HEALTHY WAY OF life

Health, physical and mental, is a very important aspect of life. We often say "You are what you eat". I think it is. They're always telling us in newspapers and magazines to eat low-fat diet, to cut down on fat. We should cook things in sunflower oil, eat more fibre. Vegetables and fruit have a lot of fibre in them. If possible, eat them raw. Fish is also really good to eat. It's full of calcium which is good for your bones and joints.

I don't drink that much coffee, because it makes me nervous. It has a very strong effect on me. Only if I have one cup of coffee, I'm fine. Tea, however, has absolutely no effect on me. They say tea is really bad and that it's got more caffeine in it than coffee. I think it affects everybody in different way. In my family we don't drink tap water because we can't really be sure what's in it. We buy water in bottles. I find this very sad.

It's becoming more common knowledge now that smoking and drinking is a very damaging thing to do and takes away a lot of physical energy. I'm sure that habits such as smoking and drinking contribute to the sensitivity of the body to diseases such as colds and flu (influenza) and that an unbalanced diet and an excessive intake of toxins weaken the immune system somewhat.

Many people go to fitness clubs. For physical exercise I try to go swimming at least once a week. I also try many times during the day to walk somewhere instead of taking the bus for a few stations, or to go up the stairs instead of taking the lift. Physical activity is a fantastic way of keeping the body toned-up and releasing stress.

I also take quite a lot of vitamins. They have a very good effect on my nervous system and make me calm and put me in a good mood. I think that it's very important to everybody to go to the hospital for a general check up

4. Answer these questions:

1. Can the modern diet be damaging to one’s health?

2. What food do we have to eat to promote a healthy way of life?

3. What's your opinion about smoking and drinking?

4. Is sport an essential part in everybody's daily life?

5. What do you think people need for a good and healthy life?

5. Are these statements true or false?

1. It's very healthy to cut down on red meat.

2. If you eat lots of fish, you become more likely to get rheumatism when you get older.

3. If someone smokes a lot, you have to share it.

4. People never buy organic fruit and vegetables which have been grown without the use of chemicals.

5. In our century physical exertion has been cut down to a minimum.