Coming up with the decision to lead a healthy life is something everyone must eventually face. This rings true especially now, as our immune system serves as the first line of defense against the coronavirus. Making drastic changes in our lifestyles requires effort and the willingness to practice habits that improve our condition consistently. Maintaining a healthy body is the result of actively choosing to eat nutritious food and adapting routines that are good for our well-being. If you are ready to switch to a healthier lifestyle, take note of the tips below.
Take Only the Good Stuff
Just like everyone else, you have probably been told to eat your greens since you were a kid, and there is a great reason for that. Vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals that make you healthy and help reduce the risk of chronic illnesses. Having two to three cups of fruits and vegetables a day will give you a natural defense against diseases by boosting your immunity. The human body is made of 60% water. Hence, you have to drink a lot of fluids to stay healthy. Water does more than quench your thirst. It enhances circulation, absorption, digestion, and the transport of nutrients.
Aside from paying attention to what you eat and drink, you should also be mindful of the things you shouldn’t put into your body. A well-balanced diet means having a strict but doable meal plan. To maintain this lifestyle, you should actively choose natural over processed food. You should also avoid food with excessive amounts of sugar and salt and eliminate your intake of harmful substances.
Monitor Your Overall Health
The key to knowing what your body needs is monitoring your systems regularly. Mistaking the lack of symptoms for a perfectly healthy body might leave you to deal with adverse effects that could have been prevented if detected earlier. By having routine checkups every year (over the age of fifty) or every three years (younger than fifty), you can detect possible illnesses or complications early and take immediate action. Through head-to-toe examinations, doctors can observe unusual symptoms that might require even more thorough diagnoses and give you the right preventive measures to take. Even with the term “full-body,” these checkups do not normally include dermatological exams and dental care.
To maintain optimum skin health, it is recommended for you to set an appointment at least once a year. Meanwhile, to keep your mouth’s overall well-being, you need to arrange a consultation every three months to determine the kind of treatment you need. These additional check-ups help you prevent conditions that may require dental and oral surgical procedures later on.
Make Time for Sleep
Even though rest is the most vital part of a healthy lifestyle, it is also the first thing you give up to keep up with your busy schedule. To improve your mood, energy, and productivity, having good sleeping habits are a must. Enough sleep can give you a wealth of benefits that will affect just about every part of your life. It lessens your risk of having serious health problems, improves your mood, enhances your concentration, and even helps you maintain your weight. If sleep is hard to come by for you and you actually feel more exhausted rolling in bed all night than staying awake for a whole day, adapting some practices will help you get a solid eight hours of restful sleep. Practices like staying active, reducing your screen time hours before your sleeping schedule, eating lighter meals, avoiding caffeine, and training yourself to go to bed at the same time every night can help you build a routine that will make falling asleep easier.
Maintain a Healthy Mind
Maintaining a fit body entails keeping a healthy mind and vice versa. Staying active, eating right, and having a regular sleeping schedule all play important roles in keeping your brain healthy. Exercise releases endorphins, also known as “feel-good hormones,” which can help promote happiness and ease away stress. Eating healthy food, including those rich in omega-3, antioxidants, and vitamin E, will lessen the risk of cognitive decline, disorders like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, and stroke. Lastly, getting enough sleep increases concentration and reduces stress.
Making positive changes in your lifestyle will lead to a fit body and a healthy mind. By improving your sleeping habits, monitoring your overall health, getting enough sleep, and maintaining your mental health, you can improve your quality of life and fully enjoy the coming years.
