Making improvements to one’s own health is something most people wish to incorporate into their lives yet tend to delay any act of doing so out of the lack of knowledge of how and where to start or fail to maintain their health due to reasons such as time, money, and motivation. While the latter can put people into difficult positions, and the former requires a bit of guidance, both have promised solutions to afford people the healthy lifestyle they deserve.
For a lot of people, it can be difficult trying to find the best information since different sources will have opposing details. My own personal journey toward health has been long and steady for this very reason, but today I will share the knowledge I have cultivated along the way so you can start your own journey with fewer setbacks and less time and money wasted.
Health can be divided into three components: diet, exercise, and sleep. Each has several benefits for the body and the mind and working to improve all of them creates a happier and healthier human being.
#1: Diet
Having a healthy diet is fundamental to becoming healthier since we eat daily and choosing what we put in our body should be a crucial decision. It's important to look for food that contains the necessary nutrients needed to build our strength which are protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins, and water. For example, carbohydrates are necessary for us to feel energized, and eating them won't cause any harm to our weight as long as they are implemented in our diet through reasonable portions. In fact, carbohydrates contain fiber which has several benefits, especially for our gut health which is important to consider since Irritable Bowel Syndrome has "a prevalence of 10-20% among the adult population worldwide" (El-Sahly et al). Green vegetables, fermented foods, fruits, whole grains, fish, and nuts are just some of the healthiest foods to incorporate into your diet and have lasting health benefits according to the CDC.
#2: Exercise
Research says that we should aim to get at least 30 minutes a day of exercise to maintain our health. If you don't have time to workout, walking is a great way to get your exercise in which can be done even when we leave our house to do errands. But to take it a step further, taking time to do cardio, strength training, or even yoga are great for building our agility and endurance.
#3 Sleep
Sleep is far more important than most people think since long hours spent over our education and careers have taken a toll on how much sleep we can get. The average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep a night and anything less can cause significant negative health impacts over time. According to a chapter on sleep from the book "Behavioral Fitness and Resilience", "one study found that just one night of sleep deprivation was linked to specific indicators of decreased cardiovascular health" (Robson and Salcedo 1).
References
"Benefits of Healthy Eating." Centers for Disease COntrol and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 May 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/resources-publications/benefits-of-healthy-eating.html.
CBS Mornings. How lack of sleep affects health and tips for a good night's rest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpyoDML2eUI
Edward R. Laskowski, M.D. "How Much Exercise Do You Really Need?" Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for medical Education and Research, 22 Sept. 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/expert-answers/exercise/faq-20057916#:text=As%20a%20general%20goal%2C%20aim,your%20risk%20of%20metabolic%20problem.
El-Salhy M, Ystad SO, Mazzawi T, Gundersen D. Dietary fiber in irritable bowel syndrome (Review). Int J Mol Med. 2017 Sep;40(3):607-613. doi: 10.3892/ijmm.2017.3072. Epub 2017 Jul 19. PMID: 28731144; PMCID: PMC5548066.
Exercise Picture.17 Health Benefits of Exercise That May Surprise You - Totalwellness. https://info.totalwellnesshealth.com/blog/health-benefits-of-exercise.
Ferreira, Mandy. "6 Essential Nutrients: What They Are and Why You Need Them." Healthline, Healthline Media, 4 Sept. 2020, https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/six-essential-nutrients#water.
Food Picture. “Foods to Avoid on a Ketogenic Diet [Complete List].” Ruled Me, 22 Aug. 2021, https://www.ruled.me/foods-to-avoid-on-a-ketogenic-diet-what-is-keto-friendly/.
"How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?" Sleep Foundation, 29 Aug. 2022, https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need.
Robson, Sean, and Nicholas Salcedo. "Sleep." Behavioral Fitness and Resilience: A Review of Relevant Constructs, measures, and Links to Well-Being, RAND Corporation, 2014, pp. 7-12. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/j.ctt14bs379.9 Accessed 24 Sep. 2022.
