How to live a healthy lifestyle?

[Atiyaomar]

How to live a healthy lifestyle means living a vibrant and active life with a healthy body and mind. A healthy and good lifestyle doesn’t mean making drastic changes. Small, gradual changes in your daily life can have a big impact.

What is a healthy lifestyle?

You know the obvious behaviors that describe someone who is healthy and takes good care of themselves. A person with a healthy lifestyle doesn’t smoke, he tries to maintain a healthy weight, eats a healthy diet with lots of fruit, vegetables, and fiber, and exercises regularly of course.

More elements could be added to the list. A healthy person also knows how to deal with stress, sleeps well every night, doesn’t drink too much, doesn’t sit too much - in short, does everything in moderation, all the time. When we look at what all could be part of a healthy lifestyle, it becomes clear how difficult all these things are in today’s world.

Benefits of exercise

• Improves self-esteem

• Maintains mobility in old age

• Improves joints stability

• Improves memory in older people

• Reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression and improves mood.

• Increases and improves range of motion

• Preserves bone mass

• Prevents osteoporosis and bone fractures

• Reduces stress

• Prevents the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke

Ways to increase physical activity

• You can start getting healthy now by making your life a little more active.

• Time away from the screen

• Turn off the television and computer. Once a week, turn off all screens and do something physical with your family. Play games, go for a walk, do anything that is more active than sitting on the sofa. This is also a good opportunity to spend time with your family.

• Increase your daily steps

• Look for small ways to walk more. When you get the mail, take a walk around the block, take an extra lap with the dog each day, or walk on the treadmill for five minutes before you get ready for work. If you’re on the phone, walk around or tidy up a bit while you talk. This will keep you moving while doing something you enjoy.

• Do some chores

• Do some chores as you move around more each day. Shoveling snow, working in the garden, raking leaves, sweeping the floor - these activities aren’t strength training, but they can keep you moving while you get your house in order.

• Increase awareness regarding healthy lifestyle

• Try to make a list of all the physical activities you do on an average in a day. If you find that you spend most of your time sitting, make another list of all the ways you could move more - getting up every hour to stretch or go for a walk, climbing the stairs at work, etc.

How to eat healthily?

A healthy diet is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. A diet rich in nutrients can not only help with weight management but also improve your health and quality of life as you age.

You already know the food groups and that you should eat more fruit and vegetables and less processed foods. You probably have a list of things you know you should be eating healthier, but again, too many changes at once can be counterproductive. A strict diet can make you crave the foods you really want to avoid.

Another approach is to look for ways to make smaller changes every day.

Here are a few ideas for changing your diet:

Reduce your intake of sugary drinks. It’s easy to get caught up in the excess sugar and calories in the drinks you drink. With sugary soft drinks, sweetened teas, fruit juices and high-calorie coffee drinks, it is easy to use up your recommended daily allowance of added sugar.

Don’t forget to drink plain water or water flavored with fresh fruit or herbs. It’s a great way to stay hydrated and still get a touch of flavour.

Eat low-fat or fat-free dairy products. Switching to low-fat milk or fat-free yoghurt is another easy way to eat fewer calories without having to change your diet too much.

Eat more fruit. Add it to your breakfast cereal, salad or dinner, or make it into a dessert. Fruit is also a great snack for after work or school.

Do some substitutions. Go through your cupboards or fridge and choose three foods that you eat every day. Write down the nutritional value and next time you are in the supermarket look for low-calorie substitutes for just those three items.

Give more vegetables. Add them wherever you can - tomatoes on your sandwich, peppers on your pizza or extra vegetables in your pasta sauce. Keep pre-cut, canned, or frozen vegetables on hand for quick snacks.

Try a healthy salad dressing. If you’re eating a greasy dressing, switch to a lighter dressing and you’ll automatically get fewer calories. You can also set the dressing aside and dip it or even try making your own.

“A healthy life” for most people means that both the physical and mental health of a person are in balance or working well together. In various cases, mental and physical health are closely related, so that a change (for better or worse) in one directly alters the other.

Healthy eating

All people need to eat food to grow and maintain a healthy body, but we humans have different nutritional needs as babies, infants (children), teenagers, young adults, adults and seniors. Babies, for example, need to be fed every 4 hours until they gradually get older and start eating more solid food.

Summary
Eventually, they evolve to the more normal pattern of eating three times a day, like young children. However, most parents know that children, teenagers and young adults often snack. Snacking is often not limited to these age groups, as adults and seniors also do it frequently.

General Tips:

• Eat three healthy meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner), and dinner does not have to be the largest meal.

• The bulk of the diet should consist of healthy foods such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat dairy products.

• Include lean meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts (with emphasis on beans and nuts) in a healthy diet.

• Choose foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars; pay attention to labels, as products that appear first on the label contain the highest concentrations of ingredients.

• Pay attention to portion sizes; eat the smallest portion that can satisfy your hunger and then stop eating.

• Healthy snacks are fine in moderation and should consist of fruit, whole grains or nuts to satisfy hunger and not cause excessive weight gain.

• Avoid soft drinks and sugary drinks as they are too high in calories; diet drinks are not a good choice as they can make some people hungry and increase food intake.

• Avoid eating a large meal before bed to prevent gastro-oesophageal reflux and weight gain.

• If a person is angry or depressed, food will not resolve these situations and may exacerbate underlying problems.

• Avoid rewarding children with sugary snacks; such behaviour can become a lifelong habit for them.

• Avoid heavy calorie meals during the summer time, especially on hot days.

• A vegetarian lifestyle is encouraged for healthy living and weight loss; vegetarians should consult their doctor to make sure they are getting enough vitamins, minerals and iron.

• Cooking food (above 165 degrees) kills most bacteria and other harmful pathogens. If you choose to eat uncooked foods, such as fruits or vegetables, they should be washed thoroughly with running, treated tap water immediately before consumption.

• Avoid eating undercooked or raw meat of any type.

Tips for special situations:

• People with diabetes should follow the above tips and monitor their blood glucose levels as directed; try to keep daily blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible.

• People with unusual working hours (night shifts, military, students) should try to follow a routine for breakfast, lunch and dinner and have less snacks as possible.

• People who prepare food should avoid using fat or frying food in fat.

• People trying to lose weight (body fat) should avoid all fatty and sugary foods and eat mainly vegetables, fruits and nuts, and significantly reduce their intake of meat and dairy products.

• Consult a doctor early on if you cannot control your weight and food intake, or if you have diabetes and cannot control your blood sugar.

Physical activity and exercise

Physical activity and exercise are important parts of a healthy lifestyle; people are meant to use their bodies and an unhealthy lifestyle leads to an unhealthy body. An unhealthy everyday lifestyle can cause weakness, obesity, lack of stamina, and an overall poor state of health that can lead to the acute development of disease.

General Tips:

Everyday exercise can prevent and reverse age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, improve agility, balance, and endurance, and reduce the risk of falls in elderly people.

Regular exercise can help prevent the risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and high blood pressure. Regular weight-bearing exercise can also help prevent osteoporosis by strengthening bones.

Regular fitness can help chronic arthritis patients improve their ability to perform daily activities such as driving, climbing stairs, and opening jars.

Regular exercise can help increase self-esteem and confidence, reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood and promote overall mental health.

Regular physical activity can help control body weight and cause fat loss in some people.

Moderate exercise for thirty minutes is recommended for at least three to five days a week (walking is good), but the greatest health benefits come from exercising most days of the week.

Exercise can be broken down into smaller ten-minute sessions.

Start slowly and increase your physical activity gradually to avoid injury, excessive fatigue, lethargy and pain. Increase over time to 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day.

You are never too old to start exercising. Even frail elderly people (70-90 years old) can improve their strength and balance through exercise.

Almost all forms of exercise (resistance, water aerobics, walking, swimming, weights, yoga, and many others) are beneficial for everyone.

Children need exercise; playing outside is a good start.

Sports for children are a good form of physical activity, but care should be taken not to do it in excess with certain exercises (for example, throwing too many pitches in baseball can damage joints such as the elbow or shoulder).

However, if pain occurs, exercise should be stopped until the cause of the pain is found; the person may need to consult a doctor for advice on continuing exercise.

Most people can start moderate exercise, such as walking, without a medical examination. However, the following people should consult a doctor before starting heavy exercise:

• Men over 40 or women over 50

• People with lung or heart disease, asthma, osteoporosis or arthritis

• People who experience chest pressure or pain during exertion, fatigue easily or shortness of breath.

• People with conditions that increase the risk of coronary heart disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol or family members who have already had a heart attack or coronary heart disease

• People with morbid obesity

Consequences of lack of exercise and inactivity in physical activity:

1. Physical inactivity and lack of exercise are associated with cancers and heart disease.

2. Physical inactivity and physical inactivity are associated with type II diabetes mellitus (also known as adult-onset diabetes or age-related non-insulin-dependent diabetes). It also contributes to weight gain.

3. Mental health

4. A healthy lifestyle includes not only physical health but also emotional or mental health. Here are some ways people can promote their mental health and well-being.

General Tips:

• Get enough sleep every day; the CDC recommends for every age group (including naps): 12-18 hours from birth to 2 months, 14-15 hours from 3-11 months, 12-18 hours for 1-3 years, 11-13 hours for 3-5 years, 10-11 hours for 5-10 years, 8.5-9.5 hours for 10-17 years, and over 18 years need 7-9 hours of sleep.

Older people need about 7-9 hours, but they do not sleep as deeply and sometimes wake up during the night or wake up early, so they can make up the full 7-9 hours of sleep with a nap (as children need).

• Take a walk at least a couple of times a week and think about what you see and hear.

• Try something new often (eat a new dish, take a different route to work, visit a new museum exhibition).

• Do some mental exercises (read, do a puzzle now and then during the week).

• Try to concentrate intensively on one process for one to several hours and do part of it, then take a break and do something relaxing (walk, exercise, short nap).

• Plan some time to talk to other people about different subjects.

• Try to set aside some time each week to do things that interest you (hobby, sport).

• Learn to say “no” if you want to do something you don’t want to do or be involved in.

• Have fun (take an outing with someone you love, go shopping, fishing; don’t let the holiday time pass you by).

• Be satisfied with what you have achieved, in large and small ways (develop contentment).

• Have a network of friends; people with a strong social support system live healthier lives.

• Seek help and advice early if you are feeling depressed, have suicidal thoughts or are thinking of harming yourself or others.

• People taking medication for mental health problems should not stop taking it, no matter how “good” they feel, until they have discussed their situation with the prescribing doctor(s).

• Avoidance behaviour is another key to wellbeing. Here are some of the most important things to avoid when pursuing a healthy lifestyle.

Abstainng from tobacco use

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), tobacco use is the leading preventable disease and cause of death in the US. It is estimated that tobacco use caused 443 000 deaths in the US in 2010.

General Tip:

• Stop smoking; start today (it takes about 15 years to reach a “normal” heart disease risk for smokers).

• Stop using chewing tobacco to prevent mouth cancer.

Adverse effects of tobacco use:

Tobacco use causes a large number of cancers in the US. In men, 90% of lung cancer deaths are due to smoking; in women, 80%. Tobacco use causes cancer of the lungs, mouth, lips, tongue, oesophagus, kidneys and urinary bladder.

It also increases the risk of bladder cancer in people occupationally exposed to certain organic chemicals in the textile, leather, rubber, paint and other organic chemical industries, and it enhances the risk of lung cancer in people who have asbestos.

Notes and recommendations (tips):

• Quitting smoking is difficult because tobacco contains nicotine, which is addictive. Some smokers can quit, but for most quitting requires a serious life-long commitment and an average of six attempts before success is achieved.

• Smoking cessation can be achieved through behavioral modification, counseling, the use of nicotine chewing gum (Nicorette Gum), nicotine patches on the skin (Transderm Nicotine), or mouth medication such as bupropion (Zyban).

• Avoiding excessive alcohol consumption

Adverse effects of excessive alcohol consumption:

• Chronic binge drinking is the leading cause of cirrhosis of the liver in the United States.

• Cirrhosis can cause internal bleeding, fluid accumulation in the abdomen, easy bleeding and bruising, muscle loss, mental confusion, infections and in advanced cases coma and kidney failure.

• Liver cirrhosis can cause liver cancer.

• Alcohol is responsible for 40%-50% of deaths in car accidents in the US.

• Alcohol consumption is a leading cause of injury and death from home accidents, drowning, and burns.

Notes and recommendations (tips):

There are many treatments for alcoholism. But the crucial first step to recovery is for the individual to admit that there is a problem and make a commitment to deal with the problem of alcoholism.

The 12-step self-help programs developed by Alcoholics Anonymous can be an effective treatment. Psychologists and related professionals have developed programs to help people better cope with emotional stress and avoid behaviors that can lead to excessive alcohol use.

Support and understanding from family members are often crucial to a sustained recovery. Medication can be helpful in relapse prevention and withdrawal symptoms after acute or long-term intoxication.

• Avoiding risky sexual behavior

• Risky sexual behavior can lead to contracting sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea, syphilis, herpe simplex virus, or Human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Risky sexual behavior is also known to lead to the spread of human papillomavirus, which can cause cervical cancer in women and other anogenital cancers in both men and women. High-risk sexual behavior includes the following:

• Multiple sex partners

• Sexual partners with a history of the following:

• Intravenous drug use

• Venereal diseases (sexually transmitted diseases or STDs)

• Adverse consequences of risky sexual behavior:

• viral transmission and other sexually transmitted diseases (chlamydia, gonorrhea, urogenital herpe, syphilis )

• transmission of hepatitis B (50% of hepatitis B infections are the result of sexual transmission) and, in rare cases, hepatitis C

• transmission of human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause urogenital warts and anogenital carcinomas, most commonly cervical cancer

• Unplanned pregnancy

• Avoid unprotected sex (sex without barriers) outside of a steady, committed, monogamous relationship.

• If you plan to have a sexual inter-course and are unsure of your partner’s health status, use safety equipment.

10 Habits of Healthy People - How To Live Longer

Benefits of a healthy lifestyle

A healthy lifestyle has many benefits and reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes.

Your Health:

Good health is not something you can take from a drugstore or department store’’ but can be achieved through proper exercise and nutrition. Good health practices also lead to fewer illnesses and injuries and fewer visits to the doctor.

Weight:

Reducing weight by as little as 10% significantly reduces the risk of heart disease and other obesity-related diseases such as orthopedic disorders, sleep apnoea, type II diabetes mellitus, asthma, high blood pressure and cholesterol, skin diseases, and emotional and psychosocial problems.

Exercise:

Although drugs alone can often reduce cholesterol to normal levels, diet and exercise offer benefits that drugs do not.

They lower blood pressure, reduce weight, and reduce the risk of developing diabetes. A sedentary lifestyle is a dangerous risk factor that can cause diseases. Exercise and healthy eating help the body use insulin more efficiently and can help control, alleviate and prevent many diseases.

Doctor:

We all want a slim and healthy body for various aesthetic, social, and medical reasons. A healthy lifestyle is really the best medicine. Exercise helps lower LDL cholesterol and other risk factors, going beyond what drug treatment can do.

Even modest weight loss can help lower medical and pharmaceutical costs, avoid bariatric surgery and prevent comorbidities such as asthma, hypertension, and diabetes.

Wellness:

Wellness is feeling good in your living space: your body, your attitude and your environment. A healthy lifestyle can significantly increase a person’s life expectancy.

Even though sometimes an infectious disease like a cold or flu cannot be avoided, if you know that it is better to feel healthy, you can live each day to the fullest.

Care:

The risks to self-care are high, but the potential benefits are great: preventing illness and disability, controlling healthcare costs, and maintaining a high quality of life into old age.

Control:

With a healthy lifestyle, you have more control over your life, because you work with your body against the aspects of life that can harm you if you allow them to. For example, with a healthy lifestyle, you have control over your sleep patterns so that you feel rested throughout the day.

Strength:

A healthy lifestyle provides a steady stream of stamina and strength; you can do activities and exercises that improve your flexibility. With a healthy lifestyle, you have a balanced and varied diet that provides your body with the nutrients and energy it needs. You can do strength training to build the muscles that support your bones and joints, reducing the risk of falls and bone fractures.

Aerobic exercise, which strengthens the heart muscle, and weight-bearing exercises, such as walking and strength training, help delay and/or prevent the development of osteoporosis.

Recommended Vitamin Intakes for Individuals

Life Stage Group	Vitamin A (μg/d)a	Vitamin C (mg/d)	Vitamin D (μg/d)b, c	Vitamin E (mg/d)d	Vitamin K (μg/d)	Thiamin (mg/d)
Infants
0–6 mo	400*	40*	5*	4*	2.0*	0.2*
7–12 mo	500*	50*	5*	5*	2.5*	0.3*
Children
1–3 y	300	15	5*	6	30*	0.5
4–8 y	400	25	5*	7	55*	0.6
Males
9–13 y	600	45	5*	11	60*	0.9
14–18 y	900	75	5*	15	75*	1.2
19–30 y	900	90	5*	15	120*	1.2
31–50 y	900	90	5*	15	120*	1.2
51–70 y	900	90	10*	15	120*	1.2
> 70 y	900	90	15*	15	120*	1.2
Females
9–13 y	600	45	5*	11	60*	0.9
14–18 y	700	65	5*	15	75*	1.0
19–30 y	700	75	5*	15	90*	1.1
31–50 y	700	75	5*	15	90*	1.1
51–70 y	700	75	10*	15	90*	1.1
> 70 y	700	75	15*	15	90*	1.1
Pregnancy
14–18 y	750	80	5*	15	75*	1.4
19–30 y	770	85	5*	15	90*	1.4
31–50 y	770	85	5*	15	90*	1.4
Lactation
14–18 y	1,200	115	5*	19	75*	1.4
19–30 y	1,300	120	5*	19	90*	1.4
31–50 y	1,300	120	5*	19	90*	1.4

Frequently Asked Questions:

Here are a few FAQs related to healthy lifestyle.

1. What are 7 ways to a healthier lifestyle?

1. Don’t skip your breakfast.

2. Include fruit and vegetables in your diet.

3. Reduce your alcohol intake.

4. Install a health care app.

5. Put exercise on your list.

6. Reduce your sugar and salt intake.

7. Maintain healthy body weight.

2. How does lifestyle affect your daily life?

Millions of people lead an unhealthy lifestyle. This can cause disability, illness, and even death. Problems such as metabolic diseases, bones, and skeletal problems, cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, obesity, violence, etc. are the result of an unhealthy lifestyle.

3. What is the relationship between healthy eating and calories?

Calories are the body’s fuel source. We need to replenish our energy supply by eating food, but in many diets, calories are branded as the enemy of our weight, even though calories are a necessary part of our life.

A normal man needs about 2,500 calories and a woman about 2,000 calories a day to eat healthily unless you want to lose weight. In general, high-calorie foods indicate a higher salt, sugar or fat content, but some foods that are naturally high in calories are a useful and nutritious addition to a healthy diet.

Corn, nuts, avocados, olive oil, and wholemeal bread are all high-calorie but beneficial foods that provide a variety of nutrients needed in the diet, and unlike other healthy foods that don’t fill you up, do fill you up for a long time.

4. Are carbs unhealthy?

In many popular diets, carbohydrates are labeled as bad for the waistline and therefore for your health, which can have a negative effect if eaten in excess with other nutrients.

Many different foods contain carbohydrates, including typical foods like pasta and bread, but also fruits and vegetables contain carbohydrates, which are not only a healthy source of energy but also provide vitamins and nutrients.

Summary
Processed carbohydrates can have an impact on health, and if you want to lose weight it can be helpful to limit your carbohydrate intake, but carbohydrates are an important part of a balanced diet and, if consumed wisely, contribute significantly to a healthy diet.

5. How can a healthy diet affect cholesterol levels?

Cholesterol is a fat-based substance that the body needs, but in excessive amounts, it can lead to serious health problems. Low-density cholesterol causes blockages in the arteries and significantly increases the risk of heart disease.

Not all is lost, however, as the bad cholesterol level can be lowered with a diet. Eating too little protective fats, such as nuts and seeds, and foods with a high saturated fat content increases blood cholesterol levels.

Summary
Basic changes such as eating more fruit, vegetables, lean or fat-free animal products, and foods high in fiber can lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

6. What is omega-3 and why should it be consumed?

With healthy eating and fitness occupying an increasingly prominent place in society, there is much debate as to whether fats should be part of a healthy diet and, if so, which fats.

With the invention of the word “superfood”, omega-3s have been characterized as the superfood of the fast group, which are proving to be particularly useful for many preventions of problems.

These include depression, memory loss, heart problems, joints, and skin problems, and the general promotion of health and well-being, both physical and mental. Omega-3 is mainly found in fish and is considered an essential fatty acid for a healthy diet.

7. How is dietary fibre healthy?

Dietary fibre is an important part of a balanced diet needed for nutrition. Its main purpose is to aid digestion and movement of the digestive system, but fibre also has many other health benefits.
Prevention of heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, cancer, etc. is all affected by fibre, making it an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.

Both soluble fibre, which is eaten with food and helps lower cholesterol levels and nutritional value, and insoluble fibre, which promotes the movement of food through the digestive system, are beneficial to the body’s health.

Conclusion:
A healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean you should undergo drastic changes in your everyday life. It’s better to adapt to changes when they don’t turn your whole life upside down. Just pick one thing and work on it every day while keeping the rest of your life and your habits. You will be surprised that these small changes can really make a difference.

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