As the saying goes, health is wealth. No matter how bad your situation is, as long as you have your health then you can turn your life around and achieve greatness. If you are in poor health on the other hand, then it is very difficult to make any meaningful changes in your life.
If you understand the importance of good health, then you need to protect it. But how can one protect one’s health? This post will answer that question, explaining nine things that you can do to secure yours:
Health Insurance
A health insurance policy won’t protect your health in the same way that a healthy diet will, but it is still a great way to look after yourself. Healthcare in the United States can be very expensive. For most people, it’s simply too much. Taking out a health insurance policy will allow you to access important medical treatment, without having to worry about bankrupting yourself in the process. In addition, taking out an insurance policy will also make it possible for you to enter into long-term therapeutic treatment and get dental care. As long as you are currently in good health, then there’s no reason for you to not pursue one of these policies.
Healthy Eating
If you want to live a long, healthy life, then you need to start by eating a healthy diet. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t eat healthy diets these days, especially in the United States. The main reason for this is that people are addicted to junk food and high-sugar diets. If you find yourself eating a lot of junk, then it’s time to make a change. Shifting to a healthier diet will help you to feel and look much better.
Regular Exercise
Exercise is a cornerstone to a healthy life. If you look at the world’s healthiest nations (Japan and Italy), they both exercise a lot. The type of exercise that you do does not have to be strenuous, however, because even walking can count toward your weekly 150 minutes. Just make sure that whatever you are doing, you are consistent. If you aren’t the sort of person that’s inclined toward training in the gym, then you could take up cycling, jogging, or even training calisthenics at home.
Staying Hydrated
You must ensure that you stay as hydrated as possible at all times. A staggeringly large percentage of the American population is chronically dehydrated. Many people think that drinking sugary drinks is a sufficient way of staying hydrated, but it’s not. Sodas and juices will just dehydrate you if anything. The best way to stay hydrated is to drink a lot of water. If you want to spice up your water, then you could add sugar-free squash to it or alternatively could drink sparkling water. Sparkling water is just as good for you and just as hydrating as normal water, except it has a kick.
Sufficient Sleep
Sleep is important if you want to live a healthy life. Everybody needs a different amount of sleep, so it’s hard to pinpoint an exact number of hours. With that said, various academics and medical professionals recommend at least six hours of sleep a night. Some people need more, and others less. Only you know how much sleep is right for you. If you feel constantly tired and fatigued, then it is a strong indication that you aren’t getting enough sleep. If you aren’t getting enough sleep because of a health problem, then your doctor should be able to prescribe you sleep aids.
Minimizing Stress
Stress can be catastrophic to our health. People who live their lives in perpetual states of stress are significantly more likely to develop health issues like heart disease and high blood pressure. It can be very difficult to minimize stress, especially in the modern world, where everything moves so quickly, that most people haven’t even got time to sit down and think. Minimizing stress can be easily done, as long as you commit yourself to doing it. The best way to minimize stress is meditation, which can work very well even as part of a stressful life.
Relaxation Time
Find time to relax, no matter how busy your schedule is. While finding time to relax is easier said than done, if you set aside an hour or so a day for relaxation, you should be able to. You don’t have to do anything in particular to relax—only you know what’s relaxing to you. As mentioned in the previous section, meditation is a good way of de-stressing and also of relaxing. Meditation can help you to feel more connected to the world around you, in addition to making you feel more confident and happy.
Mental Engagement
If you want to live a long happy life, then you don’t only need to exercise your body, you also need to exercise your mind. Mental engagement is crucial if you want to live a long, happy life. The best way to achieve mental engagement is through fostering social connections, which will be addressed in the next section. Another extremely effective way of engaging and exercising your brain is to read books. You could also play games like chess, sudoku, and draughts. Taking educational courses in your spare time can help with mental engagement. As long as your brain’s active and engaged, it will function well. You do need to make sure that you let it rest though. An overactive brain can be a very bad thing.
Social Connection
Lastly, try to find social connections in the world and then maintain them. Having social connections and being plugged into your local community will aid you in improving your health. It is often society’s most isolated that suffer from the most health problems. If you are a shy person, then you can meet new people by joining clubs, participating in chat rooms, and even joining sports teams (which can also help you to exercise).
If you want to secure and protect your health, then you need to start by getting insurance, and then working your way through the points outlined here. Improving your health doesn’t need to be a chore, and some things like participating in sports and social events can be a lot of fun and very good for you.
Photo via Unsplash
.
.
