Priorities for a Healthy Body
1. EAT WELL AND EXERCISE:
Contrary to what some people think, healthy eating and exercising aren't only for plus-sized people. Everyone should maintain quality, healthy diet and everyone should be involved in physical activities. Our bodies are designed to be fed and used right. Any abuse of food to the body will cause a breakdown. People who live long in sound health spent their lives treating their bodies right. You'll do your body a lot of good when you eat right and exercise regularly.
2. CHOOSE OTHER HEALTHY HABITS, such as:
Maintain a healthy mind. Keeping a healthy state of mind is paramount to living a healthy life and having a healthy body. A poor mental state increases the risk of poor physical health and harmful habits. Avoid things that keep you worried. The Apostle Peter advises that we cast all our cares on God, because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Think about only things that motivate and inspire you, not things that put you down. In the words of the great Apostle Paul, think only of things that are true, pure, honest, just, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). Anything that does not fall into these categories should be cast off at the feet of Jesus as quickly as they creep into your mind. Watch/read the right things on TV/the internet. Some news/information are quite depressing and discouraging. Sometimes, for some moments, it’s beneficial not to know what’s going on out there. Lastly, hang out with the right people. Some people are overdosed with negativity. The more you hang out with them, the more they pass on the negativity to you. The Bible in Proverbs 4:23 advises that, “Above all, be careful what you think because your thoughts control your life.”
Get good amounts of rest/sleep. Sleep is highly beneficial to our bodies. It’s true that the average adult needs about 7-9 hours of sleep everyday. Babies need 14-16 hours and children need 10-12 hours of sleep per night. When we sleep as we should, we set ourselves and our bodies up for success. Sleep positively impacts almost every tissue in our bodies – helps our hormones, reduces stress, boosts immunity, helps our appetite, strengthens our breathing, normalizes blood pressure, supports heart health, and promotes mental health, amongst other things. People who struggle with good sleep feel the negative impact on their health and in their daily productivity. You can improve your sleep by limiting caffeine intake (and taking your last cup several hours before bed), avoiding sleep disruptors from screens (cellphones, TVs, etc.) a few hours before bed, and practicing breathing exercise, if you struggle to fall asleep immediately, etc.
Quit smoking (if you do): a truckload of sicknesses and diseases result directly from smoking cigarettes and the likes, such as cancers, bronchitis, shortness of breath, fatigue, bad breath, hair loss, damaged teeth, fertility issues, etc. Smoking is never worth it. Never.
Limit or eliminate alcoholic drinks. Drinking too much alcohol is detrimental to your health. The CDC states that, “Excessive alcohol use led to more than 140,000 deaths … in the United States from 2015-2019.” That’s a lot of deaths from one source alone – alcohol. Even if you don’t drink yourself immediately to death, alcohol can work against your optimal wellbeing. It contributes to high blood pressure, heart diseases, stroke, liver disease, cancers, weakened immune system, learning and memory impairment, mental health issues, etc.
Don't overwork yourself. Long hours of working or work overload can affect your health directly or indirectly. Directly, it can increase physical fatigue, reduce mental alertness, increase sedentary behaviors or inactivity, increased mental and physical stress, etc. Indirectly, it can encourage poor diet, poor sleeping habits, nervous conditions, higher cholesterol levels, etc.
3. KNOW YOUR NUMBERS.
One good habit any healthy person must keep up with is regularly checking your health numbers. A lot of medical emergencies can be avoided if we take responsibility for our health. Health numbers you want to check include, your blood pressure (which is the force of blood against your arteries when the heart beats and rests), your blood sugar (that is, the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood, your blood cholesterol levels (cholesterol is a type of fat that moves around your blood). Bad cholesterol causes plaque (fat deposits) to build up in a person’s blood vessels. This can increase the likelihood of a stroke or a heart attack.
Knowing your numbers help you with information that’ll help you maintain normal levels (if all is well) or work to bring your health to the normal levels. You can work with your health care providers to bring your numbers to the normal ranges. It’s better to know and work on it than to not know at all.
How much calories should you eat daily? Find out here...
