Getting Fit and Staying Well - Essay Example

"Getting Fit and Staying Well" is a good example of a paper on wellness and lifestyle. 
Upon reading the book entitled “Get Fit: Stay Well”, I have learned that it is first important to change the personal attitude and behavior of each person before one can attain the maximum fitness and wellness. For example, among the few of the most effective ways to prevent having a wide range of diseases that are directly related to overweight and obesity (i.e. diabetes type II, cardiovascular diseases, etc.) include regular exercise and proper nutritional intake. In line with this, I have learned that eating the right foods and maintaining regular exercise are both necessary to enable each person to reach and maintain the levels of acceptable fat-to-lean ratios (Hopson, Donatelle, and Littrell 59). With regards to the consumption of a good diet, one has to consume more fiber, vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and dairy products like milk. By eating more fiber and drinking more water, one can prevent the risks of experiencing constipation or serious problems in the bowel movements (67). In order to lose some of the excessive weight, one has to be keen on limiting the intake of too much sugar, carbohydrates, proteins, salt, and saturated fats (59).

            Aside from avoiding the intake of fried foods like fish fillet or French fries, it is equally important to avoid all kinds of sugary foods and beverages like Coke, sugar, or corn syrup. Likewise, it is also necessary to limit the intake of double serving patties or extra-large bread for sandwiches since these foods are high in carbohydrates (60). In general, carbohydrates can be classified as either simple carbohydrates (i.e. carrots, beets, sugarcane, etc.) or complex carbohydrates (i.e. rice, wheat, cereals, bananas, potatoes, etc.) (66). As we all know, anything taken in excess can be harmful to the health and wellbeing of a person. For instance, carbohydrates are metabolized by the human body to form glucose which can be used for energy purposes. The problem with excessive intake of carbohydrates is that the unused glucose in the blood increases a person’s risk of developing type II diabetes.

            Specifically, the nutritional requirement of each person is highly dependent on their body weight. For instance, assuming that the weight of a person is 120 lbs, the next step is to convert pounds (lbs) into kilos (kg). With this in mind, 120 lbs divided by 2.21 = 54.29 kg. Hopson, Donatelle, and Littrell (65) mentioned that most of the adults would need at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram body weight. Therefore, a person weighing 54.29 kg would be needing 43.44 grams of protein each day [54.29 kg x 0.8 g/kg].

            When it comes to building endurance and muscular strength, I have learned that it is necessary to undergo resistance training program such as weight lifting and that the weight training practices are often based on the person’s actual body weight (2). In the process of undergoing resistance training, one can easily experience a gradual increase in the enlargement of muscle fibers and a further improvement in the person’s ability to control his or her muscle function.