Health
is wealth. So staying healthy should not be seen as a second job.
Okechukwu Nnodim writes on how to stay healthy with ease
To some people, keeping a positive
outlook, taking necessary vitamins, exercising and eating right may seem
a huge task, but this is vital to ones health. Of course, staying
healthy by eating nutritious meals may require some cost, but there are
simple measures which one can adopt in order to avoid preventable
illnesses. Experts advise that everyone should try other simple and
practical ways to get an extra health boost in order to be productive
when necessary. Below are some simple practical steps to help you stay
healthy, according to professionals:
Wash your hands regularly
Of course, this sounds simple, and that
may be the reason people seldom take it seriously. Global Hand Washing
Day, a day set aside to create awareness on the importance of washing
one’s hands regularly, was recently celebrated in order to make people
adopt the culture of hand washing. The Territorial Manager, Society for
Family Health, Lagos, Dr. Yinka Goodman, while speaking at an event
commemorating the GHWD in Lagos, noted that washing hands frequently is
one of the best ways to protect yourself from infectious diseases.
Experts say since many infections are
transmitted by touching things – doorknobs, other people’s hands,
railings, telephones, desktops, and other objects that carry disease –
hand-washing is important for people of all ages, especially children.
Studies have shown that hand-washing cut children’s risk of pneumonia
and diarrhoea in half. Soap and running water are all you need, and if
those are not available, alcohol-based hand sanitizers also are
effective.
Eat well
It is not a bad idea to spend money in
order to feed properly. As a matter of fact, volumes of books have been
written about diets. Experts say the best diet is one that has a balance
of nutrients measured by calorie intake. Therefore, it’s been
recommended that you eat more fruit and vegetables, whole grains,
fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, lean protein. Experts say
that to stay healthy, you should consume less fats and sugar, refined
grains, sodium, dietary cholesterol and alcohol.
However, while these guidelines are
useful, it’s hard to abide by them in our day-to-day life. The most
important thing is how to moderate all you eat. Don’t indulge in excess
eating, but eat a variety of foods. Balance your intake. Experts say
another important practice is to eat breakfast regularly. They note that
studies show that skipping breakfast triggers the body to eat more
later in the day and store calories which may build up fats. Other hints
are to eat smaller quantities in each of the three main meals with
healthy, small intakes in between.
Exercise
Having achieved a balanced diet and
limited your intake of calories, you need to balance your calorie
expenditure. Experts say calories in and calories out is a good focus.
If you burn more calories than you consume, weight will drop. If you eat
more calories than you burn, usually you will gain weight as the body
stores the excess. With this in mind, the next thing is to get out and
do some exercise. Anaerobic exercise (weight or strength training) helps
form bone density and builds muscle that more efficiently burns
calories, experts say.
On the other hand, aerobic exercise also
burns calories, helps with endurance, heart health, lung capacity, and
strength. Studies show that metabolism increases during exercise but
also continues at an elevated rate for hours afterwards. But in doing
this, you have to be careful; don’t go from a sedentary life to full
throttle. Make sure your doctor says you’re healthy enough, and then
start slow and work your way up to an exercise regimen. Be sure also to
drink enough water as you increase your exercise. You can walk outside
your home for some time, or better still, go to a shopping mall and walk
inside in inclement weather.
Drive less
Driving less also could give you extra
time for healthier behaviours, such as walking. Experts say you should
try to give up driving one day a week (or at least one day a month).
Walk to at least one place you might normally drive to. This has a way
of impacting on your health positively.
Get enough sleep
This is very important. However, too
much of it may lead to poverty. After eating right and exercising, you
need to sleep. The average adult needs about eight hours of sleep per
night, experts say. Sleep is the great cure-all. It is a time when your
body recovers, and when your immune system is improved. A survey
conducted by the American Cancer Society concluded that people who sleep
less than six or more than nine hours per night had a death rate 30 per
cent higher than those who regularly slept seven to eight hours. Even
those who slept six hours or less who otherwise had no health problems
had death rates 1.8 times higher than those who slept normal hours. So
get enough sleep.
Don’t neglect medical check-ups
Experts say an ounce of prevention is
always the best medicine, so don’t neglect your annual checkup. Avoid
putting off important screening tests like mammogram (for women),
bone-density test, blood pressure, cholesterol, and other blood work.
Prevention means being proactive, so invest this small amount of time in
your health and stay healthy for your family, friends and country.
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