Basics of Healthy Lifestyle

Healthy lifestyle means to obtain good health, get nutritional diet and do physical activity for maintaining your weight. Healthy lifestyle is necessary for the prevention of diseases.
A healthy lifestyle means firstly obtaining and achieving healthy body weight and then maintaining the weight according to the BMI (Body Mass Index i.e., the ratio of weight in kilograms to height in meters), getting healthy and nutritious diet, doing exercise regularly and on daily basis and always take preventive cares to remain away from the diseases. A healthy lifestyle also means to treat diseases and illness if you got any and control your health for your and your family’s well-being.

Healthy Life

What are the Basics of Healthy lifestyle?

A healthy lifestyle means to maintain your weight, having healthy diet plan and having active lifestyle. Following are basics of a healthy lifestyle,

1. Have a healthy diet               2. Take nutritional supplements
3. Maintain your weight             4. Follow an active lifestyle
5. Drink plenty of water             6. Avoid smoking
7. Avoid drinking                       8. Avoid stress

Basics of Healthy lifestyle

Have a Healthy Diet

Good food is one of the greater pleasures of life. A considerable quantity of fresh and healthy food must be taken every day. Healthy diet includes a variety of food from major groups of fresh fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy products, lean proteins, nuts and seeds etc. Healthy diet must be according to your budget, taste and lifestyle.
Health risks must also be considered. For example, blood cholesterol must be regulated and maintained within narrow limits because increased level of blood cholesterol may predispose to increased risk of coronary heart disease. If cholesterol level is high then prefer to take food low in fat and high in fresh fruits and vegetables.
Green tea is considered as an antioxidant and weight losing properties. So, it is advised to take green tea instead of regular tea. Similarly, it is advised to prohibit the use of soda water and to use excessive amount of filtered or boiled water daily.
Take breakfast daily and take small meals throughout the day because it maintains your energy level and metabolism going. Take small bites of food, chew every bite slowly and relish every bite. Try to take the dinner earlier and do not take heavy dinner. Take a light dinner. Avoid eating just before going to bed.
I. Green Vegetables: Green vegetables such as lettuce, green mustard, broccoli and cabbage contain calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc and Vitamins A, C, D & K.
II. Other Vegetables: Naturally occurring sweet vegetables such as corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, yams, beets, carrots, onions etc. add sweetness to the diet and decrease your craving for other sweet foods. They contain a large quantity of carbohydrates.
III. Fruits: Fresh fruits are source of vitamins and antioxidants. Mangoes and oranges are rich in vitamin C which is an antioxidant. Apples are rich in fiber and berries are advised in patients of cancer because berries have anticancer fighting ability.

Healthy Diet

Healthy Diet Tips

1. Take diet rich in carbohydrates such as whole grain because they provide long lasting and easily available energy. Whole grains also decrease the risk of coronary heart disease.
2. Reduce trans-fat and saturated fatty acids from your diet because they increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
3. Add monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in your diet. Add Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids in your diet because they reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
4. Add proteins in your diet because they are source of energy in the fasting condition and are broken down in the body to the basic 20 amino acids and serves as building blocks. Proteins are particularly important for children who are rapidly growing.
5. Add Calcium in your diet for stronger bones. Calcium is one of essential nutrients which are required for the strong and healthy bones. It is a building block in bones. Dairy products such as milk and yogurt are rich in calcium. Similarly, kidney beans, black beans and peas are also rich in calcium.
6. Avoid sugary drinks.
7. Prefer fresh fruits and vegetables over canned fruits and vegetables.
8. Avoid added sugar in your diet. Take naturally occurring fruits instead of added sugars.
9. Take homemade cookies instead of taking doughnuts, snacks and pastries.
10. Flavor your food with garlic instead of added salts.

Take Nutritional Supplements

Fruits and vegetables contain numerous quantities of vitamins and minerals. Nutritional supplements are not replacement of the diet but they are complement to the diet. Nutritional supplements are not required in healthy individuals and in those individuals who are getting variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. In certain cases nutritional food and fortified food is necessary, for example, individuals more than 50 years of age do not get vitamin B-12 easily from their diet therefore nutritional supplements are necessary in the old age or some diseases. Calcium supplements are also advised in old age for stronger bones and teeth. Similarly, vitamin B complex supplementation is advised in anemic patients because they are deficient in vitamin B Complex.

Take Nutrional Supplement

Drink Plenty of Water

The human body lasts only few weeks without food but lasts only few days without water. Water is more necessary than food. Human beings cannot store water in their body so continuous supply of water is required for the proper functioning of the body. The extremes of the age i.e., the old people as well as the Childs are more vulnerable to dehydration than the adults. Decreased water intake also increases the risk of kidney stones and urinary tract infections. So it is advised to take plenty of water. Quality of water is also very important in addition to the quantity of the water. Filtered or boiled water should be used.

Drink Plenty Of Water

Maintain Your Weight

Obesity is considered as health hazard medically. With the obesity, there is an increased risk of;
1) Coronary heart disease
2) Hypertension
3) Insulin Dependent Diabetes mellitus
4) Arthritis
5) Pulmonary Dysfunctions
6) Certain carcinomas

Maintain Body Weight

The factors which cause obesity are
a. Decreased physical activity
b. Increased diet beyond your requirement
Therefore, physical activity is much necessary to reduce the obesity. Similarly, the obesity can also be reduced by reducing energy intake or by increasing energy expenditure. A regular walk or exercise is necessity for maintaining weight. The weight should be maintained according to the BMI (Body Mass Index i.e., Ratio of weight is kilograms to the height in meters). The weight should according to the height of the individual. Sedentary lifestyle is the leading cause of the obesity. Thus, this sedentary lifestyle must be replaced by active lifestyle.
Maintain your caloric intake. Almost 2000-2500 kcal are required for healthy individual (70 kg) daily to fulfill his energy requirements.

Follow an Active Lifestyle

An active lifestyle not only prevents you from obesity but also maintain your stamina. Sedentary lifestyle may prove fatal in the long run when it becomes the cause of obesity and obesity in turn increases the risk of coronary heart disease, increased blood pressure and Diabetes. Therefore, the sedentary lifestyle must be strictly prohibited and follow an active lifestyle to keep you physically fit. Give at least 45 minutes daily for exercise or walk or make yourself busy in the physical activity such as playing cricket, hockey, football or any other sports in which there is an increased activity of all the body muscles.

Follow An Active Life Style

Avoid Smoking

Smoking is one of the leading causes of the lung carcinoma and heart dysfunction. Smoking is both physical as well as psychological addiction. A smoker deteriorates his health as well as his money. Smoking adversely affects the lungs by destroying the respiratory epithelium. Cigarette contains nicotine which also affects the heart. So, always avoid smoking in seek of temporary relief because once you are indulged in the bad habit of smoking it is a difficult job to quit smoking.

Avoid Smoking

Avoid Drinking

Drinking causes various health hazards. Being the perfect code of life, Islam strictly prohibits the intake of alcohol because alcohol is injurious to health. Alcohol adversely affects all the systems of the body. Some of the adverse effects of the drinking are following;
a. Impairs the vision           b. Dizziness
c. Increased heart rate       d. Mental confusion
e. Euphoria                         f. Ataxia
g. Coma                              h. Headache

Avoid Drinking

So avoid drinking at any cost because like smoking, it is very easy to indulge in the bad habit of drinking but becomes much difficult to quit drinking.

Avoid Stress

Stress must be avoided because it causes health hazards, for example;
1. It affects your health
2. It also adversely affects your family as well
3. It causes sleep disturbance
4. It affects your heart and blood vessels
5. It is bad for blood pressure

Avoid Stress

There are several disorders and diseases which are related to the stress,
a. Asthma
b. Heart diseases
c. Obesity
d. Diabetes
e. Depression
f. Major anxiety disorders

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Basics Of Healthy Lifestyle

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