, but still eat yourself into an early grave!
A good workout routine doesn't balance a bad diet, however a good diet with a rudimentary exercise routine can drastically transform you.
Some studies have shown that diet is far more important than physical activity including walking, fidgeting and formal exercise. The reason is because exercising increases appetite especially with prolonged endurance exercise or with weight lifting that can ultimately sabotage the best of intentions,
It may take only minutes to consume hundreds of calories that takes hours to burn off (it takes 30 minutes of walking to burn off a 140-calorie, sugary snack). When you look at people who have lost weight and who are managing to keep it off, exercise likely is key to that success.
Research shows that you don't have to hit the gym for hours at a time to see the benefits of exercise. Frequent shorter sessions (10 minutes, two to three times per day) of moderate-intensity activity offer similar health benefits as longer sessions at the gym. Adding variety to your exercise routine will help you stay motivated, see results and not get bored.
How much exercise?
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, 150 to 250 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week would help you maintain a healthy weight. Anything more leads to weight loss. Moderate-intensity exercises should cause an increase in your breathing rate. You should be able to carry on a conversation but not have enough breath to sing.
What we put into our bodies makes a difference and the benefits of eating a healthy diet are as numerous as the benefits of exercise: It decreases your risk for chronic disease, helps with weight control, assists in stress management, decreases the effects of aging and improves your skin and brain health. Sound familiar? The benefits of good nutrition are the same as exercise, making the two together a powerful recipe for good health!
When it comes to weight loss, what you eat matters. It's clear that you need to restrict calories in your diet to lose weight, but not all calories are created equal. Calories from sugar promote fat storage and hunger. Ever try to satisfy your hunger with a candy bar, only to be hungry again a short time later and eat more? Calories from fat and protein help you feel full longer.
One way to approach healthy nutrition is to follow the Mediterranean diet, proven to promote good health. The Mediterranean diet emphasis food from plant sources (fruits and vegetables), breads, whole gains, low- and non-fat dairy, fish and poultry, nuts, seeds and olive oil, while avoiding processed foods. If you follow a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet you'll be eating more low-calorie-dense foods.
The answer is in balance. Primarily, eat real food, and then make sure you are moving regularly as well (this doesn't mean taking a stroll to the restaurant every night).
Most of our health problems are created by not paying enough attention to these two essentials.