By Soror Tanya Randall, MD Healthy living is a balance of physical and mental well-being. Although we will discuss 4 ways to achieve physical and mental health one at a time, they are all interwoven. You cannot exercise if your body does not have the right fuel. Or you will feel stressed when you do not get enough sleep. So here are my 4 habits that will result in healthy living: Eat healthy foods, exercise regularly, get enough sleep every night, and meditate or pray every day. Eating Healthy foods There is plenty of literature out there on different diets and ways to eat healthy. I am going to keep it simple. A healthy diet consists of fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, lean proteins, whole grains, and a healthy intake of water. Processed foods and diet soda are not on the list. When you eat healthy foods, you will realize that your body does not crave those unhealthy foods because you are supplying it with all nutrients it needs to function. Fruits are a great sugary snack. Water also plays and important part. It fills your stomach, so you eat less, and it helps your stomach digest the food. In addition to what you eat, how much you eat is just as important. The following is a useful guide Exercise regularly This is probably the hardest habit to start and adhere to. You do not feel like waking up in the morning. You are too tired when you get home from work. Your gym is closed. I can go on. Despite the overwhelming evidence that it is good for you, most people do not exercise. Exercise prevents weight gain; it improves mood; it decreases stress and anxiety; and lowers blood pressure. It does not matter what exercise you perform just do it for 30 minutes 3-5 times per week. The 30 minutes can even happen 10 minutes at a time. Some people use physical maladies as a reason not to exercise but there are many ways to get your heart rate up that will benefit your health. Check with your doctor before starting an exercise regime. Get enough sleep Sleep is an underrated part of the calculation for healthy living. Most people focus and plan their day but few people plan their night. Adults require anywhere from 7-9 hours of sleep per night to function well during the day. If you do not get the required hours of sleep at night, it is helpful to take a nap to get the required hours of sleep. Lack of sleep increases your incidence of type II diabetes and heart disease. Sleep also helps balance your mood and emotions. To optimize your sleep, try to avoid caffeine, alcohol, or electronics close to bedtime. A healthy diet and exercise will increase your quality of sleep. Meditate, Pray, Find Solace in your day There are many benefits of meditation. Focusing one’s thoughts as done during meditation increases attention span, decreases age-related memory loss, controls anxiety, reduces stress, and promotes emotional health. Meditation decreases the brain cortisol levels. Cortisol is the stress hormone responsible for the fight or flight response of the body. High levels are not good for your body. The practice of mindful meditation increases focus which helps solidify concepts in your short-term memory. Whatever meditative means you prefer, prayer, mindful meditation, or journaling, is not important. It is the act of contemplative practice that is important in promoting healthy lifestyle. In Conclusion The development of these 4 habits will help you achieve your goal of a healthy lifestyle. Habits are not easy to form. They take repetitive active practice and time to develop. Whatever area you decide to start your healthy journey, pick one habit, such as eating 3 servings of vegetables a day, and practice it until it becomes a habit, then you can choose another habit to develop. There are many websites, apps, programs on television and YouTube videos that promote exercise and meditation practices. Wearable technology gadgets such as Apple Watch and Fitbit will track your sleep habits. Do a little research and find a program that you can adhere to in order to achieve success of your healthy lifestyle.
Healthy Habits
