Did you find yourself bored with the way your day started and ended and were looking for a change of pace? Maybe this is your sign to have a change of lifestyle. Having a healthy lifestyle is very easy to achieve but requires rigorous discipline in order to maintain.
We know that one of the keys to having a happy life is to enjoy every single minute of it. But this should not compromise your health. Remember harmful diseases are present everywhere you go and a healthier lifestyle promotes a stronger body and well-being.
If you want to learn more about ways to stay healthy, then you are on the right track. Keep reading as we unveil tips on the simple ways to stay healthy.
Healthy lifestyle matters for a long and meaningful life
Keeping our health in check is one of the most important aspects of our daily lives. It is more than just a routine that we must follow to ensure our safety; it is something that we must cultivate and make a habit of. This includes staying hydrated, doing some physical activity, having a healthy diet and the list goes on.
A healthy lifestyle, however, entails more. It is not only limited to eating healthy foods, proper diet and exercising. A healthy lifestyle also means trying to stay motivated to break your usual old habits and have a more fulfilling and productive day not only at work but also in your own personal time.
With how quickly life should move, we sometimes overlook some aspects of our health and simply move on with our lives. This should never be the case; your lifestyle should include more than just a healthy diet; it should also include mental health. As a matter of fact, these two are closely tied together which creates a huge impact on how your daily life goes.
A healthy diet, according to Aetna.com, prepares the body for less mood fluctuation, which improves focus and gives us a happy feeling. In addition, healthy diets can help people who are suffering from depression or anxiety.
Practicing healthy living has many benefits to offer!
Making a change to your usual lifestyle should bring you desirable and significant improvements to your way of living. In this section, we’ll go over some of the most important benefits of staying healthy and why they should matter to you.
Listed below are the following benefits.
- It can help improve the state of your mental health
As previously mentioned, healthy living has a significant impact not only on your physical health, it also does mentally. Ain’t that great news!
According to a study, taking as much as an hour per week getting involved in doing physical activity can prevent depression by 17%. Meanwhile, people that are on a healthy diet have 35% less incidences of experiencing depression.
- Mitigates the development of unwanted diseases
Having a healthy eating lifestyle is one of the most effective ways to boost your immune system and prevent harmful diseases. In fact, practicing to develop healthy habits like eating nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables can help lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and other various diseases.
- Stronger physical health
When you start building healthy habits for a new and better lifestyle, you also nurture stronger muscles and endurance. This enables your body to have enough energy to do daily activities or work and accomplish your daily tasks.
- Weight loss
If you involve yourself with physical health and healthy eating, you can also, at the same time, lose weight. Naturally, when you live a healthy lifestyle, you begin to avoid unhealthy snacks such as junk food, processed foods or fast foods that are high in calories that cause weight gain.
Furthermore, eating vitamin-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables can help improve digestion. Remember that a diet high in these foods can help suppress your appetite and supplement any nutrient deficiencies you may have.
10 easy-to-follow steps for a healthier lifestyle
Everything starts with you creating the best choices for yourself. What do we mean by this? Basically, if you want to have a change in lifestyle and make it “healthier” then you have to pick the best options for you.
The fast and busy world that we live in today can deprive us of our chance to follow an ideal routine that can keep us healthy. We really need to stay fit to enjoy life and the rewards of good health. The thought of spending a part of our lives in the sick bed is just too awful. There’s really a need for us to live a lifestyle that can help to keep us away from sicknesses.
So you now want to fully commit to making a huge change in your lifestyle? That’s great to hear and lucky you because we are here because we want to help and guide you. Here are some of the ways that can help to keep us healthy despite the modern ways of life:
1. Eat right.
There are four meals that you need to take each and every day to maintain the normal functions of your body. These meals are breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner.
Breakfast is the most important meal and you should not skip it. It gives you renewed energy after more than 10 hours without food. Remember, you took your last meal the night before. Healthy breakfast foods include oatmeal, nonfat yogurt, berries, peanut butter, eggs and whole grain cereals.
After eating a good breakfast, you can even out your food intake throughout the day. You should avoid depriving yourself of food for long periods as this can affect your metabolism. Eat your lunch, snack and dinner on a regular basis and avoid taking late-night meals as it can possibly affect your sleep, weight and the acidity of your stomach.
Here are some of the health benefits of eating the right food:
- Reduce the risk of heart disease (i.e. heart attack) and liver disease
- Lower high blood pressure
- Improve bone health
- Prevent the development of cancer such as lung cancer, breast cancer and skin cancer
Remember to avoid processed meats and processed vegetables when selecting foods to eat. Some processed foods may contain more sugar, fat, and salt than the body requires. When these are consumed in large quantities, these foods can cause weight gain as well as the development of diseases or cancer.
2. Drink right.
You need to keep your body hydrated for maximum energy and to flush out harmful toxins and organisms from your body. Drink at least eight glasses of water every day.
It is also great to pair your meal with fresh fruit juice that is rich in vitamin A, C, E and K. Although water is great, drinking fresh fruit juice is also a great alternative to sugar sweetened beverages as it is packed and high in vitamins. These vitamins are necessary to boost immunity from free radicals which are harmful to your overall health.
3. Get sufficient sleep.
Who doesn’t enjoy a good night’s sleep? Waking up after a good and long sleep is probably one of the best and most refreshing ways to begin the day. Thus, getting enough sleep to get you energized is an integral part of having a healthy lifestyle.
You need to sleep for seven to eight hours per night to allow your body to replenish the energy it lost the day before and to give it time to repair its worn tissues. Get enough sleep. Without enough sleep, you may experience difficulty processing information, staying focused and staying physically and mentally alert every day.
Even though we said you should sleep, we also want you to be consistent in sleeping and waking up at the appropriate time. Keep in mind that the goal here is to live a healthier life. This does not imply that you will sleep late and wake up late – that is definitely not the right way to a healthy lifestyle.
4. Abandon bad habits.
Having a healthier lifestyle means breaking free from your bad habits. Although it is difficult to break bad habits, doing it one step at a time is already a huge leap to keeping yourself away from health conditions.
Bad habits such as smoking and excessive alcohol intake can speed up early aging and the development of respiratory, cardiovascular and lots of degenerative diseases. In fact, 80% to 90% of lung cancer deaths are attributed to be caused by smoking and tobacco use. Living a smoke and alcohol-free life helps to make you live a long life.
Abandon bad habits and try to develop wholesome ones. Get up from your couch and try to do some physical activities as a form of exercise and a way of reducing stress.
6. Exercise every day.
Of course, if we are talking about staying healthy, we should not forget to mention to exercise regularly. Regular exercise provides as much impact as eating healthy to help you lose weight.
Exercise is an important element that should always be a part of your daily activities. It plays an important part in keeping your circulatory, respiratory, nervous, and immune system in perfect shape. Some of the best exercises include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming and dancing.
If one of your goals for shifting to a healthier lifestyle is to lose weight, you will have to consider a moderate intensity exercise to burn fats and calories. In losing weight, you will have to burn more calories than how many calories you ate for a day. This will help you lose and cut down your weight more effectively.
7. Socialize.
Depression is the most common mental health illness worldwide, affecting over 260 million people, according to the World Health Organization.
Socializing with friends and meeting new people outside of your home is one of the most effective and efficient ways to help alleviate these issues. You could also consult with a mental health professional to get advice and talk out your negative feelings and problems you may have.
Interact with people who share the same passion with you. One way to do it is to join a sports club, martial arts club or a dance club in which you and your buddies or even your family can enjoy.
8. Regularly consult health professionals
Eating healthy foods and getting regular exercise are great ways to stay healthy. However, regular check-ups with your doctor are also necessary to keep your health on track.
Being healthy involves more than just avoiding illness. Seeking medical attention allows you to detect hidden diseases and prevent them from worsening. Doctors can also advise and recommend you which meals to eat in order to improve your current health.
9. Coach your kids and help them to develop an interest in sports.
Sports are a part of every school curriculum. Involve yourself in these activities by playing with your kids. It can help to exercise you and give you some bonding moments with them.
10. Maintain the good habits that you have developed.
Everything is a process and taking one step each time at your own pace is the best way to sustain a healthy lifestyle. All the things above are essential in keeping you fit and healthy. You should strive to maintain it and you’ll live with their benefits for a long time.
So how are you going to maintain a healthy lifestyle?
Setting reminders and using proper time management are a couple of ways to stay on track. It is normal to veer off course while developing a habit, what matters is that you know your goals to focus on to get back on track. A healthy lifestyle is a journey, so instead of fixating on what stresses you out, remember to have a positive attitude towards every situation.
The secret to a healthy lifestyle is consistency
Breaking your usual bad habits is the starting point of the process. It can be daunting but a rewarding process once you are able to maintain all of these healthy steps and turn it into a habit.
Want to learn more about building healthy habits? Check out our other mind booster blogs to know more health and lifestyle tips to energize you every day.
