A question I am asked frequently is “how do you achieve good health?” My answer is through having a good lifestyle.
Many of you are probably already struggling with one ailment or another. Possibly blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid, sugar levels have been causing you problems. Well a good health is still possible, but it’s going to necessitate, for many of you, massive changes to your current lifestyle.
There are millions of people out there, struggling with their health and lifestyle, desperate to find a way to achieve good health. Most are lost and have no clue what’s right and what they should do to be healthy and fit. It doesn’t help that there is so much information and research out there that just confuses them even more.
If there is one solution to help someone achieve good health, it’s making lifestyle changes. Be it diabetes, weight loss, or just feeling better about one’s self, lifestyle changes are able to provide the most effective and sustainable results for good health. Restrictive diets have never worked, in fact they usually just end in failure and frustration.
In a medical world seemingly obsessed with medication, it can be easy to neglect the natural remedies out there, such as having a good and healthy lifestyle. It is not necessary to rely on medicine for every ailment, and there might be healthier ways to treat and prevent illness.
The word “health” refers to ” a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” World Health Organization
To me, and probably you, health means the state of being largely free from illnesses, being physically strong, mentally sound and ‘full of life’.
As a health coach there are only a handful of people I can professionally help in a day. Through blogging, I can reach out to millions. Research today has proved that even if the unhealthiest person makes as little as one lifestyle change in a month, they are on the road to rejuvenation and better health.
Whatever healthy change you want to make, it’s not too late to see big benefits. Take that as inspiration that you’re never too old to adopt new healthful habits. Even better news, lifestyle changes can help slow down the aging process, inside and out.
Everyone must see it as being a priority in their life to aim for a state of optimal well-being that is oriented toward maximizing their individual’s potential. This is a life-long process of moving towards enhancing your physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental well-being. Achieved through achieving a healthy lifestyle.
Let me put this in simplest terms. The best way to maintain good health is to preserve it through a healthy lifestyle, rather than waiting until we are sick to put things right.
Let me provide you with the simplest of lifestyle changes that together will give you the best chance of enjoying good health.
Steps that can help us maximize our health include:
1. A Balanced, Nutritious Diet
A balanced, nutritious diet is one that gives your body the nutrients it needs to function correctly. To get the proper nutrition your diet should be high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, and fish, and low in meat, sugar and processed foods— helping you to maximize your health. Best would be foods unprocessed, unfrozen, free of preservatives. Processed food tends to be packed with excess calories, salt, or chemicals, it kicks off an inflammatory, undesirable state in your body. It’s about eating smart and enjoying natural food. Keeping salt, sugar and fat consumption to a minimum.
UK guidelines for balanced diet: The Eatwell Guide shows that to have a healthy, balanced diet, people should try to: eat 5 A DAY. base meals on starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice or pasta. … eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein.
2. Sufficient Sleep
Burning the midnight oil or having nights of restless sleep does you absolutely no good. Sleep is the time when your body recharges and restores. If you’re chronically not getting enough sleep you’re asking for trouble. Sleep makes you feel better, but its importance goes way beyond just boosting your mood or banishing under-eye circles. Adequate sleep is a key part of good health. Simply put sleep is essential for a person’s health and wellbeing.
UK guidelines for Sleep: Infants require about 16 hours a day. Teenagers need about 9 hours on average. Most adults need 7 to 9 hours a night
3. Regular Exercise
Exercise lowers your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and many other diseases. Whatever your age, there’s strong scientific evidence that being physically active can help you lead a healthier and even happier life and decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases. Regular exercise helps prevent or manage a wide range of health problems and concerns, including stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, depression, a number of types of cancer, arthritis and falls. So regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health.
UK guidelines for exercise: To stay healthy, adults aged 19-64 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity such as cycling or brisk walking every week, and.
4. Staying Hydrated
Drinking water is something we all know we should do, but often fall short of. Staying hydrated is important to your overall, good health. Water accounts for around 60 per cent of your body weight (depending on age and gender) and performs crucial functions, such as maintaining your temperature, carrying nutrients to vital organs, remove waste from your body and keeping joints lubricated. So it’s essential to stay hydrated by replacing the body’s normal water losses (through respiration, sweating and excretion). But according to scientists, we actually don’t need to chug down two litres of the clear stuff each day to do this.
UK guidelines for drinking water: 2 litres for men and 1.6 litres for women, or between eight and ten glasses.
Good health is still possible for most of you. Lifestyle changes are simple but powerful tools in helping you do this.
Lifestyle encompasses many different aspects and today I’ve mentioned four of the most important ones. In the next article I’ll include the other lifestyle changes also important to help you achieve good health: Positive Thoughts and Emotions; Stress Reduction; Social Support; Strong Sense of Purpose
“Ill-health of body or of mind, is defeat. Health alone is victory. Let all men, if they can manage it, contrive to be healthy!” Thomas Carlyle
photo credit: Black Room Photography Lauren ✌️ via photopin (license)
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