The importance of having healthy habits

These days, living a healthy lifestyle is definitely not easy since stress  appears to be anywhere and everybody lacks the time necessary to do all the proper dietary choices. For most people it will be really difficult to go through life without eventually having to cope with different problems. The truth is that the best possible way to go through life without having to face such problems is living a healthy lifestyle. It will make everything a lot easier and will help you to not have to face different possible diseases that are caused by bad dieting and a generally bad lifestyle . Moreover, living healthy also elevates your mood, helping you to feel happy and have more self confidence, which results in a better quality of life.

Contrary to what you might think, there is much more to a healthy lifestyle than just exercising. The most important factor is to eat healthily as this is what will fuel your entire life.

Why is nutrition important?

A healthy diet  will give your body the right amount of energy and enough raw materials you need to stay healthy. Good nutrition will also provide phytochemicals and antioxidants that will help you feeling young, looking great, and perhaps even disease-free. A bad diet will give you too many or too few calories, not enough vitamins and minerals, and will actually make you need more of the antioxidants that you aren’t getting. Sticking to a diet high in fruits and vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids and low in processed foods, sugar, animal fats, and red meat will go a long way in curing some illnesses and preventing diseases.

Bad nutrition habits can either lead to obesity or malnutrition, both of which are dangerous for the body. A human body suffering from obesity or malnutrition has a high chance of developing many diseases such as heart dysfunction, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and many others. After all, as the saying goes, you are what you eat.

Exercise regularly

Exercising is another factor that you need to pay attention to. Humans were made to move. Our blood and    lymphatic circulation, blood oxygen levels, heart strength, lung capacity, elimination systems, physical condition, mood, etc   are all enhanced with exercise. Modern day living and modern technology have reduced us to such sedentary beings that we are terribly lacking in exercise. Therefore, exercising is essential in today’s society.

Get enough quality rest

Without consistent sleep, your stress levels rise and your body can’t function as well as it should, leaving you vulnerable to disease and illness. Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do. It is important to set a regular sleep schedule for yourself with a consistent bedtime and wake-up time.

Stay connected

Having regular social contacts with friends and loved ones is a key to avoiding depression. This is particularly important for older people, who tend to feel isolated when they live alone or can’t get out and about as much as they used to. Thus, engaging in activities that put you in contact with your other people lifts your mood, gives you fun and enjoyment and It aids in reducing the level of stress

Have a positive mental outlook

Loving life, having a positive attitude and mindset, and being optimistic about the future is crucial. Do not let fears control you. Being mentally positive is essential for good health and recovery from serious diseases.

In conclusion, health concerns both physical and emotional well-being. Unfortunately, most people will have a lot of problems with this since they will not have the necessary time to rest the correct amount of hours, to work out at least 3 times per week and to spend time in cooking only healthy meals. In addition, there are temptations everywhere. It is very easy to end up grabbing a hamburger instead of having to spend an hour in the kitchen to fix up a proper meal. Also, counting calories and always making time to work out at least 1 hour is complicated.

REFERENCES:

Help guide. 2012. Easy tips for planning a healthy diet and sticking to it. Available at: http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_eating_diet.htm [Accessed: December  9th, 2012]

Waehner, P., 2011. Simple ways to have a healthy lifestyle. Available at: http://exercise.about.com/od/healthinjuries/a/healthylifestyl.htm [Accessed: December 9th, 2012]

Tecco, A., 1999. Why us exercise important? Available at: http://www.healthdiscovery.net/articles/exercise_importa.htm [Accessed: December 9th, 2012]

Lifescrip. 2006. The importance of healthy eating habits. Available at: http://www.lifescript.com/diet-fitness/articles/archive/diet/eat-well/the_importance_of_healthy_eating_habits.aspx [Accessed: December 9th, 2012]

Youtube. 2009. How to start living a healthier lifestyle. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_FDmbOLKaI [Accessed: December 9th, 2012]