HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
WHAT IS A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE? The World Health Organization (WHO), defines Health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not simply just the absence of disease.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT There is more and more scientific evidence that shows that our lifestyles have a huge part in how healthy we are. From what we eat and drink, to how much exercise we take, and whether we smoke or take drugs, all will affect our health. Conditions such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, joint disease, and mental illness are responsible for a vast number of deaths and disabilities. Currently, we rely almost exclusively on the provision of clinical care by highly trained health professionals as our major strategy to deal with these conditions. Even if, they could be prevented by just maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
HOW CAN WE HAVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE? There are many important factors that contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Physical (For The Body) Good Nutrition, Eating Right Getting Physically Fit, Beneficial Exercise Adequate Rest Proper Stress Management Emotional Wellness (For The Mind) Self-Supportive Attitudes Positive Thoughts and Viewpoints Positive Self-Image You Also Need to Give and Receive Forgiveness Love and Compassion You Need to Laugh and Experience Happiness. You Need Joyful Relationships With Yourself and Others. Spiritual Wellness Inner Calmness Openness to Your Creativity Trust in Your Inner Knowing
THE FIVE MAIN FACTORS Exercise Smoking Drugs Alcohol Diet
EXERCISE One of the biggest reasons we have weight problems these days is because we sit around too much. We know we need to do exercise. We're too busy or we don't know where to start, we're not motivated or we're afraid we'll get injured or we're afraid that exercise has to be vigorous for what our bodies can handle. The truth is, everything counts. The more you move, the healthier you'll be. Exercise is a critical component of good health, especially as you age. Exercise will help you: Sleep better, Lose weight, gain weight, or maintain weight, depending on your needs Improve your resistance to fight infections Lower your risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes Help your brain work better, making you smarter.
SMOKING You reduce your risk of getting serious disease no matter what age you give up. However, the sooner you stop, the greater is the reduction of your risk. In fact, researchers have found that if you stop smoking before the age of 50 your risk of dying is virtually reduced that that of a non-smoker. Even if you give up after the age of 60, your risk of dying at any given age is reduced by about 39% compared to a person who carries on smoking. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that "Much of the disease burden and premature mortality attributable to tobacco use disproportionately affect the poor".
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DRUGS A drug is a substance which may have medicinal, intoxicating, performance enhancing or other effects when taken or put into a human body or the body of another animal and is not considered a food or exclusively a food. More deaths, illnesses and disabilities stem from substance abuse than from any other preventable health condition. Today, one in four deaths is attributable to illicit drug use. People who live with substance dependence have a higher risk of all bad outcomes including unintentional injuries, accidents, risk of domestic violence, medical problems, and death.
DRUGS Weaken the immune system, increasing susceptibility to infections. Cause cardiovascular conditions ranging from abnormal heart rate to heart attacks. Injected drugs can also lead to collapsed veins and infections of the blood vessels and heart valves. Cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Cause the liver to have to work harder, possibly causing significant damage or liver failure. Cause seizures, stroke and widespread brain damage that can impact all aspects of daily life by causing problems with memory, attention and decision-making, including sustained mental confusion and permanent brain damage. Produce global body changes such as breast development in men, dramatic fluctuations in appetite and increases in body temperature, which may impact a variety of health conditions.
DRUGS It is very surprising, but 91% of people have tried drugs at least once in their life. The global number of illegal drug users will go up by 25% by 2050. Roughly 230 million people have used an illegal drug at least once in 2010.
ALCOHOL The key to including alcohol in a healthy lifestyle is you guessed it moderation. Federal health guidelines define moderate drinking as two drinks a day for men under 65, and one a day for women and anyone over 65. That doesn t mean a jumbo-sized cocktail counts as a single drink. Nope, one standard drink is any of these: 12 ounces of beer or wine cooler 8.5 ounces of malt liquor 5 ounces of wine 3.5 ounces of fortified wine (port or sherry) 2.5 ounces of liqueur 1.5 ounces of brandy 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits (vodka, whiskey, etc.)
ALCOHOL Drinking more than necessary brings to: Cancer of the throat, oesophagus or larynx. Regularly drinking two large glasses of wine (ABV 13%) or two pints of strong lager (ABV 5.2%) a day could make you three times as likely to get mouth cancer. Breast cancer in women. Regularly drinking just above the guidelines increases the risk of getting breast cancer by around 20% A stroke Heart disease or an irregular heartbeat, which can lead to a heart attack High blood pressure Liver disease such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. If you regularly drink just above the lower-risk guidelines, the risk of liver cirrhosis increases 1.7 times Pancreatitis Reduced fertility
DIET A healthy diet is one that helps maintain or improve general health. A healthy diet provides the body with essential nutrition: fluid, adequate essential amino acids from protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and adequate calories. The requirements for a healthy diet can be met from a variety of plant-based and animal-based foods. A healthy diet supports energy needs and provides for human nutrition without exposure to toxicity or excessive weight gain from consuming excessive amounts. Where lack of calories is not an issue, a properly balanced diet (in addition to exercise) is also thought to be important for lowering health risks, such as obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cancer.
THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT In conclusion, we assume that the two main factors that contribute to a healthy lifestyle are drugs and smoking. Infact, these two are the main causes of diseases and death, or shortening of life that, are the main factors not only to be healthy but to survive! Then, the other factors come in and make you lifestyle not only normal but healthy.
To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art. Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness. Diseases of the soul are more dangerous and more numerous than those of the body. The power of love to change bodies is legendary, built into folklore, common sense, and everyday experience. Love moves the flesh, it pushes matter around Throughout history, tender loving care has uniformly been recognized as a valuable element in healing. In minds crammed with thoughts, organs clogged with toxins, and bodies stiffened with neglect, there is just no space for anything else. No success in public life can compensate for failure in the home.