Today we have guest blogger Marc Stone contributing. Marc Stone loves to write about alternative health supplements and other health issues. For additional information, click on http://www.nutritional-supplements-health-guide.com

Do you think that the only thing you have to do to be healthy is exercise? Do you think if you move enough that you can eat any type of food you want? If you believe these two things, you are wrong! I am here to tell you that it takes both healthy nutritional habits and exercise both to have a fit body. I will share some information with you that I have discovered helped me be fit.

Why Healthy Nutritional Habits are Important

Poor nutritional habits lead children and adults to be overweight. With added weight on the body, it is more at risk for certain diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease. In addition, as the weight goes on osteoarthritis could form because of the extra pressure on the joints. I have found the only way to prevent the added weight gain is by watching the types of foods I eat along with getting daily exercise.

What are Nutritious Foods?

Your body, like mine, needs a combination of nutritious foods to get all the proper nutrients it needs to function correctly. I eat a well-balanced diet of complex carbohydrates, lean meat and protein, low-fat dairy and healthy fats, along with consuming the right amount of water to keep my body weight down and to keep it healthy.

Lean Meat and Protein

Lean meats should be eaten in place of high-fat varieties. Chicken, turkey, fish, lean cuts of beef and pork are recommended for a healthy diet. I only eat about 6 to 8 ounces per day. There are other sources for lean protein as in eggs, legumes and low-fat dairy. Make sure your intact of lean protein is about 10 to 35% of my daily calorie intake. Protein is vital for muscle development. The amino acids that this food group contains are also important for skin and other tissues besides just muscles.

Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates breakdown in the body slower than simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates should be avoided as these are in such things as candy, cakes, sodas, white bread and so on these can elevate the blood sugar. This can cause your body to not burn glycogen stores and this is what helps you lose weight. I know I used to have trouble losing weight or maintaining weight until I gave these up for the complex carbohydrates.

The complex carbohydrates are necessary for the body to have energy. In addition, the brain functions better when about 130 grams of carbohydrates are eaten each day. The body will not burn muscle tissue for energy when enough carbohydrates (preferably complex ones) are present. Brown rice, fruits, whole grains, vegetables and legumes are some of the foods that provide you complex carbohydrates. These foods can also be a great source of dietary fiber that helps the digestive system. My diet intake of food is made up of about 45 to 65 % of these types of foods calorie wise.

Healthy Fats

I include some healthy fats into my diet each day. These are crucial for the proper functioning of cells in the body. The healthy fats also transport some valuable vitamins throughout the body. Vitamins K, E, D and A are all fat-soluble an need the fats to be useful to the body. I eat mainly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats such as those found in olive oil, nuts and fish. I try to have about 20% of my caloric intake be these healthy fats and try to avoid or severely limit the hydrogenated, saturated or trans-fats as much as possible.

Exercise

I exercise an average of 30 minutes to an hour each day. I mix up my workouts alternating walking, lifting weights and swimming. Now these are just my choices for burning calories. There are many ways to get enough activity to build muscle mass and burn calories. I have found that as I have built up more muscle mass my body burns calories faster. Muscles cannot form without the proper nutrients in the body. This is why it takes both exercise and nutrition to make a strong body.