Many of us have goals for maintaining good health. So just what are the most important factors for establishing optimum health. Studies indicate that the following five factors make the biggest difference in overall health and wellness: 1) diet; 2) rest; 3) exercise; 4) posture; and 5) Sleep. When self-evaluating where you are with these five factors, choose your weakest area and start with making goals for improvement. Learn how partnering with Balanced Well-Being Healthcare can help you improve your overall wellness.
Multiple daily practices have a profound impact on both long-term and short-term health and quality of life. This review will focus on 5 key aspects of lifestyle habits and practices: regular physical activity, proper nutrition, weight management, avoiding tobacco products, and stress reduction/mental health.
Exercise
Regular exercise has been shown to help boost energy levels and enhance your mood. It may also be associated with many other health benefits, including a reduced risk of chronic disease.
Exercise may increase brain sensitivity to serotonin and norepinephrine. These hormones relieve feelings of depression. It may also increase the production of endorphins, which help produce positive feelings and reduce the perception of pain.
Impact exercises like gymnastics, running, or soccer may help promote higher bone density than no-impact sports like swimming and cycling. Aerobic exercise boosts your cardiovascular system and improves lung health, which may help with energy levels.
Your heart pumps more blood as you move, delivering more oxygen to your working muscles. With regular exercise, your heart becomes more efficient at moving oxygen into your blood.
Sleep
Rest often takes a back seat to other priorities in today’s world when we are pressed for time, but that’s you sacrifice now may cause you long-term problems in the future.
Insufficient sleep has also been linked to these (obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease) and other health problems, and is considered an important risk factor. Although scientists have just begun to identify the connections between insufficient sleep and disease, most experts have concluded that getting enough high-quality sleep may be as important to health and well-being as nutrition and exercise.
Sleep is important for maintaining optimal health and well-being. Like exercise and a balanced diet, getting enough sleep may help prevent a range of health issues, including heart disease and depression. Sleep is a vital, often neglected, component of every person’s overall health and well-being. Sleep is important because it enables the body to repair and be fit and ready for another day.
Diet
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best. This means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions, and consuming the right amount of food and drink to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
Starchy foods should make up just over a third of everything you eat. This means your meals should be based on these foods. Choose wholegrain or wholemeal varieties of starchy foods, such as brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, and brown, wholemeal or higher fibre white bread. They contain more fibre, and usually more vitamins and minerals, than white varieties.
You need to drink plenty of fluids to stop you getting dehydrated. The government recommends drinking 6 to 8 glasses every day. This is in addition to the fluid you get from the food you eat.
All non-alcoholic drinks count, but water, lower fat milk and lower sugar drinks, including tea and coffee, are healthier choices. Try to avoid sugary soft and fizzy drinks, as they’re high in calories. They’re also bad for your teeth. Even unsweetened fruit juice and smoothies are high in free sugar. Your combined total of drinks from fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies should not be more than 150ml a day, which is a small glass.
Alcohol Limitation or Avoidance
Many people drink alcohol as a personal preference, during social activities, or as a part of cultural and religious practices. People who choose not to drink make that choice for the same reasons. Knowing your personal risk based on your habits can help you make the best decision for you.
The evidence for moderate alcohol use in healthy adults is still being studied. But good evidence shows that drinking high amounts of alcohol are clearly linked to health problems.
Consuming moderate amounts of alcohol may offer some health benefits. However, heavy drinking can have a negative impact on your mood and the function of your brain, heart, and other bodily systems.
Drink plenty of water
Did you know that we can go 3 weeks without food but not more than 7 days without water? This tells us that water is essential. To stay hydrated and in good health, we should drink eight glasses of pure water per day. (Juices, cool drinks, and other beverages are not considered water.) Water promotes healthy digestion, keeps our cells hydrated and working properly, and flushes toxins from our bodies. Our bodies are able to absorb vital nutrients from food because of water.
Learning how to incorporate these tips for maintaining good health is made easier by recruiting a Balanced Well-Being Healthcare coach. It can mean the difference to you between so-called “yo-yo diets” and the long-term health, energetic lifestyle, and emotional and physical wellness you deserve.
