How much do we care about our health? Do we make an attempt to lead a healthful lifestyle? How well are we doing? These facts and figures give us a few insights. Holistic Health Outranks Wealth – physical and emotional well being are more important to Americans than money and career, based on a Survey of a national trade association of health clubs. When 1, 400 people were asked to rank various aspects of life as essential or important, 97 percent chose emotional well being and 96 percent selected physical health, but only 78 percent and 75 percent, correspondingly, selected career and money.

Source: International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association – Healthy Lifestyle: A Rare Commodity – Only 3 percent of American adults follow a healthful lifestyle not smoking, maintaining a healthful weight, eating five or more vegetables and fruits daily, and being active. That is what researchers at Michigan State University in East Lansing concluded after examining the life-style habits of 153, 000 people. Source: Archives of Internal Medicine – Strange Park Habits – Last year, more than 276 million people visited North America’s National Parks, but only 10 percent ventured more than one mile from their vehicles, according to statistics compiled by Austin Lehman Adventures, a company that organizes guided adventure vacations.

Perhaps we are confusing parks with parking lots. Source: Austin Lehman Adventures – Eat for Health – Eating a nutritious dense diet with 10 to 25 percent fewer calories than the American average can drastically reduce the risk for diseases associated with aging. A six year study showed that middle aged people eating 1, 100 to 1, 950 calories daily, containing 26 percent protein, 28 percent fat and 46 percent complex carbohydrates, had blood pressure levels comparable to 10 year olds and triglyceride levels of 20- year olds. Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences – The Organic Plant Advantage – You may get up to 60 percent more anti-oxidants from some vegetables and fruits by eating organically grown varieties.

University of California, Davis researchers found that organic corn, garden strawberry and marion berry produce significantly higher antioxidant levels compounds when they’ve to fend for themselves against insects. Pesticides diminish the plants anti-oxidant producing abilities. Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry – RV Encourage Healthy Vacations – Ninety four percent of those who vacation in a RV say they lead a healthful lifestyle on the road, based on a survey by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association in Reston, VA. While traveling, 40 percent of RV enthusiasts walk 3 to ten miles daily, 85 percent experience less stress, and 75 percent cook their very own meals as opposed to relying upon junk food.

Source: Recreation Vehicle Industry Association – Walk or Run? research indicates that if you may walk one mile in 12 minutes you get exactly the same energy expenditure as running one mile in 9 minutes, says Kenneth Cooper, MD, at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, TX.