Health is the center of human life. Every aspect of your life depends on your good health. Whether professional or personal, you can’t climb higher if you don’t have enough mental and physical energy to devote to all aspects of your life.
When you pick healthy habits, you are more likely to face challenges in your life. However, staying healthy requires consistent and constant effort.
Several pieces of research reveal that ‘lifestyle medicine’ is the secret of lifelong good health. Picking the right health battle should be more than a fad. Ideally, it should be a ride of actionable learning and self-discovery.
Here are 10 ways to stay healthy. Read on and understand the ones that would work for you.
1. Eat Right
We all know that diet plays a significant part in our health. And this is something that we should do all the time.
Try to take 5 servings of vegetables in a day the way you like – raw, stir-fried, or steamed. A diet rich in vegetables is related to a lower risk of developing lung, colon, breast, ovaries, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, and cervix cancers. The 5 vegetable meal ideally helps maintain focus, avoid cravings, and manage weight.
Work toward cutting out empty calories like fizzy drinks, candies, and processed foods, such as chips from your diet. These don’t provide nutrients but fill up your body with excessive calories.
Monitor the amount of caffeine you consume in a day in the form of tea and coffee. Any number of cups that exceed 2 can disturb your sleep cycle.
2. Exercise Regularly
Exercising daily not only helps in sweating out toxins but also potentially flushes out bacteria from the lungs and keeps them healthy. It also maintains the health of your circulatory system by promoting good circulation, enabling a proper flow of immune system substances and cells so that they can perform their work more effectively.
What’s good about exercise is that you do not have to run a marathon to avail of its advantages. It can be anything – pilates, yoga, running, spinning, power walking, weight lifting, etc. There’s no end to possibilities. Frequent and short bouts of exercise that add up to nearly 150 minutes per week are important to promote blood circulation.
3. Have Regular Health Check-ups
Regular health check-ups can help find problems before they begin. Medical practitioners can help in finding and diagnosing health problems early when the chances for a cure are better. Ignoring signs and symptoms is not the best approach to health. So, it is important to not push through discomfort and seek medical advice as soon as you start noticing any unusual feelings.
4. Drink More Water
You surely have heard about drinking eight glasses of water in a day, yet not all actually follow this, frequently choosing to calculate their total liquid intake instead – that usually includes coffee, sodas, and other beverages.
The human body does not comprise soft drinks, teas, and coffees. It comprises 60 percent of water, depending on the age. It is key in removing waste materials and toxins from the body, hydrating the skin, maintaining the health of the kidneys, controlling your calorie intake, and energizing the muscles.
Without adequate hydration, you can risk a host of problems. So keeping yourself well hydrated is one of the best ways to stay healthy.
5. Measure and Keep an eye on your Weight
Keeping a track of the body weight on a weekly or daily basis is another great way to stay healthy. It can help you see what you are gaining and/or what you are losing and make adjustments accordingly.
6. Reduce Screen and Sitting Time
It is difficult to escape the limitless hours one spends in front of screens in this digital era. Whether you are working on your laptop, watching television, or simply scrolling on your phone, excessive screen time is not good for your health.
You must take breaks from the screen regularly and ensure to get up and move during the day. You can do a few stretching exercises, go for a short walk, or simply move around by getting up.
7. Meditation
Stress has negative impacts on your health. It can affect your food choices, blood sugar level, fat distribution, weight, susceptibility to sickness, and more. This is why it is important to look for healthy ways to combat stress.
One such way is meditation. Studies have revealed that meditation can help reduce anxiety, lower the levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, and improve mood. The easiest way is to find an online YouTube class if you aren’t sure where to begin.
8. Get Adequate Sleep every Night
Lack of sufficient sleep can result in poor performance at work or school, a weakened immune system, and an even greater risk for some chronic illnesses. Try to aim for 7 to 9 hours of good sleep every night in order to ensure a well-rested body and mind.
9. Wash your Hands often
Washing hands frequently with water and soap or using a sanitizer is a simple yet effective method to stop the spread of any infection. Remember to follow this before eating or making food, after using the bathroom, while taking care of a sick person, and after handling any waste material.
10. Nurture Strong Ties with your Loved Ones
Solid relationships can help you have positive minds and strong hearts. Embracing an attitude of love and acceptance can be the simplest but most powerful change that you can make to maintain your mental health, particularly as you age.
Stopping by a gym class on your way back from work, striking up a conversation with a neighbor, or eating with your friend/colleague can be more than just a good diversion from a tedious workday. It helps broaden your social circle.
Remember, making your life healthier requires making small and simple changes, one at a time. Begin by choosing a few of your favorite ways mentioned in this blog and incorporating them into your routine.
Credit: Maryam Ghias
