It has been found that less than 3 percent of Americans have a healthy lifestyle!
Your health is your wealth and with that being the case you will need to protect it. However, you may not be sure exactly how you can go about protecting that precious commodity.
There are many things that you should and shouldn’t do because it will jeopardize your health very quickly. However, you may be wondering exactly what you can do to stay healthy.
In fact, you may have some vague ideas about how to enhance your health. Here are a few health care tips that you can use to help you remain healthy.
Are You at Risk for Diabetes?
If you consume a lot of sweets you should be concerned about diabetes. If it runs in your family then you are very much at risk.
You can do self-screenings to see if you are at risk right now. There is an online test that is powered by the American Association of Diabetes, this test will tell the exact level of your risk.
If you find that you are at risk talk to your doctor you may even need to talk to a dietician, since they can help you eat the right way and show you how to lower blood sugar levels.
Exercise as Much as Possible
If you are not exercising you probably know that you need to start. Exercising is key to staying healthy.
If it especially difficult for you, go on YouTube and try out one of the seven-minute workouts that you see. It may not seem like much but as you practice doing these you will eventually develop the stamina to do more.
Monitor Your Blood Pressure
Your blood pressure reading is very important yet so many of us do not have a clue what is going on with it. Buy a blood pressure machine and check your pressure regularly especially if you have a high-stress lifestyle, have had a stroke or if high blood pressure runs in the family.
Remember, that sudden spikes in blood pressure puts you at risk for heart attack and stroke.
Processed Foods
Are you a fan of processed food? If you answered yes then it is very likely that you need to add more vegetables, nuts, and seeds to your diet.
Do you also like to drink a lot of bottled fruit juices? You may think that this is healthier, however often these drinks are laced with sugar and are rarely all-natural. The best way to drink fruit naturally is to buy it from a juice bar or make it with a juicer yourself.
The best thing you can do for yourself is to drink a lot of water. Remember that your body is mostly water and it is healthier to replenish yourself with that rather than any form of juice.
Try to drink at least eight glasses a day. Buy yourself a nice water bottle and take it with you wherever you go, this will help you to remember to keep drinking the water throughout the day.
Reduce Your Alcohol Intake
If you are drinking too much you need to stop. Drinking should always be done in moderation since too much of it, leaves your brain feeling foggy. You shouldn’t have more than one drink per day.
More than that puts you at risk and others as well, especially if you drive. In fact, it is better not to drink at all if you must drive. You also shouldn’t drink if you are on medication since often this will prevent the medication from performing as it should.
Consider too that drinking excessively has been linked to liver damage.
Are Your Vaccines up to Date?
You may have had vaccines as a child. However, you may not be able to remember when you got one as an adult. There are certain vaccines that as an adult you will need to do over especially if you will be traveling to foreign countries.
Another thing you should remember to do is to take your influenza vaccine. This will help you ward off bad colds especially if you have respiratory diseases like asthma. Bad cases of flu can get dangerous and can lead to pneumonia and bronchitis which can become life-threatening.
What Is Your Stress Level?
Stress can literally kill cells in your body. If for any reason you are experiencing higher levels of stress than normal you need to take the time to relax as much as possible, this is the only way you are going to stay healthy.
When you are stressed it can be difficult to get enough sleep but you should try to get at least seven hours of sleep every night to stay healthy. Spend more time with people who make you laugh. If possible try taking on a hobby that will assist you with relaxing.
You should try staying organized because this is one of the keys to reducing stress. When you know your next move then you will not be flustered.
Buy a yearly planner or a diary and keep a list of all that you have to do on a daily basis. Set long term and short term goals for yourself.
Many people work very hard and never take a vacation. This is not wise, you should plan a good vacation every year so that you can take your mind off all the rigors and stress of work and life in general.
Sometimes, the stress that comes along is too much and professional help is needed. If you think you may be at this point there is no shame in it.
Smoking and Second Hand Smoke
It is a well-known fact that you should not smoke. Gone are the days when this was considered cool.
If you do smoke then you know that it is important for you to quit. Talk to your doctor and develop a plan of action that is right for you.
E-cigarettes have become a popular choice to help you quit smoking. However, there is a school of thought that this is just replacing one bad habit with another. Many studies are now being done to ascertain whether or not they are actually effective.
Try to avoid being around people that smoke a lot because second-hand smoke is just as dangerous as smoking.
Stay out of The Sun
While it may be fashionable to have a tan. It is not worth damaging your skin in the sun. Too much sun will not just cause sunburn it can cause skin cancer.
However, a balance needs to be struck because too little sun can lead to what is known as brittle bones because of a lack of vitamin D. There is actually a growing problem in some parts of the world where children are developing brittle bones because they don’t play outdoors as much as previous generations did. Kids nowadays are mostly inside on their devices.
If you must get a tan you should stick with self-tanners or go to a tanning salon. Use a sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher when you go out in the sun. Even if you have darker skin you should also protect your skin from the sun with sunscreen.
Enjoy Nature
As mentioned before it is important to get outside. The fresh air that you will get is invaluable. Start going for nature walks and camping if you can, it will make you feel better about life in general. Enjoying nature has great psychological benefits as well, seeing beauty all around you will remind you how wonderful it is to be alive.
Since communing with nature has such a positive impact you can try to get the same effect from a video. There are videos on YouTube that simulate walking in the snow, on a beach and many other types of nature exploits.
Stay Grateful and Positive
The mind is powerful and the more you focus on what is good in your life the better you will feel on a day to day basis. Try as much as possible to identify the positive things that are happening around you and focus on that.
Keep a gratitude journal in which you list all the positive things that happen to you on a daily basis. Once you identify all the positives around you and make an effort to record it. Whenever you feel down you can always refer back to them to make you feel better about your life.
Final Health Care Tips
In order to stay healthy, you have to do more than read about health care tips. After reading you must take action. Several tips have been presented here and though you may not have the time to do all of them, there are some you can start right away.
Remember to make time for yourself, this can be difficult if you have a family. It can even be difficult if you don’t have one but it is important that you do this in order to stay connected with what makes you happy in life.
If you would like more health tips, please visit the wellness section of our website.
