In modern day America we are confronted with constant, and seemingly conflicting stories on health. If the media were to be believed it'd seem as though everything in our day to day lives can cause cancer - be it our environment, our diet or our lifestyle. At WVOHL we don't aim to scare you into action. You don't need to eat a perfect diet, nor avoid alcohol altogether, or even get a 'perfect' amount of sleep each night. We want to give you expert advice and tips that will help you make small, gradual improvements to your overall health.

Source: CDC.gov

The selected statistics above reveal what medical experts regards as indicators of health. This section of the site is intended to simply introduce you to some key facts and figures, before you move onto our nutrition and exercise advice. Whether you're here to make small modifications to an already healthy lifestyle, or you need to completely overhaul your habits - you'll notice that you are not alone. Everyone enjoys tasty food, and a lot of people enjoy an occasional drink. We don't want you to stop altogether. However, by making manageable changes you can improve your appearance, extend your life expectancy and gain a new lease on life.

There are 10,080 minutes in each week of your life. Spending just 150 of them engaging in physical activity reduces your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and some cancers, and accordingly significantly increases lifespan. Not only that but sedentary living (i.e. no physcial exercise) is believed to be linked to depressive illness. Many are understandably reluctant to shun their TV sets for exercise, but in doing so you will reap the rewards both short and long term. Firstly, you don't need to start exercising five times a week right from the get go. If you're not getting any exercise at all at the moment, start at once per week and build up as you gain confidence. You'll feel a buzz after your very first session as exercise releases feel good hormones into the brain. Another good idea is to choose an activity that suits you. Try taking up your favourite sport, be it football, tennis or soccer - it all counts! Also, finding a friend to exercise with will help you stay motivated!

Smoking is arguably the single most detrimental mainstream activity Americans engage in. Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease, cancer and stroke. Whilst public awareness of the ill effects of smoking is rising, it is essential that current smokers take steps to curb their habits. There are plenty of support mechanisms for those quitting cigarettes that didn't exist a decade ago. You should take advantage of all the expert advice, support and substitutes you can get your hands on. Try SmokeFree.gov to get started!

Whilst moderate drinking (no more than 1-2 drinks on occasions) is generally tolerated by the body, heavy drinking is a risk factor for cirrhosis or the liver, pancreatitis, heart disease and many other ailments. 1/3 of current drinkers report consuming 5 drinks or more in one sitting in the last year. Excessive drinking takes it's toll on your health. That said, however, there is nothing wrong with enjoying sensible drinking.

Remarkably, nearly 6/10 U.S adults are overweight. There is endless motivation to maintain a healthy weight. Obese women are prone to depression and suffer from poor body image due to stretch marks and cellulitis, which aflict overweight women as they age. Being overweight increases your risk of stroke, heart disease and diabetes. Being a healthy weight makes you feel fresh and self confident, and you can get there bit by bit with our help!

The optimal amount of sleep varies from person to person, and in different circumstances. However, 7-8 hours is regarded as a sensible target. Around 37% of adults sleep for 6 hours or less, or 9 hours or more. These people would benefit from targeting 7-8 hours. Don't worry if you don't get the full amount every single night, just bare the targets in mind whenever and wherever possible!

We pride ourselves on being different and although our site is packed with tips and information on healthy living, we also supply a high quality package of downloadable PDF books to help you reach your goals. Our aim is to help support you in feeling healthy - inside and out. We don't believe in fad diets and miracle weight loss products. We do, however, value the trust of our readers so we make it our goal to provide the most honest and helpful information on the web.

Across each of the three books you will find accessible, easy to digest and realistic advice and tips that will help open your mind to small lifestyle changes that yield big results. We don't, for example, believe people should cut out the foods they enjoy, but we do suggest practical ways to fit more healthy activities into each day. Losing weight and staying healthy is a multidimensional pursuit. There are many different components to a healthy lifestyle and so we provide you all the resources to learn about each aspect of your wellbeing in detail. We don't bombard you with confusing statistics and information. We tell you the facts and spend our time helping you make manageable changes!

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