Healthy lifestyle is the notion which, according to various studies, is the most neglected aspect of our humdrum routine. Pondering over, ‘what is healthy living’ will lead you to the notion that it is not merely about maintaining the physical health but the mental health as well. Thus, you are not only meant to eat fresh and energetic food items but to give some relaxing moments to your mind and soul since physical and mental health are closely interconnected. Hence, the change in one directly draws influence on the other. The piece of writing is not meant to be all-inclusive but core constituents that are considered to be the part and parcel of a healthy lifestyle will be taken into consideration.
Healthy Eating
The growth and maintenance of a healthy body entails all human beings to have healthy food. We, human being differ, besides other parameters, with respect to our age group, like, infants, children, teenagers, young adults, adults, and seniors. The point to ponder over here is that each one falling into any of these categories has distinct nutrition requirements. Kids, teenagers and young adults oftentimes snack between meals. Snaking is not restricted to these age groups as adults and seniors oftentimes engage in the same. Let’s take a look at the fruitful tips in this context.
- In a day, you must eat three healthy meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner; in addition to this, avoid making your dinner the largest meal of the day.
- The bulk of food you are inclined to eat should comprise of healthy foods, such as, vegetables, fruits, fat-free or low-fat milk products, whole grains etc.
- Incorporate the lean meats, fish, poultry, beans, eggs and nuts into a healthy diet.
- Avoid overeating, that is, you should eat your food enough which can satisfy your hunger and then put your hands off the meal.
- Besides, you are to avoid consuming sodas and sugar-enhanced drinks owing to the excessive calories which eventually increase food consumption and make the people hungrier.
Physical Fitness
Maintaining physical fitness engaging in a fruitful physical activity is a major contributor to enjoy a healthy lifestyle since human beings are created to use their bodies in fruitful activities; whereas disuse leads to unhealthy living. Weakness, obesity, lack of longevity and holistic poor health are the consequences whereby unhealthy lifestyle reflects itself. Let’s have a look at some fruitful tips to maintain physical fitness.
- Exercise or workout on regular basis as it can not only prevent but reverse the age-related decreases in muscle mass and strength. Besides, it can also improve muscle balance, endurance, flexibility and diminish the risk of falls in the elderly.
- Through physical activities, those suffering from chronic arthritis can improve their capacity to perform routine activities encompassing, climbing stairs, driving etc.
- Maintain a routine of workout since it can assist to boost up self-esteem, self-confidence, as well as bring a decline in anxiety and stress and enhance mood.
- Regular physical activity can prove beneficial to control body weight and consistency can cause weight loss as well.
- Break your exercise up into smaller sessions of 10 minutes each. To avoid any injuries, start slowly and progress bit by bit.
Normally, most of the people can start exercise at moderate level like, walking, without medical examination. But wait! If you fall into the category of the following people, you are supposed to consult your doctor before engaging in any sort of physical activity.
- Persons with heart disease, asthma, lung disease, arthritis or osteoporosis
- Persons who experience chest pressure or pain with exertion or shortness of breath
- Men over the age of 40 and women over the age of 50
- Those who are morbidly obese
Mental health
During your course to accomplish the target of healthy lifestyle, you should, in addition to working on your body, pay attention to your emotional or mental health as well. Just like the process on the part of physical health, mental health also entails a few things to take care of. Let’s take a look!
- Take a proper sleep daily. For in depth insights here are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations on the part of time-span of sleep by age group (naps inclusive):
- Newborn (0–3 months) – 14–17 hours
- Infant (4–12 months – 12–16 hours
- Toddler (1–2 years – 11–14 hours
- Preschool (3–5 years – 10–13 hours
- School (6–12 years – 9–12 hours
- Age (13–18 years – 8–10 hours
- Teen (18–60 years – 7 or more hours
- Adult (61–64 years – 7–9 hours
- (65 years and older – 7–8 hours
- Have a walk and consider what you see and hear several times per week.
- Try something different or new like, altering route to work etc.
- Engage in mind exercises such as, puzzle
- Take interest in talking to other people on different topics for strengthening and relaxing your mind
- Develop contentment. Appreciate yourself for your accomplishments, no matter they are big or small
Avoid Using Tobacco
Tobacco usage is the most crucial illness to be prevented; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the use of tobacco causes 480,000 deaths per year in the United States (2017). This is around one in five deaths annually or 1,300 deaths per day.
- Stop the usage of chewing tobacco to avoid oral cancers.
- Stop smoking tobacco. Start it today (to achieve a normal risk level for heart disease for those who smoke its take 15 years of nonsmoking behavior). In this context, a scholar says, “Yesterday you said Tomorrow; guess today is!”
Adverse Consequences:
- Owing to the use of tobacco, 90% men and 80% women suffering from lung cancer die in the United States. Cancers of lung, lip, mouth, tongue, esophagus, bladder and kidney are attributable to smoking.
- Atherosclerotic arterial disease can be caused by tobacco usage which eventually leads to heart attacks, strokes and lack of blood flows.
- Tobacco usage causes an estimate 20% of chronic lung sicknesses in the United States encompassing, emphysema, chronic bronchitis and pneumonia. According to CDC, in 2011, 90% of deaths from chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) occurred because of smoking.
- Pregnant women who use to smoke are more possibly to give birth to babies with low birth weight.
- Indulging in secondhand smoke can results in infections in middle ear, wheezing, coughing, bronchitis and pneumonia in babies and besides this asthma in children.
Avoid Alcohol Consumption
Excessive alcohol use, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is responsible for around 88,000 deaths per year in the U.S. encompassing 1 in 10 total deaths among adults aged 20 to 64 years. Prevention of this curse is imperative to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.
- In the United States, chronic, excessive alcohol use is the root cause of liver cirrhosis.
- Liver cirrhosis can cause fluid accumulation in the abdomen, hemorrhage, bleeding and bruising, mental confusion, muscle wasting, infections, and kidney failure, liver cancer and coma in severe cases.
- In the United States, alcohol is responsible for 40 -50% of death from automobile accidents.
Avoid Sexual Risk Behaviors
This is one of the crucial steps you need to take to have a healthy lifestyle. This bad practice can lead to the acquisition of sexually transmitted sickness encompassing syphilis, gonorrhea, herpes or HIV infection. An infection namely Human Papillomavirus can be spread due to high-risk sexual behavior and consequently you will be led to cervical cancer in women and other Anogenital cancers in both men and women. Sexual risk behaviors comprise having multiple sex partners and sex partners with a history of intravenous drug use and venereal disease.
Adverse Consequences:
- Unforeseen pregnancy
- Transmission of Hepatitis B and in rare cases, Hepatitis C
- Transmission of HIV, Chlamydia, Syphilis, Gonorrhea and Genital Herpes
- Transmission of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
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