Good heath is the greatest wealth that one can have in life. Being healthy doesn’t require you to break your back at the gym; you can be healthy by following a healthy lifestyle. But, the paradigm shift in our habits- food, sleep, exercise, etc. has brought about an undesirable change to our health.
Before we get to the basic of being healthy, we should first understand what are the main things that are affecting our heath?
Here are the top daily habits that affect our health: –
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Smoking
- Overeating
- Not sleeping well
- Stress and anxiety
- Pollution
While it may seem that a drink or a smoke will not affect your health, but all these habits can make you potentially ill in the longer run. The famous saying “Health is wealth”, stresses on the importance of having a healthy body before anything else.
So, how we maintain good health? Well, the answer is simple – a few daily habits can bring about a bigger change in your health.
Habits to good health
Good health cannot be bought or achieved in a day. If you’ve been maintaining healthy habits from the start, you’ll know that it takes nothing more than small daily steps to a healthy life. Being healthy means feeling healthy from inside, and this can be achieved by taking care of your body in the right way.
Here are some daily steps that you can take to achieve good health –
Balanced diet
As evident by its name, a balanced diet is a diet which contains all essential body nutrients – vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, etc. Plus, the common habit of skipping the breakfast should be avoided. Too much of fast food or foods containing too many calories should be avoided.
Proper sleep
Your body needs time to relax and recuperate. If you do not sleep well, you’ll keep feeling tired throughout the day, and your body functions like digestion, hunger, etc. may be affected. Hence, 8 hours of sleep is recommended every day for a healthy mind and body.
Exercise
Physical exercise can help burn extra calories and keep your body in shape. Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous; jogging, brisk walking, swimming, or playing an outdoor sport every day can be enough to keep your body fit.
Don’t sit for long hours
Research has proved that sitting for long hours can lead to a range of health disorders, like high blood pressure, spinal cord problems, obesity, etc. Even if you have a desk job, ensure to walk a few steps after every hour of continuous sitting.
Quit bad habits
Bad habits like smoking and drinking alcohol have been linked to a range of critical illnesses, such as heart disease, liver failure, etc. Hence, you need to take control of all the bad habits that you have and quit them as soon as you can.
Manage anger, stress and anxiety
Too much anger, stress and anxiety can cause numerous health problems in the longer run. You need to understand that these three things are bad for your health, and hence stay away from anything that triggers these conditions.
Protect yourself from pollution
Pollution levels are rising day by day, from air to water and soil, everything around us is polluted. While you should not pollute your surroundings, you must protect yourself from the pollution around you. Take proper steps such as using a pollution mask when out, installing air purifier at home and in the car, etc.
Regular health checkups are essential
It is rightly said – “Prevention is better than cure”. Regular health checkups can go a long way in preventing diseases. If you ensure to get your health checked at regular intervals, many health conditions can be treated well in time.
Normal health checkups
A normal health checkup will include tests like blood test, physical examinations, etc. to ensure that you are free from any diseases. If you have a health condition, then going for a health checkup is even more important. As you need to keep a check on your health condition and also understand whether or not your medicine is performing well.
Don’t overlook a symptom
If you have a recurring symptom, like a pain in shoulder, or a fever that won’t go away, don’t neglect it; and visit a doctor immediately. Sometimes, we overlook initial symptoms, which can lead to a bigger problem in the longer run.
Get yourself checked for hereditary diseases
If there is a disease that runs in your family then you should be even more particular about getting checked for it. Often hereditary diseases surface in the later stage of life, and can give birth to an aggravated health condition.
Buy health insurance
Health insurance, often overlooked in the yesteryears, has now become one of the most important insurance types in India. Changing lifestyle habits, adulteration in food and rising pollution levels have made us prone to a range of health conditions. Rising health care costs further highlight the need for having a health insurance plan.
Have a health insurance policy in place
Life is full of uncertainties. An injury or a health condition may leave you physically and financially strapped. So why not be prepared for the consequences well in advance? Buying a health insurance plan which caters to your needs is the best way to be protected from sudden injuries and illnesses.
Individual or family floater
Health insurance policies are of two types – individual and group. Individual health insurance policies cover a single individual, while group policies cover a few people under a single plan. If you have a family, protecting your family with a single health insurance plan (family floater) seems a better option than buying individual health insurance.
Standard health insurance or Critical health insurance
Standard health insurance pays up for your medical treatment according to the policy terms and conditions, whereas a critical health insurance policy pays a lump sum amount in case you are diagnosed with a critical illness.
Both these policies are quite different from one another and cannot be compared. Hence, if you are looking for a wider health cover, then opting for both the plans is the most ideal option.
As time passes by and we age, our health conditions change, and if we intend to stay healthy throughout our lifespan, we ought to review our health requirements on a periodic basis. When you do that and have a lifestyle which has the makings of a healthy individual, you’ll be fighting fit for life.