If you are looking for a healthy and beautiful life, then there are definitely a number of good health habits that you need to embrace. Am not talking about your regular “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” but rather habits that need to become a part of your daily life in order to have a beautiful life.
A good health habit is any regularly occurring behavior that is advantageous to your mental or physical health.
You will come to learn that adopting new, healthier habits may protect you from serious health problems for instance obesity and diabetes. It has also been proven that new habits, like healthy eating and regular physical activity, may also help you manage your weight and have more energy.
After a while, if you stick with these changes, they may become part of your daily routine. Isn’t that just wonderful?
Well here are a few good health habits that you need to embrace.
Good Health habits that you need to embrace.
Sleep well
How do you expect your body to function well without being well rested? A tired body obviously cant be healthy but rather messed up. Practicing good sleep hygiene is such a beneficial habit to adopt. Good sleep can be a game-changer for your overall health and well-being.
New Research shows that lack of sleep increases the risk for obesity, heart disease, and infections. It is therefore undeniable that when you sleep, your heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure rise and fall. This is an important process for cardiovascular health. Your body also releases hormones during sleep that help your body repair and re-energize. These same hormones impact your body weight.
In general, adults need an average of 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night. Babies tend to sleep about 16 hours a day, and young children need at least 10 hours of sleep. Also keep in mind that a healthy sleep pattern also has its benefits when it comes to mental health. The Sleep Foundation cites that mental health disorders tend to make it harder to sleep well. At the same time, poor sleep can be a contributing factor to worsening mental health problems.
Sleep and mental health have a very close relationship. Oftentimes, this means sleep and mental health are being treated at the same time. Adopting a healthy sleep routine can do away with suffering a bad mental health.
Drink less Alcohol.
There is a lot of magic that happens to your body when you embrace this good health habit. It is true that here’s some dispute around alcohol and health. Is drinking in moderation bad or good for your health? How much alcohol is too much? Guess what! The solution is consuming low-risk alcohol intake. Scientists have measured this “low-risk alcohol intake” as between 5 and 15 grams per day for women, and 5 to 30 grams per day for men. Generally, one drink contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol.
Science does tell us that too much alcohol can have significant negative health impacts. In fact, research tells us that excessive alcohol impacts our brain, heart, and liver. Too much alcohol can impact your mood, behavior, and your mental health. Drinking too much over time (or even just once) can lead to high blood pressure, strokes, or even cardiomyopathy. And heavy drinking takes a significant toll on your liver.
Make sure to do exercises.
Exercise is an important aspect of overall health and wellness. And while exercise looks different for every physical body, it is the most important of all good health habits you need to embrace. In a Harvard study, healthy physical activity for 30 minutes a day was named a key healthy lifestyle factor. Participants in this study took part in moderate to vigorous activity, which could mean something as simple as a brisk walk.
Exercise has its own host of health benefits. According to the CDC, regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Regular physical activity can help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. It can also reduce your risk of depression and anxiety and of course help you sleep better.
It can help with weight management. It can help reduce health risks like diabetes, cancers, and bone density. And one of the best benefits of physical activity is the variety of options. You can bike, swim, hike, walk, do yoga, run, dance, strength train, and more. Virtually any way you can move your body can count as physical activity.
A little Self Love.
Self love may not even seem like a health habit but you would be very shocked at how healthy it actually is. Self-care is an aspect of creating healthy habits which is crucially important. Change your life towards self love and you will see how healthy it actually is. We all know that Change is hard at any level. It often challenges us to move outside of our comfort zones. It disrupts our status quo. It can bring fear, uncertainty, and anxiety. But it also can bring incredible growth and development. Change itself can help change your life.
Meditate
Do you know the power of meditation? Well, let me tell you a little about it. Meditation is probably the most talked about concept in the happiness camps, and it has good reasons to be synonymous with good mental health. Studies have shown regular meditation practices reduce stress, anxiety as well as health issues.
The main reason for meditation is it can help reduce overthinking and create a more mindful mindset. It can come in the form of just sitting quietly, yoga, prayer, or purposeful breathing.
Eat Healthy
This is also among the most important good health habits you need to embrace. Am quite sure that at home, you snack on what’s in your cupboards, refrigerator, and freezer. If all you have in there is ultra-processed foods like fries, chocolate, and ice cream, then you’ll find yourself snacking on them (not a good idea). Make sure you have loads of healthy foods or healthy snacks in your home, like dried fruits, seeds and nuts to help satisfy your hunger cravings.
Do a little reading
Not only is taking time to read an act of self-care, but it can actually help improve long-term neurological function. It doesn’t matter if you’re a fiction junkie, love to read memoirs, or just feel the urge to disappear in a good old-fashioned romance novel your body and mind will thank you for it.
Less Sugar Intake
Refrain from taking in a lot of sugars and your body will thank you later. I definitely know that sometimes you just need a cookie or a piece of cake but this is not always. Well, since life is long and hard, you should definitely have it. But if you have been in a habit of eating sweet treats for dessert then it may be time to start mixing it up with a bit of fresh fruit.
Limit processed foods
It is true that sometimes, processed foods are unavoidable. But whenever possible, eating fresh, wholesome food makes a big difference for our general health. Processed foods contain a lot of hidden sodium, fats, and sugar that can throw your body out of whack. Your body will definitely thank you.
Limit social media time
I would never judge anyone for being a social media addict but I would advise them to cut down on social media use. Social media can often do more harm than good when it comes to our overall happiness. It’s a great place to share accomplishments, feelings, thoughts, and memories.
However, we often find ourselves comparing our realities to others’ posts on social media. This lowers confidence which can then lead to more unhappiness and insecurity. Taking a bit of time off of social media and really getting to know yourself is one of the best ways to become happy in your own skin.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it important to have healthful family habits and practices?
Family wellness and healthy habits are the cornerstones of a good life. Healthy habits developed in childhood go on to help your children maintain health-friendly habits in their adulthood and later life. To sum it up, if you want your children to develop healthy habits, saying is not enough, modeling is.
Why is it important to practice good health habits at an early age?
Healthy habits help children grow up happy and healthy as well as contribute to preventing future health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and cancer.
Do healthy habits prevent us from diseases?
Yes they do. By making healthy behaviors part of your daily life, you can prevent conditions such as high blood pressure or obesity, which raise your risk of developing the most common and serious chronic diseases.
What causes unhealthy habits?
Most of the time, bad habits are simply a way of dealing with stress and boredom. Everything from biting your nails to overspending on a shopping spree to drinking every weekend to wasting time on the internet can be a simple response to stress and boredom.
