You can tell when you aren’t at your best. It could be that you are feeling “off”. You may feel unable to concentrate, anxious, or depressed .
Good news! A healthy lifestyle can make you feel better. You don’t need to change your whole life overnight. It is easy to make small changes that will lead you to better well-being. Once you have made one positive change, it can be a motivator to make more.
What’s a healthy lifestyle?
Ask 50 people what a healthy lifestyle looks like and they’ll probably give you 50 different answers. Because there is no single way to be healthy. Healthy living simply means living a happy, healthy lifestyle.
One person might do walking five miles per week, eating fast-food once a week, or spending time online with their loved ones every other day. A healthy lifestyle might be running two marathons per year and following a ketogenic diet .
Both are equally good. Each is perfect for the person. It is up to you to determine what your healthy lifestyle looks.
What is it good for?
You can make changes that improve your health for your body, mind, wallet, and the environment.
1. Prevents diseases
You can lower your risk of developing many diseases by adopting healthy habits, even those that run in your family.
In a recent study adults who ate a standard American diet rich in fruits and vegetables for 8 weeks showed a lower risk of heart disease.
Another 2020 studyTrusted source found that every 66 gram increase in fruit and vegetable intake was associated to a 25% lower risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.
The risk of developing disease is also reduced by switching to whole grains from refined grains. An observational studyTrusted source found that those who ate more whole grains had a 29 per cent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes in comparison to those who ate less.
A reviewTrusted source of 45 studies found that 90 grams of whole grains (or three 30-gram portions) daily reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and cancer rates by 22 percent, 19 percent, respectively.
Even a mere 11 minutes of exercise a day can add years to your lifespan. Researchers tracked over 44,000 adults in a 2020 study. Researchers found that those who exercised for 11 minutes each day were less likely to die than those who did not. Even if you sat for 8 hours a day, this comparison was valid.
2. You can save money
For an annual exam, it is a good idea to visit your primary care doctor. This is especially important considering that some conditions, like high blood pressure, don’t usually have symptoms.
The likelihood that you need to visit a doctor is lower if you are healthier. This can help you save money on co-pays and prescriptions.
3. Lengthens lifespan
Living a longer, healthier life is linked to basic healthy habits. You could live for up to 14 years if you haven’t smoked by the time you reach 50. Even a small number of these changes can increase your life expectancy.
4. It can be beneficial for the environment
Ultra-processed food is made with refined grains and added colors to alter the texture, taste or color. These foods include cheese puffs and packaged dessert cakes as well as chicken nuggets and sweetened breakfast cereals. Ultra-processed foods account for more than 70% of all food sold in U.S. supermarkets.
Making ultra-processed food can contribute to water scarcity, increased biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and plastic waste.
There are also animal products. A 2013 study from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, which is an agency of the U.N. that focuses primarily on reducing hunger and food inequalities worldwide, shows that raising livestock for meat and milk accounts for 14.5 percent of human-created global greenhouse gases.
There are simple solutions. According to the National Resources Defense Council, this would result in a decrease of global warming gases equivalent to removing four to six million vehicles from the roads.
It’s not about how much you eat. Short car rides can be replaced with biking to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Researchers from Madison, Wisconsin, estimated that 20 percent of the population would bike less than 5 miles each year to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This was based on a non-peer-reviewed 2010 study.
A 2017 study from Stockholm concluded that if drivers lived within a half hour of their work commute, they could use a bike to get there. This would save 449 years of lives annually due to lower vehicle emissions.
These are not just fantasies. The bike-sharing program in Barcelona reduces carbon dioxide emissions by around 10,000 tons per yearTrusted Source
How do you start one?
You can make small changes to improve your health and lifestyle. Set “SMART” goals. SMART stands as:
- Specific
- Measurable
- attainable
- Relevant
- Time-bound: The deadline must be met and the task must be completed within a specified time.
Focusing on SMART goals will help you achieve more success. One win will help you set bigger goals.
These tips can help you improve your overall health.
1. Get more vegetables
An 2010 analysisTrusted source of prospective studies shows that eating more vegetables and fruits is associated with lower risks of developing heart disease, stroke, and cancer, as well as a lower chance of premature death.
While eating more vegetables is healthier, it doesn’t mean you have to eat nine times as many. Maybe your goal is to eat one serving of vegetables every night. You might already eat one serving of vegetables or fruits at each meal.
Remember that vegetables that have been less processed are healthier. Instead of fries, you can make roasted potatoes with herbs and stir-fry with several colorful vegetables. Then drizzle the vinaigrette over them.
2. Whole grains are better than refined ones
Reducing your intake of refined grains and replacing them with whole grains is a good idea for your health. A small 2017 studyTrusted source divided 81 postmenopausal men into two groups. Half of the participants followed whole grain diets, while the other half followed diets that were calorically identical but included refined grains. After six weeks, the whole-grain group had a higher resting metabolic rate (RMR). RMR refers to how many calories your body burns when you are at rest.
Research from 2016TrustedSource and 2020Trusted Source link to eat more whole grains and lower your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, or cancer.
Start small and replace one refined grain per day with whole grains. Try different flavors and grains to find the ones that you love.
Whole grains are:
- Plain oats
- Whole grain pasta and bread
- Brown and wild rice
- Buckwheat
- Bulgur wheat
- millet
- barley
- spelt
- Quinoa
- Farro
These are some examples of refined grains:
- White bread and pasta
- white rice
- most breakfast cereals
- pretzel
- Crackers
3. Get more active
You don’t want to hear the words “exercise” and “workout” if you are hesitant about this step. Instead, think of it as physical activity or simply moving your bodies.
To be healthy, you don’t need to run a marathon or even run at all.
You can walk, bike, do salsa dancing, learn martial arts or take an online class. It doesn’t matter what activity you choose, the most important thing is to enjoy it. You’ll be more likely to stick with an activity that interests you.
Remember, you don’t need to begin with a lengthy workout. You should aim for 10 minutes per day, five days a week. Add another 5-10 minutes when you feel ready. Continue doing this until you have at least 30 minutes per day on most days.
4. Keep friends close
Mental health can be supported by strong relationships and keeping in touch with loved ones and friends.
One, people with low-quality relationships are more likely to develop depression. The risk of developing depression is more than twice that of those with the best quality relationshipsTrusted Source.
researchTrusted source also suggests that feeling isolated can lead to poor self-reporting and depression. It can also be associated with headaches, palpitations and lower back, neck or shoulder pain.
Even if it is impossible to meet up with family or friends in person, set aside a time for a video or phone call once per week to get to know each other. You can also start talking to neighbors when you see them.
5. Control stress
Chronic stress can cause your body to go into fight or flight mode. This can cause you to be more vulnerable to many health issues, such as:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- digestive problems
- Depression
- High blood pressure
- Anxiety
- Sleeping problems
Stress can be reduced by exercising and releasing stored energy. Exercise can increase the release of endorphins, which are mood-lifting hormones.
Others may find mindfulness practices such as meditation or deep breathing, journaling, and spending time outdoors helpful in reducing stress. Talking with friends can be a great way to reduce stress.
therapy is a great option if you need more help with stress relief. A trained psychologist, psychiatrist or therapist can help with your stress management and help you to overcome any challenges you may face.
What are the drawbacks?
A healthy lifestyle has no downsides, as each individual can define what “healthy” means to them.
This means that you don’t have the obligation to do anything that makes you unhappy. Unhappiness, as we have already discussed, can negatively impact your health.
If you don’t enjoy traditional exercise, consider other ways to move your body. You don’t have kale to hate.
Does that mean I must give up my “bad” habit?
You don’t have to live a healthy lifestyle.
Even if you enjoy a treat every once in a while, it can help to stick to healthy eating habits. A strict diet that focuses on eating only “good” food and avoids “bad” foods can lead to a negative outlook. Being healthy is about being able to enjoy your mom’s lasagna with extra cheese and still enjoy every bite.
For your mental and physical health, it is important to take rest days. Exercising too often can lead to injuries, or even cause you burnout and stop exercising altogether.
Moderate drinking, which is one standard-sized drink per day for men and women, has been linked to many health benefits. The following is a “standard drink”:
- 12 fluid ounces beer
- 5 fl. oz wine
- 8-9 fl. oz malt liquor
- 1.5 oz spirit
Talk to your doctor if you feel like you cannot control a bad habit (such as smoking, drinking excessively, or using recreational drugs), They may be able to help you.
The bottom line
Healthy living can make you feel better and can help prolong your life, reduce the risk of certain diseases, increase your longevity, save money, and be a blessing for the environment.
You can live a healthy lifestyle however you want. You don’t have to do anything in order for you to be healthy. Find what makes you happy and what makes you feel good. Start small and make the changes. This will increase your chances of success and make small wins more significant.
Talk to your doctor if you need help making lifestyle changes. They may refer you to registered dietitians and therapists if they are unable to help.
