Top 9 guidelines for Better Health

Health and fitness are two important factors for living your life with happiness. These two should be thought of as an integral part of life. The population who suffers from non-communicable diseases (NCD’s) such as cancer, heart ailments, mental issues, diabetes, and high blood pressure are increasing as a result of the fast-food lifestyle. It is very important to understand that health is not just a matter of time frame but an individual should try to maintain proper health practices throughout the lifetime.

Some guidelines which can be practiced throughout your life for maintaining better health are given below.

1. Exercise

Sit less and move more. Our human body is evolved to do physical work most of the time. Dropping some sweat has physical as well as mental advantages. To begin with, you can do small tasks which will force your body to move more and you can gradually increase the exercise load. You can simply take the stairs instead of the lift whenever possible. Take 100 steps after dinner. Don’t sit for long hours, take walk breaks between sittings. Park the car as far as possible. These small tasks done over a long number of times can give unbelievable results.

2. Drink more water

Our body contains 60 % of water and 90 % of an adult’s body weight is comprised of water. Even though dehydration is not considered a serious medical condition, it can lead to very undesirable side effects in the body. Lack of water in your body can cause fatigue, lack of concentration and it can reduce alertness. Maintaining the appropriate proportion of water in our body is essential for the proper functioning of the kidney. Dehydration for an extended period can result in the formation of kidney stones.

For better health and more alertness, drinking water is one of the simple but more powerful things which you can do.

3. Include more fruits and vegetables in your food

For the proper functioning and wellbeing of our body vitamins and minerals plays an important role. Fruits and vegetables are a good source of essential vitamins and minerals. Also, it is rich in dietary fiber, which can help to maintain a healthy gut.

For a healthy and balanced diet, more than 50 % of food servings should be fruits and vegetables. This ensures that your body gets different combinations of fiber, vitamins, nutrients, and minerals.

4. Stop eating before you are full

The simplest way to stay healthy and extend your lifespan is to eat less. Recent studies showed that the simplest way to reduce age-related diseases is to simply eat less. Eating less food can reduce the levels of inflammation and can delay the overall process of aging, which can increase your lifespan. Researchers found that restricting the food intake of mice increased their lifespan by 20 %, which will be estimated an increase of 12 healthy years in humans.

Stop eating your food when you feel 50 % full. Initially, you may have to deal with hunger, but subsequently, your body will be tuned with your amount of food intake.

5. Sleep at least 7-8 hours

Around one-third of our life is spent on sleeping. You may think it’s unproductive to waste such a large amount of time sleeping, but the truth is sleep is essential for the proper functioning of your body at wake hours. The right amount of sleep one needs depends upon age. But on average 7-8 hours is required for an adult.

Sleep deprivation can result in various diseases and serious medical conditions such as stroke, heart diseases, obesity, high blood pressure and it can also result in a decline in cognitive behavior. Sleep deprivation is also a reason for early death. Sleep deprivation can have similar results as alcohol and smoking affect your body.

So it’s really important to maintain a healthy habit of 7-8 hours of sleep every night.

6. Take care of your sitting posture

Correct sitting posture is one of the most neglected factors of a healthy body as well as a healthy mind. Poor posture can cause an excessive amount of pressure in your spinal cord which can cause problems to your spinal health. Incorrect sitting posture also can be related to neck pains, headaches, disrupted digestion, and poor quality of sleep.

The good posture of your backbone helps for the proper flow of oxygen through the entire body. The quality of breathing can determine your overall health index and your quality of life.

If you have any posture-related problems, it’s time to consult your physical therapist and improve your backbone posture.

7. Practice Yoga

Yoga can have many benefits for mental and physical health. It is one of the ancient practices for the betterment of your health. Yoga is a combination of breathing exercises along with different body postures. Practicing yoga can significantly reduce the production of stress hormones and purify your entire body.

It can improve the health of your heart and improve your quality of life.

8. Reduce your waist size

Obesity is considered one of the most important causes of early death. Even though it is not the direct reason for early death, it can trigger other diseases and accelerate the process of aging.

In some studies, waist size is used as a predictor for the chance of premature death. People with lower waist sizes have a low risk of premature death. The studies have shown that men with a waist circumference of 43 inches and more had a 50 percent greater chance of premature death, whereas men with 37 inches and lower have a lesser chance of premature death.

Researchers suggest a combination of eating right and mild to medium exercise can reduce the waistline.

9. Hit the gym frequently

The best way to maintain a healthy body and mind is to hit the gym frequently. Studies have shown that men who visit the gym thrice a week had 30 % less chance for heart diseases, 18 % less chance for cancer, a significant 60 % less chance for obesity.

Exercises overruns all other methods to improve your health.

• Exercise helps to maintain weight and waist size within the safe limit.

• It can improve mood significantly.

• It promotes better sleep.

• Exercise improves the production of endorphins which make you happy.

• It can help in sharpening brain power and memory. Hence delaying cognitive decline.

• A good gym session can improve creativity.

• It can maintain the strength of your bones.

• Exercise improves the health of your skin. Sweating cleans the pores and maintains the rate of perspiration.