Friday 25 January 2013

How to Be Healthy: 8 steps (with pictures) - wikiHow


How to Be Healthy


Many people with serious illnesses would give anything for a single day of perfect health. To be healthy and make the most of what you’ve got, follow these recommendations.

Steps

  1. 1
    Stop engaging in risky behavior. Taking unnecessary risks is hard on the body and mind and can have devastating long-term consequences. Serious or established patterns of risk-taking can also be indicative of deeper psychological problems, in which case you should talk to a health care professional who specializes in a relevant field. Start by setting your sights on one of the following achievements:


  2. 2
    Eat well. A light organic breakfast is sufficient and, when combined with a snack mid-morning, will see you through until lunch time. A good time for the evening meal is between 5pm and 8pm depending on your work/study schedule; it is best to avoid late night snacks because they fill you with unnecessary calories and can disrupt your sleep. Once a steady eating pattern has been established, your body will feel more comfortable. Read How to Eat Healthy for more facts.

    • Learn how to cook. Cooking your own meals is a wonderful experience as you can try out different recipes while saving money at the same time.
    • A high-fiber diet can lower your cholesterol, control your blood-sugar level, improve your bowel health, and make you less likely to overeat. The recommended fiber intake is 30 grams a day for men and 21 for women; after the age of 50, this jumps up to 38 for men and 25 for women. Some good sources of fiber include fruits and vegetables (with the skin), whole grains, and legumes.[1]
    • Increase your intake of antioxidants to fight the free radicals that have been linked to cancer, heart disease, atherosclerosis, among other diseases.[2]
    • Maintain a weight that is suitable for you. Our physical frames vary in size and weight. An individual with a large frame can carry a little more weight while a person with a light frame will be able to carry less.
    • Do not use any form of crash diets. There is no magic bullet for weight loss – and even if there were, starving your body of vital nutrients wouldn’t be it. A slow change in your eating habits is much safer and the long-term benefits for your physical health are greater.
    • If you don’t want to go on a diet, read How to Lose Weight Just by Exercising. Just remember that only serious athletes are able to burn off enough calories to be able to enjoy massive indulgences – and even so, they tend not to because it’s hard on the body. Even if you do consume more calories than are recommended for you, be sure that they are nutritious; your heart, brain, muscles, bones, organs, and blood can’t run forever on empty calories.
  3. 3
    Bolster your immune system. Maintaining healthy habits and a high level of energy is difficult for anyone who constantly battles fatigue, colds, infections, or any other effects of a weakened immune system. Read How to Develop a Strong Immune System for more information.

  4. 4
    Improve your sleep quality. When you sleep, your body produces cells that fight infection, inflammation, and stress – which means that getting too little sleep or poor-quality sleep not only makes you more prone to getting sick, but also increases the time you need to recover from illness.[3] On top of that, a study conducted by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrated that men who slept for 4 hours consumed 500 more calories than they did after sleeping for 8 hours.[4] Read How to Sleep Better for tips.

  5. 5
    Get in shape. In addition to helping you lose weight and gain confidence, exercising has a host of other benefits for your body and mind. For example, having good cardiovascular health has been linked to a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s.[5] Exercising also boosts your immune system; even a change as minor as walking briskly for twenty to thirty minutes a day five days a week can improve your immune system by increasing both your antibody and T-killer cell response.[6] Exercising is also one of the absolute best ways to sleep better at night[7] – which, as previously mentioned, can help you lose weight by keeping you from overeating. Read How to Get Fit for more details.

  6. 6
    Maintain your personal hygiene. Wash your hands often, especially after visiting the bathroom at home or using the restrooms in a public place. Floss and brush your teeth and tongue after eating; food particles are often the cause of bad breath and gum disease. Visit your dentist regularly for cleanings and to catch any problems before they become serious. See How to Be Hygienic for more details.

  7. 7
    Find emotional balance. Even if you master every other aspect of health, it won’t feel complete if you’re suffering from inner turmoil. Everyone needs a pick-me-up sometimes, and there are many small things that you can do to feel better about yourself. If the problem extends deeper, you may need to learn to cope with emotional pain or evendepression.

  8. 8
    Exercise daily or if not possible twice or thrice a week. It will increase your metabolic rate and you'll feel fresh the whole week.


Tips

  • Educate yourself. Every day is an opportunity to gain a little more knowledge.
  • Be wary should you have a serious illness; get “quality advice” not opinions.
  • When exercising, never overwork yourself. When you feel your body asking for a rest, listen to it. The body is a remarkable organism which is well equipped to repair itself provided we take care of it.
  • And remember, one of the most important things in life is to “believe in yourself”.








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