Healthy Lifestyle Facts

We live in the era where we may be indulging ourselves in a cheese burst pizza, a bowl of french fries and a “diet” coke and be reading articles about Caesar salad. Too bad we don’t mean this when we say “eat healthy”. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the top-notch concern of everyone walking around on two feet. Whether you are an actor, a doctor, a sportsperson, a teacher or a homemaker, a healthy lifestyle is just as important and essential to you. Ever wondered if all the cheat meals, the extra chocolates and that dinner you skipped 5 days ago for extra ice cream made a difference? Well, yes they did.

A healthy lifestyle consists of both long term and short term goals with varying benefits.

ü Short term goals are for a specific objective. You may want to get super thin, super soon for a wedding coming up in two weeks. Short term goals may make you feel and look at your best and maintain a healthy weight.

ü Long term goals include taking care of your body on a daily basis. Eating a balanced diet, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight can sprinkle years to your life and reduce the risk of certain genetic and age – dependent diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and obesity.

So how do we approach our very own instagrammable healthcare goals without disrupting our pseudo wrapped-up schedules? (C’mon we know we love procrastination, after all!)

Let’s talk about a few healthy lifestyle facts that may make a tad bit difference in your concept of a healthy lifestyle:-

1.    Tired? How about a workout?

Hitting the gym is probably the last thing on your mind after a long day at work. In opposition to the general perception regarding exercising, in reality it actually provides you with more energy, even when you’re tired. This is because; exercise increases the flow of blood and oxygen in your body, thus improving cardiovascular health. This supplies the body with more energy. 

2.    Being an optimist can help you live longer

In accordance to a study by Duke University Medical Center, patients who were optimistic about their treatment lived longer than patients who were pessimistic in their approach. According to yet another study, people who radiate optimism tend to avoid the risk of a heart disease. 

3.    “ . . . . . I’ll make a cup of coffee for your head”

We all are familiar with humming to this tune with our favourite beverage in our hands. But, we’ve always heard of the negatives of the caffeine loaded beverage. Apart from them, it is proven that coffee helps in dealing with depression. It contains chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, and caffeic acid, which reduce the inflammation of nerve cells which takes place in people with the risk of depression. 

4.    Sleepy? Chew.

If you’re dealing with that mind boggling afternoon meeting and can barely keep your eyes open, a chewing gum can save the day. Studies prove that chewing mint flavoured gum immensely reduces the feeling of slumping. So, keep one handy the next time. 

5.    Hot? Drink something hotter.

As counterproductive as it sounds, studies prove that drinking something hotter than your body temperature will trigger a sweat response from your body eventually cooling you down. So the next time you’re stuck under the sun, you know the drill. 

6.    Be a workaholic but don’t glue to your desk

Every time your friend chickens you out for a quick break, be thankful! The University of Sydney found out that people who tend to sit for more than 10 hours a day at their desk have a death risk as high as 48%. Try taking a 5-minute break every hour from your workstation and steer clear of this risk. Taking the stairs the next time you’re on time for work sounds like a brilliant idea as well.

These are a few healthy lifestyle facts that will help you in your day to day life. Every great success needs baby steps. Gradual changes are easier to adapt to and maintain rather than sudden major changes. Thus, take one day at a time and one goal at a time and don’t shy away from making that first move.