5 Steps to Healthy Lifestyle: +BONUS

Continuing on what on “What Does Health Means?”. I wanted to share the 5 steps toward healthy lifestyle. Even-though, I am not the ideal healthy person. However, I do challenge myself to make changes at a time to live a healthy lifestyle. One is because I want to live a disease-less life. And I do believe that it is possible by only making one change at a time. no need to change every thing all at once… to be honest, it will never last.

Two is because I want to be a good representative of what healthy is like. After studying Nutrition and Public Health, I felt I am responsible to deliver the right and most updated facts about health and nutrition. I understood that practicing ( HEALTHY LIFESTYLE) is simple to start with… However, we are the ones that complicated it. We are ‘over-analyzing’…Then why I be the one that ease healthy lifestyle and what being healthy looks like…

Thus, here are the 5 steps you can start with to build healthy lifestyle.

Exercise

I believe that this step is life-changing. For me, it was. Not mentioning its astonishing benefits on the mental and physical health. Our life nowadays lacks movement a lot… We barely move. We are NOT helping our body to cleanse. I see exercise as a cleanser, with the increase in blood flow, it drives out any bad accumulations…. But we are not helping…

Before 2 years, I was 20 years old. I used to be someone that is good at school and lazy at home. I move only on holidays, when we meet with my family and have a lot of activities. I was doing fine and didn’t suffer from anything. I don’t remember how I did the shift. But since I started exercising, I feel much better, I eat better and I hydrate more. And since then, exercise has been on my daily routine. My stamina is much more stronger.

By the way, I don’t go to gym. Moving and exercising have never been linked to going to gym. I open 20 -40 minutes youtube video and follow it. and thats it. I try to try something new every time. Cardio one day, the other leg exercise, I focus on arms the day after, then again cardio. If I don’t feel like exercising, I do some yoga or stretching.

Or, I deep clean my room and bathroom 😉

The point is to move… so don’t make excuses

Avoid processed food

All food are processed. Cooking, cultivating , harvesting … all are kind of processes. But, of course, I am not referring to those. I am referring to the processes that makes the food sooooo far from being NATURAL. And, there are differences between what we can make with our HANDs and what MACHINES can do. And this is what makes packaged, processed food under the spotlight… Example: high fructose corn syrup is something that requires lab. and its is in every packaged food item.

Furthermore, most, if not all processed food contains NUMEROUS amount of trans fats, sodium or sugar to extend shelf-life, there are more. However, these three, are the underlying reason of most problems and diseases we are suffering from.

The problem with these food is not merely these components. Since they’ve been processed, a lot of chemicals and toxins are being introduced unintentionally. From cultivating whatever food items, till it is on the display shelf in the market. Not necessary mentioned in the food labels.

The secret is to include REAL food to your lifestyle.

Processed food needs a separate post… Stay tuned for it 😉

Enough sleep

Don’t underestimate this component. Its really important when it comes to health. For me, this wasn’t a change. Honestly I do get enough sleep. However, I am also an over-thinker ;( And it is one of main the reasons why I don’t sleep enough in some days. I believe alot can relate… But there is a part of my character helps in letting things go, and you should do so. Its just like what would I change if I think….Nothing?!! then why the worry and I let go.

Going back to the point. In one of the reviews I’ve read, they pointed sleep as “a growing and under-appreciated determinant of health status”. Sleep has been contributed to number of changes in the cellular level in our body…and with the long-term deprivation of sleep, high risk of developing a disorder is the result. It just ends up with weak body from inside and outside. Studies have confirmed that not getting enough sleep has a potential in developing cardiovascular diseases, weakened immunity, diabetes and obesity!!

Not mentioning its impact on productivity and our mental state.

I made a rule for me to not hold my phone when I am about to sleep. So, when I decide to sleep, normally at 11:00 pm, I don’t hold my phone. If I hold it, it like non-ending scrolling game. I never let go.

Water

Drink water. Keep yourself hydrate it. I still get surprised by people who have only 1 to 2 glasses of water. Its is not enough. 75% of our body is made of water. And we do lose it via sweat, tears, urine… We have to compensate…

Its been noted that dehydration impact your body negatively, obviously. It causes fatigue, can influence cognition. Meaning affects your brain… not necessarily to an extreme levels. However, long-term dehydration could reach to an extreme levels. Moreover, dehydration is always linked to constipation. Characterized by hard stools.

Most important, our kidney…. Kidneys are theres to regulate water balance and removing waste out of the body. If we are not drinking enough water, waste hardly come out of the body. leading to constipation… in extreme situations, accumulation of the waste causing stones!!!

Not only these, Water is crucial for the blood and heart health. It helps with headaches. It is important for skin as well.

Water can be taken from fruits and vegetables… juices and soups. And you can drink it by its own. You can add some slices of lemon, cucumber, berries for the flavor. They’re good for detoxification. But water by it own can do the job as well.

Find hobbies

Find something you truly enjoy doing. Hobbies isn’t good only for physical health. It is extremely beneficial for out mental health. It is “shown to give us lower stress, better physical health, more sleep, more social connections, improved work performance, and increased happiness”.  I think this is enough for a healthy living. Isn’t it?

Since hobbies reduces stress, then its beneficial for heart health, physical health, mental as well. Finding hobbies builds interests, characters and creativity. You will know what you enjoy and what you don’t. a Thing that you don’t regret spending money on. A thing that you don’t regret spend hours on. Because you simply like doing it.

My first goal when I started looking for hobbies is let go of my phone. I used to spend a lot of time on my phone. I was so lazy to do anything… I noticed that I liked watching art crafts videos. I tried at first. and of course I didn’t do good at all. However, I enjoyed it. I loved that I have something to do beside watching movies and scrolling down on social media platforms. and with time, I noticed that I kind doing good job on it. And even thinking of opening my own business 😉

This is wasn’t the only thing I did as a hobby. I did start reading books. I learned how to cook. I started my blog 🙂

From a person that do only 2 thing on her life. Studying and playing. By the way, I used to be a good student. But never felt accomplished. To a person that do a lot on her day. Even-though, I am not employed and kinda financially dependent. However, I don’t feel bored and I feel good and accomplished. And that is what “HEALTH” is all about.

(BONUS+) Track what you do and eat

I am a person that used to have digestive problems for way too long. Went for check-ups, and everything was normal. I didn’t do anything regarding it for way too long. Even-though, it bothered me. Until I decided to note down what-ever I eat to track exactly what is really happening to me. And it worked!!! I am still working on it by the way. I will definitely share my journey…

Tracking down what you eat and do will gives that eager to change. At first, I wrote what-ever I do in normal life. Which is always repetitive, and nothing changes much. And that made it BORING… Which then makes me want to try something new, a new recipe as example.

Since I am doing it to treat myself; changes must happen to know what is going on with my stomach. By the way, I am still in the process and believe me it isn’t easy… I did stopped writing many times. Writing wasn’t part of life and starting it all of sudden is difficult to stick to it.

However, I always remind myself, my main goal is a healthy life.. How would I achieve it, if I have unhealthy stomach and it is bothering me… so I have to fix it.

Just to make things clear, I don’t mean by tracking, counting calories. I did shared why I don’t count calories in another post. What I mean is challenging yourself to add a new habit, or new ingredients into your life and see whether its working for you or not. And note it down…

In Sum,

I believe being healthy is something natural and normal. It is the obvious way on how we should live. All the new industrialized things and habits that been introduced to our life are the one to blame for health deterioration… However, now, don’t make excuses and start at least with these steps. Believe me, you will notice the change in all health aspects. and then, try to challenge yourself… maybe trying keto diet, cutting off sugar, master a kind of workout, learn how to cook….Anything.

References

• Luyster, F. S., Strollo, P. J., Zee, P. C., & Walsh, J. K. (2012). Sleep: a health imperative. Sleep, 35(6), 727-734.
• Popkin, B. M., D’Anci, K. E., & Rosenberg, I. H. (2010). Water, hydration, and health. Nutrition reviews, 68(8), 439-458.
• https://oregoncounseling.com/article/how-hobbies-benefit-our-mental-health/#:~:text=Having%20a%20hobby%20can%20be,work%20performance%2C%20and%20increased%20happiness.