As Mahatma Gandhi said, health is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. Health is the most valuable asset for anyone. However, in this rat race day and age where there is so much to do, most people seem to put their health on the back burner, which should not be the case. Taking care of your health and avoiding any diseases may seem like a tall order. It, however, does not have to be.
There are some little habits that you can incorporate in your life that will contribute significantly to overall wellbeing. Here are some:
Hydrate
Thousands have lived without love, not one without water. Taking water does more than quench thirst. Water is vital for maintaining proper body function and for general health. Most of the major systems in the body depend on water to function.
We need water for survival. It flushes out toxins from the body and rejuvenates cells. You lose water every day through sweat, breath, urine, and bowel movements. Replenish it to help your body function optimally. Ensure that you consume at least the minimum water recommendation to maintain your bodily functions and improve your general health.
Wash your hands and disinfect surfaces often
Germs can cause loads of infections like fevers, rashes, coughing, and sniffles. These germs live on surfaces that we interact with every day, like our desks and floors. It is necessary to clean surfaces with soap and water to keep the germs off.
You could also consider disinfecting the surfaces every so often. Disinfect other surfaces when there is a sick person to keep the germs from spreading further. Our hands can also be the host to germs that cause common diseases.
A healthy habit to adopt is washing hands regularly. We tend to carry several germs on our hands from daily activities, and failure to wash hands makes it easy for the germs to move to your mouth when eating. Make it a habit to wash your hands to keep health problems at bay.
Keep personal things personal
One of the easiest ways for germs to transfer is by sharing personal items. There are certain items that you should keep exclusively for individual use to avoid infections. Things like toothbrushes, nail clippers, and even make-up products like eyeliner.
Studies have shown that even sharing earphones increases the risk of several ear infections. To protect your health, keep your personal items to yourself. And steer clear of other people’s personal items.
Eat healthily
Maintaining a healthy diet helps prevent several chronic non-communicable diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Introduce lots of fruits and vegetables to your diet. Try to have at least five fruit portions every day.
You can either have them fresh, frozen or juiced. Cut down on saturated fats and sugars. We need some fat in our diet if we are to have a balanced diet. However, the type of fat you consume matters. There are saturated and unsaturated fats. Eating a lot of saturated fats increases the risk of increased blood cholesterol and heart disease. Some of the foods with saturated fats are sausages, butter, cakes, pies, etc.
Try to cut down on foods with saturated fat. Opt for vegetable oils, avocados, and oily fish that have the good kinds of fat, unsaturated. Excessive sugar consumption also increases the risk of obesity and tooth decay. Try to cut down on added sugars to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Avoid fizzy drinks, cakes, sweets, pastries, biscuits, and other foods laden with sugars. If you cannot avoid them, only take them in moderation. Consider checking food labels to know how many sugars your favorite foods contain.
Prioritize preventative health
Gone are the days when people would go to hospitals when they were feeling sick. Nowadays, most doctors advocate for preventative healthcare. Going for health screening helps you stay on top of your health. Prevention reduces the chances of needing medical treatment and surgeries. You can identify potential health problems before they become more serious.
With early detection, you can receive treatment quickly before a disease or infection has had the time to be more widespread. Vaccination is another necessary way to prevent various infectious diseases. Vaccinations help us build immunity. It also increases herd immunity. For instance, vaccinations have helped make diseases like smallpox a thing of the past.
Be active
Get up and get moving. Regular physical activity and exercise help you have more energy and improve your overall health. Exercise helps to lower your blood sugar levels and also to maintain your insulin levels. That reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Exercise also helps people with those diseases manage them better.
Regular physical activity improves mental health and mood. When working out, your body releases feel-good hormones that make you feel more relaxed. You also get to maintain muscle mass and strength. You do not have to sign up to a gym and do an intense workout to reap the benefits of physical activity. You can integrate exercise to be part of your daily routine.
Make tiny changes to your everyday activities like using the stairs instead of the elevator, washing your car, walking the dog, etc. Get an accountability partner that you can exercise with to make things more enjoyable. Listening to music or watching TV while exercising makes it more fun. Mix things up to not get bored with doing the same routine over and over.
Get enough sleep
Sleep is a fundamental component of overall health and wellbeing. In this era where the world never sleeps, it is easy to get caught up in the rat race and fail to prioritize enough sleep. Never compromise on your sleeping hours. Ensure that you get the recommended hours of sleep every night. Sleep is vital for enabling the body to repair and recharge for another day. Getting enough sleep prevents excess weight gain, heart disease, sleep disorders, among other issues. Maintain a healthy sleep pattern.
Wrapping Up
Staying healthy increases the quality of life. Proper health makes for a life worth living. Mental health is also a crucial component of general wellbeing. One way to keep that in check is to stop worrying. Avoid stress like you would avoid the plague. Find ways to stay grounded in the face of uncertainties to keep away from insomnia, depression, and other heart problems.
