Healthy Lifestyle: 15 Simple Steps for a Healthy Lifestyle

 

A healthy lifestyle simply means doing things that make you happy and feel good. For one person, that may mean walking a mile five times a week, eating fast food once a week, and spending virtual or in-person time with loved ones every other day.

It’s a common myth that getting fit is only about eating healthy and exercising. In reality, creating a healthy lifestyle and maintaining it isn’t about just those two factors—it’s also about being able to keep a positive attitude, strong mental health and a healthy self-image.

In this article you know:

· 5 Simple Steps for a Healthy Lifestyle

· 10 Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle and Body Weight

· 5 Benefits of Healthy Lifestyle: (5 Tips for Living Your Strongest, Healthiest Life).

 

15 Simple Steps for a Healthy Lifestyle

Although there is a ton of advice out there on how to achieve a healthy lifestyle, here are some key factors to keep in mind.

1. Drink more water

Most of us don’t drink enough water every day, but it is essential for our bodies to work properly. Water is absolutely necessary for carrying out our bodily functions, removing waste, and transporting nutrients and oxygen throughout our bodies.

Since water is expelled every day through urination, bowel movements, perspiration and breathing, we need to replenish the amount of water in our bodies constantly.

The amount of water we need depends on a variety of factors, but generally an average adult needs two to three liters a day. A good way to tell if you are getting enough water is by your urine—which should be either colorless or pale yellow.

2. Get enough sleep

When you don’t sleep, you tend to eat more. Usually only junk food.

3. Exercise

Not just a few times a week, but every day. By moving your body in some way for 30 minutes a day, you will lower your risk of disease, create higher bone density and potentially increase your life span.

4. Eat more fruits and vegetables

All fruits and vegetables carry vitamins and minerals, components essential to your health. It’s suggested that we consume 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day to maintain health.

5. Eat the rainbow

 Pick brightly-colored foods in the produce aisle. These are high in antioxidants (antioxidants remove free radicals in our body that damage our cells) and make a more appealing plate.

Here are a few examples to look out for:

•White (Bananas, Mushrooms)

•Yellow (Pineapples, Mangoes)

• Orange (Oranges, Papayas)

• Red (Apples, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Watermelons)

• Green (Guavas, Avocados, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Celery)

• Purple/Blue (Blackberries, Eggplants, Prunes)

6. Cut down on processed foods

Processed foods are simply not good for you. Most nutritional value is lost in the making of processed foods and the added preservatives are bad for our health. 

These foods contain a high amount of salt, which leads to high blood pressure and heart disease. In general, the more ingredients on the label, the more processed the item.

7. Avoid negative people in your life

A positive mentality is key for a healthy life. You don’t need negativity in your life. If you feel that a person or friend is negative, just let him or her go.

8. Avoid negativity within yourself

You don’t need negativity from yourself, either. Let go of all negative thoughts within yourself. Overeating tends to happen when one feels unhappy, so by staying in a positive state of mind, you cut out an unhealthy dependence on food to be happy.

9. Avoid trigger foods

These are foods you can’t put down after one bite. Everyone’s trigger foods are different, but typically they consist of candy bars, chocolate, chips, cookies, or anything with high levels of refined sugar, salt, fat or flour.

10. Take your time eating

Your brain, not your stomach, is the organ responsible for feelings of hunger and fullness. If you take your time during meals and eat more slowly, you allow your brain adequate time to send the “full” message to your stomach and allow your food to be fully ingested. Don’t rely on a clean plate to tell you when it’s time to stop eating.

11. Prepare your meals

When you prepare meals yourself, you control exactly what goes in to them. This makes it easier for you to make the right healthy choices for your body.

12. Move toward low calorie and low fat alternatives

There are many low-fat or non-fat alternatives readily available in all grocery stores. Try switching your full-fat pantry staples for low-fat versions over a period of time.

13. Stop smoking

Smoking is bad, period. If you’re a smoker, quit for better health —not just for yourself, but for your family and friends. If you don’t smoke, stay that way.

14. Have healthy snacks on hand

Eating small meals throughout the day is good for your metabolism, but eating the right things is what matters most. When turning to snacks during your day, look for things like fruit, salad, or freshly squeezed juices not from concentrate. These are nutritional and won’t give you a sugar crash.

15. Take Multivitamin Supplements

To make sure you have sufficient levels of nutrients, taking a daily multivitamin supplement is a good idea, especially when you do not have a variety of vegetables and fruits at home. Many micronutrients are vital to your immune system, including vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, and E, as well as zinc, iron, copper, selenium, and magnesium.

However, there’s currently NO available evidence that adding any supplements or “miracle mineral supplements” to your diet will help protect you from the virus or increase recovery. In some cases, high doses of vitamins can be bad for your health.

 

10 Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle and Body Weight

In particular, many of us will gain some weight during the pandemic and may keep the extra weight permanently, which may carry considerable health risks for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart attack, stroke, and other health problems.

Here, I did like to share some basic tips and resources for how to maintain your healthy lifestyle, body weight, and overall well-being while staying home and engaging in social distancing.

1. Measure and Watch Your Weight

Keeping track of your body weight on a daily or weekly basis will help you see what you’re losing and/or what you’re gaining.

2. Exercise Regularly and Be Physically Active

At this time, at-home workouts may be a good idea. But you can also walk your dog or run outside. Be sure you know what’s going on in your area and if there are any restrictions or mandatory self-quarantines.

3. Limit Unhealthy Foods and Eat Healthy Meals

Do not forget to eat breakfast and choose a nutritious meal with more protein and fiber and less fat, sugar, and calories.

4. Take Multivitamin Supplements

To make sure you have sufficient levels of nutrients, taking a daily multivitamin supplement is a good idea, especially when you do not have a variety of vegetables and fruits at home.

Many micronutrients are vital to your immune system, including vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, and E, as well as zinc, iron, copper, selenium, and magnesium. However, there’s currently NO available evidence that adding any supplements or “miracle mineral supplements” to your diet will help protect you from the virus or increase recovery. In some cases, high doses of vitamins can be bad for your health.

5. Find Ways to Manage Your Emotions

It is common for people to have feelings of fear, anxiety, sadness, and uncertainty during a pandemic. To minimize stress-related weight gain, you use this information about stress and coping provided by the CDC.

6. Drink Water and Stay Hydrated, and Limit Sugared Beverages

Drink water regularly to stay healthy, but there is NO evidence that drinking water frequently (e.g. every 15 minutes) can help prevent any viral infection.

7. Reduce Sitting and Screen Time

Exercise can’t immunize you from your sedentary time. Even people who exercise regularly could be at increased risk for diabetes and heart disease and stroke if they spend lots of time sitting behind computers. Practically speaking, you could consider taking breaks from sedentary time, such as walking around the office/room a couple of times in a day.

8. Go Easy on Alcohol and Stay Sober

Drinking alcohol does not protect you from the coronavirus infection. Don’t forget that those alcohol calories can add up quickly. Alcohol should always be consumed in moderation.

9. Get Enough Good Sleep

There is a very strong connection between sleep quality and quantity and your immune system. You can keep your immune system functioning properly by getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night.

10. Move toward low calorie and low fat alternatives

There are many low-fat or non-fat alternatives readily available in all grocery stores. Try switching your full-fat pantry staples for low-fat versions over a period of time.

 

5 Benefits of Healthy Lifestyle: (5 Tips for Living Your Strongest, Healthiest Life)

Your journey toward a healthier lifestyle starts with small changes that you feel confident you can achieve. Consider making “SMART” goals. SMART stands for:

· Specific

· Measurable

· Attainable

· Relevant time-bound (met by a deadline and done in a certain amount of time)

When you focus on SMART goals, you could find more success. And one initial “win” will propel you to set new, bigger goals.

Consider the following tips for beginning to improve your overall health.

1. Eat more vegetables

Studies shows that consuming more veggies and fruit is associated with lower risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and premature death.

Although eating more vegetables is better, you don’t have to go from zero to nine servings a day. Perhaps your goal is eating one serving of vegetables at dinner. If you already do that, consider eating one vegetable or fruit at every meal. Keep in mind that less-processed veggies are better.

Rather than fries, try roasted potatoes seasoned with herbs or make a stir-fry of several colorful vegetables and drizzle them with tasty vinaigrette.

2. Maintain friendships

Strong relationships and staying in communication with friends and loved ones can support mental health.

For one, the risk of depression is greater in people with low-quality relationships. Those with the poorest quality social relationships have more than double the risk of depression compared to people with the highest quality connections.

Similarly, research suggests feeling isolated is associated with an increased risk of poor self-rated health and depression. 

It is also associated with various health problems, like headaches, palpitations, and lower back, neck, or shoulder pain.

Even if you cannot get together with friends or family in person, schedule a time to catch up over a phone or video call once a week. Or, simply start chatting with a neighbor when you see them.

3. Be more active

If the words “exercise” or “workout” put you off, think of this step in terms of physical activity or simply moving your body. You could walk, go for a bike ride, take salsa dancing lessons, practice martial arts, or try a workout class online. The most important thing is to choose an activity you enjoy.

Choosing an activity you have an interest in will increase the chances that you’ll stick with it. Secondly, remember that you don’t have to start with a long workout. 

Aim for 10 minutes a day, 5 days a week. When you feel ready, add another 5 or 10 minutes. Keep doing this until you reach at least 30 minutes a day most days of the week.

4. Control stress

Chronic stress puts your body into fight-or-flight mode all the time. This taxes your immune system and makes you more susceptible to health problems, including:

· Heart

· Disease

· Diabetes

· Digestive problems

· Depression

· High blood pressure

· Anxiety

· Difficulty sleeping

Exercise can help reduce stress by releasing pent-up energy.

Physical activity can also boost the release of mood-lifting hormones called endorphins.

For others, mindfulness practices — like meditation, deep breathing, journaling, or spending time in nature — can help to lower stress.

Talking to friends can also help. If you would like more support relieving stress, consider therapy. Working with a trained psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist can help you work through challenges life throws your way, and it can help you learn new skills to manage stress.

5. Swap in whole grains

Replacing refined grains with whole grains will benefit your health. Research shows that, 81 men and postmenopausal women were divided into two groups. Half followed a diet that contained whole grains, and the other half followed a diet that was calorically the same but contained refined grains. After 6 weeks, the whole grain group increased their resting metabolic rate (RMR). RMR is how many calories your body burns at rest.

Research from 2016 and 2020 consuming more whole grains with reduced risk of diabetes, coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Start small by replacing one refined grain each day with a whole grain — maybe it’s your breakfast toast or the pilaf you make with dinner.

Experiment with different grains and flavorings to see which ones you enjoy most

Whole grains include:

· Plain oats

· Whole grain bread and pasta

· Brown and wild rice

· Buckwheat

· Bulgur wheat

· Millet

· Barley

· Spelt

· Quinoa

· Farro

Refined Grains include:

· White bread and pasta

· White rice

· Most breakfast cereals

· Chips

· Pretzel

· Crackers