Leading a healthy life is one of the best ways of living life to the full. Having a healthy body and mind is one of the best ingredients of happiness and well-being. It is not about being very thin or muscular or strict eating habits. It is more about having energy, living longer, being stronger and feeling good about you. It is essential for us to be aware of our responsibility to protect our health and live longer. Let us proceed with a few tips that can make us look forward to a long and healthy life span.
Complexity level: Moderate
Instructions:
1. Routine check ups
As you become older you become more susceptible to health risk relating to the heart, bone loss and endocrine system disorders. Annual
visit to the physician to determine levels of blood pressure, cholesterol and other age conditions becomes very important. Routine health checkups make sure that you have preventive care to reduce the risk of contracting diseases.
2. Giving up harmful addictions
There are two ways to get rid of the harmful effects of dangerous addictions. Either stop your addictive behavior or prevent yourself
from developing such addictions. You must seek professional help in case strong resolve and family support is not enough to get you off health-impairing addictions such as alcoholism or smoking. Get in touch with your physician who will refer you to smoking cessation or alcohol-counseling sessions.
3. Following a correct nutrition plan
The quantity, quality and composition of the food items you eat play a major role in you being healthy. While following a diet means that
you make sure you get all the nutrients you need in necessary quantities; it does not means that you have to give up on all those items of food that you enjoy. Some diets can also be designed so that you can prevent cancer, others can be designed so as to get better skin and hair while others with diabetes or arteriosclerosis should have special diets to help their conditions. You may get in touch with a nutritionist to help determine what kind of a diet you should follow.
4. Regular exercise
Lack of physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle usually leads to buildup of problems that may lead complex health issues later on in life. You should always try and engage in daily physical activities or exercise for about 20 min to reduce risks of becoming obese. Physical activity also helps you fight depression and boredom. Yoga, light weight training, swimming and aerobics help maintain muscle mass, flexibility and a healthy heart. You may talk to your physician who can suggest the right kind of physical activity that could fit into your daily schedule and lifestyle.
5. Prevention is protection
You can always take preventive measures to prevent yourself from getting injuries that could have been easily avoided. Simple habits like
wearing the helmet and kneecaps while biking, or wearing the seat belts while driving can prevent accidental injuries. Also taking care to quarantine the sick, a clean neighborhood and household can also help prevent spread of communicable diseases. Wearing a sun screen while going out in the sun will help prevent skin damage from the sun. Wearing condoms while engaging in sexual activities can help protect you sexually transmitted diseases.
6. Socializing and unwinding
Taking holidays and spending quality time with your family and friends not only helps you de stress and get ready for the work days ahead but also helps you to improve your health and state of happiness. Simple garden picnics or movie outing with your family will also help strengthen family bonds and help you to relax and reduce levels of stress and hypertension. It is important to take care of your mental health and stress level to prevent mental disorder and insomnia.
7. Never avoid counseling if required
If you feel that you are being overwhelmed by stress whether at home, work or just day-to-day activities, try to talk to your family and doctor about it. Do not avoid professional counseling because it may be embarrassing. Seek medical help as in the most cases it is just a medical condition and can be prevented or cured with medication and sound advice.
Frequently asked questions:
How long should one sleep in a day?
Sleep is very important for physical and mental well-being. It is been reported that people who do not get enough sleep are more likely to develop psychiatric problems and other health issues. It can also lead to problems with memory, learning abilities and reasoning. Apart from
that, lack of sleep can lead to drowsiness and may cause accidents during daytime. Always make sure that you get 7-10 hours of sleep every night. Kids may need more hours of sleep every day owing to their hyper activity during the day.
Is dental hygiene important for health?
Along with exercising and healthy eating habits, flossing of teeth could actually extend your life by nearly 6.4 years according to the author of RealAge, Michael Rozien. Researchers have said that bacteria producing dental plaque often may enter the bloodstream causing inflammation leading to blocked blood vessels and heart diseases. So make sure that you brush twice every day and visit your dentist twice every year for keeping your teeth strong and intact. They not only help you chew food, speak properly but also help you smile with pride.
Quick tips:
- Packaged foods often carry labels indicating the amounts of cholesterol and trans-fat they contain per 100 gm. or per serving. Try and avoid food containing large amounts of trans-fats and cholesterol.
- Try and be active for 3 hours per week but taking part in activities that will raise your heart rate, breathing and build muscles such as cycling, outdoor sports, brisk walking.
- Teens and kids need to be active for at least 1 hour every day. It helps in their rapid physical growth and strengthening of their muscles and bones.
Things to watch out for:
- Junk food like chips, pizzas, fizzy drinks contain the highest amounts of trans-fats and large amounts of sugar, its consumptions should be minimized.
- Smoking is injurious to health. Try to avoid smoking.