Want to Maximize Your Human Potential? Start Here.
Updated: Aug 11
The Humanistic Temple of Alkebulan church teaches that everyone should strive to maximize their greatest human potential through various ways. Among them are eating a healthy diet and regular exercise. To begin, one must know the benefits to healthy eating and regular exercise, as well as the consequences of poor diet and exercise.
Benefits
Eating a healthy diet can maximize human potential in several ways as well as affect the wellness of everyone in the household. Here are a few examples:
Improved Physical Health
A healthy diet can help maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, and improve overall physical health. This can lead to increased energy levels, better sleep, and improved physical performance.
Improved Cognitive Function
Certain nutrients found in healthy foods, such as omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and antioxidants, can support brain function and improve cognitive performance. Eating a balanced diet that includes these nutrients can help improve memory, focus, and overall brain function.
Improved Mood
Eating a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help regulate blood sugar levels and improve mood. A balanced diet can also provide the necessary nutrients for the production of neurotransmitters that regulate mood, such as serotonin and dopamine.
Improved Immune Function
A healthy diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can provide the necessary vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support a strong immune system. This can help reduce the risk of illness and infection and improve overall health.
What to Eat
Plant-based foods such as vegetables and fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and fatty fish form a healthy foundation of anyone's diet. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables in a myriad of colors. Foods with darker, richer colors like orange, yellow, blue, and red tend to be higher in antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against free radicals, which may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Free radicals are molecules produced when your body breaks down food or when you're exposed to tobacco smoke or radiation.
Fruits
Many fruits are high in antioxidants, packed with vitamins, and very beneficial. These include cranberries, red grapes, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, red currants, figs, cherries, pears, guava, oranges, apricots, mango, red grapes, cantaloupe, watermelon, papaya, and tomatoes. Avoid dried fruits that have processed sugars added to them to make them sweeter.
Vegetables
Vegetables are high in fiber and antioxidants. Some good sources are broccoli, spinach, carrots, potatoes, artichokes, cabbage, asparagus, avocados, beetroot, radish, lettuce, sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin, collard greens and kale.
Fatty fish
Fatty fish, which are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, are valuable to a healthy diet. Consuming moderate portions of albacore tuna, wild salmon, Atlantic herring, mussels, anchovies, swordfish, sardines, Atlantic mackerel, trout, Alaska pollock are a great healthy source of Omega-3 that may be added to your diet.
Spices and Herbs
Herbs and spices add flavor to food and increase benefits. Many are loaded with antioxidants, like cinnamon, oregano, turmeric, cumin, parsley, basil, curry powder, mustard seed, ginger, pepper, chili powder, paprika, garlic, coriander, onion and cardamom. Herbs include sage, thyme, marjoram, tarragon, peppermint, oregano, savory, basil and dill weed.
Cereals and Nuts
Both hot and cold grain cereals can be healthy, provided that they are not full of sugar and preservatives. Walnuts, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts and pistachios have many health benefits.
Beverages
Beverages such as fruit juices, tea and coffee, consumed in moderation, are healthy choices. Low or moderate amounts of red wine is acceptable and provide a source of antioxidants.
Dairy products, poultry, eggs and shellfish are allowed, in moderation of course, while red meat avoided.
EXERCISE
Regular exercise can also have a number of positive effects on the body and mind, which can help maximize your greatest human potential in a variety of ways. Here are some ways in which exercise can be beneficial.
Physical fitness
Regular exercise can help improve your physical fitness, including your strength, endurance, flexibility, and overall health. This can help you perform better in physical tasks, such as sports or manual labor, and can also help prevent injuries and illnesses.
Mental health
Exercise has been shown to have a positive impact on mental health, helping to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. It can also improve cognitive function, including memory, attention, and decision-making skills.
Energy and productivity
Exercise can help boost your energy levels and improve your productivity throughout the day. This can help you tackle tasks more efficiently and effectively and can also improve your overall mood and well-being.
Longevity
Regular exercise has been linked to increased longevity and a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. This can help you live a longer, healthier life and maximize your potential for success and happiness.
Consequences of Poor Health
Poor health can have a wide range of consequences on an individual's well-being, quality of life, and ability to function. Some of the consequences of poor health include reduced life expectancy, chronic diseases, disability, reduced productivity, mental health problems, financial burden, and social isolation.
Summary
In summary, eating a healthy diet and exercising can help maximize human potential by improving physical and mental health, cognitive function, mood, immune function, boost energy, productivity and promote longevity and well-being. By providing the necessary nutrients, energy and exercise for the body and brain to function optimally, a healthy diet can help individuals reach their full potential. It is also important to maintain good health through healthy lifestyle choices, regular exercise, and appropriate medical care. In contrast, poor health can have a significant negative impact on an individual's physical, mental, and social well-being.
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How often do you get a routine physical health exam?
- 0%Once per year or more
- 0%2-5 years
- 0%Never