Living a healthy lifestyle is a crucial factor for establishing optimum health. Studies show that five factors make the most significant difference in overall health and wellness and make up a healthy lifestyle. Health is wealth, so continue reading to discover what constitutes a healthy lifestyle.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle means introducing habits that improve your health and quality of life. That can mean different things to different people and is personal to everyone. For one person, that may mean doing yoga, eating out once a week, and spending time with loved ones. For someone else, a healthy lifestyle may be doing HIIT workouts, following a keto diet, and having one drink a week of alcohol. The good thing is that you get to decide what a healthy lifestyle is as long as you are mindful of these 5 areas.

Importance of a Healthy Lifestyle

The World Health Organization defined health as ‘A complete state of mental, physical and social well-being not merely the absence of disease’. Scientific evidence shows our lifestyles play a huge part in how healthy we are. Here are some benefits of having a healthy lifestyle.

• Improvement of physical health – Benefits include improving your quality of life.
• Improvement of mental health – A healthy lifestyle can positively impact your mental and emotional health.
• Prevent diseases and health issues – Healthy habits can reduce the risk of various diseases, including those that may be generational.
• Save money – A healthy lifestyle reduces the chances of spending money on costly prescriptions and other medical treatments.

5 Factors of a Healthy Lifestyle

1) Balanced Diet

A balanced diet is a diet that contains a variety of foods from all the major food groups, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins. A balanced diet gives your body the nutrients it needs to work effectively, and without it, your body is more prone to disease, infection, and fatigue.

Tips to get a balanced diet

• Eat more fruits and vegetables and aim for a variety of colors.
• Limit processed foods because they often include unhealthy levels of added sugar, sodium, and trans-fat.
• Limit refined carbs because they are linked to increased heart disease and type 2 diabetes risk. Refined carbohydrates are sugars and grains stripped of all the bran, fiber, and nutrients.
• Eat in moderation and try not to stuff yourself during any meal.

2) Rest

Rest is vital for overall health, and when the body is deprived of sleep, it cannot rebuild and recharge properly. Rest is as necessary to a healthy lifestyle as the water we drink and the air we breathe. Basically, your body needs rest.

Tips to get more rest

• Create a sleep schedule and set aside at least 6 – 8 hours of restful sleep.
• Create a relaxing environment by having your room at a comfortable temperature and a calming ambiance.
• Limit food and drinks before going to bed.

3) Exercise

Regular exercise improves your quality of life and gives you the ability to enjoy things as you get older. It is important to think about the future at any age. The earlier you start exercising in life the more your body will reward you as you get older. It’s called investing in your health, the ultimate self-care.

Tips to get exercise

• Think about fun ways you can get active such as dancing or rock climbing.
• Sign up for a streaming workout video service to give you a variety of workouts to try to combat boredom.
• Do 2 – 3 ten-minute workouts throughout the day to boost your heart rate and make small gains.

4) Mental health

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being and helps determine how we handle stress. Focusing on mental health can increase productivity, enhance our self-image, and improve relationships, all of which incorporate into a healthy lifestyle.

Tips for managing your mental health

• Practice self-care regularly and make yourself a priority.
• Allow yourself to disconnect from electronics and social media.
• Engage in activities that provide meaning, like volunteering.
• Practice meditation and/or mindfulness.
• Stop and smell the roses and remember to Breathe Chile.

5) Avoiding the use of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco

The damage to your body and brain from alcohol and drug abuse can negatively affect your health and well-being. Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, and diabetes.

Tips to prevent substance abuse

• Talk to a professional – A professional will provide you with healthy coping skills to alleviate your mental health symptoms without turning to drugs and alcohol.
• Try to find balance in your life – Practicing stress management skills can help you overcome these life stressors and will help you live a balanced and healthy life.

Creating balance in our lives is integral to wellness and a healthy lifestyle. Balance means ensuring we have time to do the things that make us feel happy and fulfilled, including having a purpose, having fun, spending time with family and friends, participating within your community, being physically active, relaxing, and sleeping, praying and mediating.

Things to think about

• Improve your diet by setting small goals for small changes every day.
• Try getting regular physical activity and make it fun.
• Try getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night.
• Be mindful of triggers that make you want to abuse substances and have a plan to help you avoid those un-serving habits.
• Visit your doctor, dentist, or other health care provider for routine care and monitoring.

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