Many people believe that a healthy lifestyle means constant restrictions and discomfort. In fact, there are many ways to be healthy without making drastic changes in your life! Even if you follow them only partially, you will feel and feel much better.
How does lifestyle affect health?
Many health problems require a certain lifestyle. Gastroenterology patients understand why they shouldn’t eat fast food, and people with bronchial problems are more likely to quit smoking once they are diagnosed. Unfortunately, many of our habits can exacerbate existing diseases. And while everyone knows about the dangers of fatty foods, alcohol or tobacco, lack of sleep, constant stress or a sedentary lifestyle often seem like minor problems.
Unbalanced food affects not only the gastrointestinal tract, but also the entire body: the lack of even one of the vitamins can lead to serious illnesses. The harm of ethyl alcohol and nicotine to the human body has long been proven: they adversely affect the digestive, respiratory, circulatory and nervous systems. Lack of rest decreases immunity, contributes to memory and attention deficit, aggravates existing diseases.
In contrast, people with confirmed diagnoses often need only a lifestyle change, and their illnesses become much less prominent. Often, all it takes to stay healthy is a balanced diet, a little exercise in the fresh air, more fluids, 7-8 hours of sleep and avoiding stress.
Healthy eating habits
Drink more water. An adult needs about 8 glasses of fluids a day. This amount includes all drinks and liquid foods (such as soups). But it is better to replace strong tea and coffee with pure water. Try to make a habit of drinking a glass of water right after waking up: this allows you to wake up faster and “wake up” your gastrointestinal tract.
Don’t skip breakfast. A hearty balanced meal in the morning will give you energy and vigor until dinner. Coffee and cake will not do: The best option is a combination of cottage cheese or eggs, porridge and fruit.
Reconsider your eating habits. Nutritionists advise to compose every meal in this way: half of the plate – fresh vegetables, a quarter – side dish (porridge or starchy vegetables), and another quarter – protein (meat, cottage cheese, eggs or fish). If possible, it is worth getting rid of sugar and sauces, to get used to the natural taste of food. Try to give up sweets, fast food and snacks: at first it will be hard, but after a week and a half the craving for unhealthy foods will be much less.
Eat on time. Try to survive at least two hours without eating before going to bed. Distribute meals throughout the day so that there is no break for more than 3-4 hours. But at the first feeling of hunger be sure to have a little snack: this will reduce the risk of overeating during a full lunch or dinner.
Sleep and Rest
- Organize your sleeping place. The bed should be comfortable, and the mattress and pillows should be firm enough to support your back while you sleep. Ventilate the bedroom in the evening. If light and sounds from the street disturb you, use a night eye mask and earplugs.
- Do not skimp on sleep time. An adult needs at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night to be healthy. We can work hard for a while and be awake for 20 hours, but in the end it will lead to problems and poor health.
- Change activities. The best rest is a change of activity. If the work involves physical labor, then you should not immediately rush to repair and clean when you come home. It is better to take a warm bath, put on some music and read a book. And if you spent eight hours sitting at the computer, in the evening it is worth to distract from the screen: go for a walk, do exercise or prepare dinner for tomorrow.
- If possible, avoid stress. This communication with unpleasant people, uncomfortable work, problems in your personal life, failures in creativity or favorite activities. If you can’t get rid of the sources of stress, it’s better to see a specialist to learn how to respond to stimuli in the right way.
Keeping fit
- Incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. Heavy exercise is not necessary at all: to be healthy, it is enough to walk at a brisk pace for half an hour. Gradually, you can begin to give up elevators and go out two or three stops earlier. Being active in the morning will cheer you up, and a leisurely walk in the evening will improve well-being and sleep.
- In addition, you can add a little exercise to the plan of the day. For example, exercises to strengthen the muscles of the back.
- Keep your weight within limits. If you have a clear deficiency or excess weight – try to correct it. Both negatively affect the health of the supporting and cardiovascular systems.
Healthy habits
- Make a daily routine. This will help organize your time, work and rest. With a clear schedule, you won’t stay up late at night, you won’t skip meals or sports, and you’ll stop forgetting about the necessary rest.
- Do a warm-up routine. The more often you get up, the better for your legs, back and heart. It’s best to take a short walk and stretch once every 20 minutes. But being active even once an hour will save you from fatigue and get you back on track.
- Get rid of bad habits. It’s hard, and you may have to seek professional help. But the improvement of your well-being and health after giving up alcohol, tobacco and other harmful substances is worth all the effort.
- Avoid unnecessary risks and follow safety procedures. Wearing a helmet while riding a bike or buckling up in a car is not difficult, but it will help avoid serious injuries.
- Take care of your hygiene. Wash your hands thoroughly before eating, after toileting, or outside. You should shower daily and brush your teeth at least twice a day. These simple steps will save you from many infectious diseases.
- Take your time. There is no point in trying to get into all these habits at once. It’s better to start gradually so that they don’t cause stress and become firmly embedded in your life.
Medicine and Body Checkup
- Get regular medical checkups. This way you can timely notice diseases when they are easiest to cure. It’s best to do it at least once a year. If you do not have time to visit several doctors and take tests, have a full examination in one visit to the clinic. A comprehensive diagnostic Total Body Scan will take only three hours.
- Don’t ignore discomfort. If you feel unwell – go to the doctor, do not wait until it is too bad. A non-specialist is unlikely to be able to determine the cause of the disease, and self-treatment can even aggravate the problem.
- Follow the doctor’s orders. Do not skip taking medicines, physical therapy, follow the prescribed rules of activity and diet. If you doubt the correctness of the prescribed treatment, contact another doctor from the same field.
- Consult a specialist before making any drastic changes in your lifestyle. Perhaps a sport is contraindicated, or a “healthy” food is contraindicated because of allergies or stomach disease. If you’re not sure that you know everything about your body – be sure to consult your doctor.