How to maintain a healthy body - Trying to keep a healthy body and mind is not a very difficult task but it requires certain changes in your lifestyle and living patterns. A healthy body and mind along with a healthy spirit and approach to life can only sustain if you eat right, exercise and have a positive attitude in life. For this you need to alter the overall approach in life and learn to take even the worst incidents in your stride. It will not be easy to attain such levels but if you try then you can certainly change a lot of things around you.
Mental and physical health are interrelated and thus if you think that being unhappy in your heart and eating healthy well help to raise your spirits then you need to get your facts right. A person can feel healthy only if he or she thinks healthy and thus try and incorporate these changes in your approach to life. Start your day by doing at least one good deed every day like giving a beggar alms, or feeding a stray animal or even trying to help out someone in need. This will give your more happiness than a shopping experience also.
The importance of having a healthy body and healthy mind is supreme to achieving any kind of happiness in your life and this is something that should be the main concern of everyone's life. It has been seen that the best way to achieve a healthy mind is from having a positive attitude and positive mental outlook. Hence for this you need to get rid of the pessimistic approach in life and focus on the positive side of everything. For example, read books on positive thinking and create an environment of positive thoughts around you also.
Along with creating this environment you also should try and remember to exercise your mind because this is the only method to improve mental health. The other method is to exercise physically also as it flushes out toxins in the body and helps to create a positive outlook in life. Exercising helps to maintain a healthy body and thus a healthy body will help you to gain a healthy mind also. To get a healthy body you should focus on a good diet, drink plenty of water and have lots of fruits and veggies.
An ideal solution here is meditation, which is one of the oldest arts of India. Meditation is considered as the path to achieve godhood and various forms of meditation have developed, but the aim is common. It helps to relax the mind and the body along with improving concentration. Meditation also helps you to keep an altered state of awareness and helps the mind to maintain its self-observing attitude. Basically meditation helps you to get back in touch with your soul and promotes positivism along with getting rid of negative thoughts.
Hence keeping a healthy spirit and mind will aid in maintaining a healthy body and vice versa. This also helps to improve your confidence levels and helps to boost self esteem and positive thoughts.
Staying healthy takes effort and requires a lifestyle that encourages good eating habits, exercise and a positive mental outlook. According to the Federal Citizen Information Center of Pueblo, Colorado, maintaining and improving health can help reduce the severity of, or completely eradicate, a number of health conditions that may decrease your quality of life and longevity, cause pain and increase your medical expenses.
Step 1
Eat a diet rich in the nutrients your body needs for optimal function. A correct balance of proteins, carbohydrates, sugars and fats can be enjoyed by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables; small portions of lean cuts of meat, such as poultry or fish; and by reducing or eliminating high-fat, high-sugar foods such as french fries, doughnuts and sodas. Eat whole-grain pastas, breads and cereals, and cut down on high-fat meat, such as sausages. Talk to your doctor about your target calorie consumption, depending on your current height, weight and level of physical activity.
Step 2
Exercise every day, suggests the Mayo Clinic. Exercise promotes healthy weight, and can help boost your immune system function and improve your mental outlook. Increased exercise may also help you sleep better and increase your level of energy, providing all-around benefits for your physical and emotional well-being. Exercise variants such as yoga and tai chi can increase flexibility and balance, as well as offer beneficial "down time" for your brain, helping to reduce stress and anxiety. Any form of exercise releases endorphins, the body's own feel-good hormones from the brain, reducing your chances of experiencing depression.
Step 3
Change your lifestyle by getting rid of bad habits such as smoking, drinking and over-eating. Overcoming such habits can be challenging for most people, but the benefits of clean living may increase your quality of life. Smoking can lead to medical conditions such as emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, while obesity can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease.
Step 4
Engage in weight-bearing exercises as you age, which may help prevent bone and joint conditions such as arthritis and osteoporosis. Gentle, low-impact, weight-bearing exercises include, but are not limited to walking, strength training, stair-climbing and step aerobics. Such exercises help build bones and maintain bone mass, according to the University of Arizona.
Step 5
Get annual check-ups and screenings as recommended by your doctor. Screenings can help detect diseases such as prostate problems, cancers, osteoporosis, diabetes and malnutrition early. Early detection leads to more efficient treatment approaches that may offer faster recovery and a better prognosis.