Stick to a healthy plan for a healthy life

Dr. Ravi Rao
April 28, 2020

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Lifestyle is an all-embracing term referring to the way a person lives. Choice of food, selection of activities, a decision at leading a positive life, everything adds up to the overall health. Our everyday choices directly influence our health.

A healthy plan includes –

Healthy diet

Unhealthy food choices don’t supply the body with essential nutrients and lead to obesity and comorbidities. A diet filled with too many calories, overeating, not enough fruits & vegetables, high-fat foods, too much sugar, etc. won’t help the body. On the flip side, some plan fad diets that are unreasonable & short-lived. Low-carb foods, low-fat yoghurt, gluten-free foods and suchlike lure the consumers into buying it, but they might have high-sugar content or might be highly processed & packed with additives.

For healthier living, as much as possible –

Include whole grains
Increase protein intake
Increase water intake
Bake or roast the food instead of grilling or frying
Include lots of fruits & vegetables
Try eating home-made food

Regular workout

Diet & exercise go hand-in-hand. An active lifestyle with a focused workout will keep the body & mind agile. Thus, warding off illnesses and building immunity to fight diseases.

Sleep

Sleep is generally an underestimated factor from a lifestyle perspective. But studies indicate that it is just as crucial as exercise & diet. Sleep has a vital impact on physical & mental health. Sleep deprivation is strongly linked to hormonal changes and obesity apart from the risk of heart diseases, stroke, type-2 diabetes, depression, etc.

Technological addiction

Gadgets surround our lives. Looking into them and working on them for the most part of the day might affect the pattern of sleep, push us into a sedentary lifestyle and thus start a vicious cycle.

leisure

Leisure tantamounts to better management of stress and depression. There are times when your body & mind push you to take a break to beat physical exhaustion, anxiety, mood swings, guilt, anger and so on., and make a conscious effort to change your lifestyle. But as a routine, it is essential to give yourself time and do things that can keep your mind & body happy, peaceful & healthy.

It is often the initial boost that a person needs to kick start a newer, healthier lifestyle, and small changes can take us a long way.

There are times when the body wants to embrace a different lifestyle, but the mind doesn’t permit or vice versa. But life is all about the choices we make. Choose a healthy lifestyle, choose happiness.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/7-ways-to-jumpstart-healthy-change-in-your-life

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-eating-tips

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4703222/