Creating a healthier lifestyle sounds very easy on paper, but making these changes in real life can be challenging and time-consuming. However, this change is very important. People with healthier lifestyles are known to live longer, much more fulfilling lives that those who don’t.
A healthy lifestyle is a balanced way of living that lowers any risk of extreme illness or early death. Not all diseases are preventable, but most can be avoided to the best of your ability.
Studies show that there are certain habits and negative behaviors that contribute to the development of preventable diseases, and a healthy lifestyle works not only to avoid worst-case scenarios but to build a positive structure in one’s life.
5 Steps to a Healthier Lifestyle
Building a healthy lifestyle can be terrifying for anyone who doesn’t know where or how to start or thinks that they’re in too deep with negative habits to make a drastic change. Here are the five basic steps to keep in mind when embarking on this journey.
Diet
Creating a good relationship with food is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. Incorporating fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and omega-3 fatty acids makes a huge difference than that of a diet filled with processed food. Fast or processed food once in a while won’t kill but should be kept at moderation.
Water Intake
Cutting out soda and making water your main beverage is the second step to a healthy lifestyle. In 2004, the Institute of Medicine recommended 91 ounces of water intake for women and 125 ounces for men. This averages about 11-13 cups of water a day, along with water included in cooked foods.
Exercise
This is usually the most difficult part for most as many people think exercise has to do with running miles a day of lifting heavyweights. Exercise can be as little as going for scheduled 15 minute walks every day, yoga, swimming, jogging, and many more activities.
Mental Health
Mental health plays a huge part in how we choose to live. Cutting out unnecessary stress factors makes envisioning a healthy lifestyle that much easier. Reaching out, whether it’s to friends or more established help resources like private hotlines or licensed therapists can be the kick-start you need to a healthy lifestyle.
Record Your Journey
You might feel like you’re not seeing a difference when you first make the switch to a healthy lifestyle, and that’s very normal. Being true to yourself and enjoying your journey is important, much like the VeggieTales story in the Phil Vischer interview.
Writing down everything from how you’re feeling, to water intake to what you ate, and how much you’ve exercised holds you accountable to the lifestyle you’re interested in living.
It’s also a great way to look back on all the progress you’ve made and reward yourself.
Taking Charge of your Lifestyle
The biggest problem with challenges such as creating a healthy lifestyle is simply just starting. No one wants to fail or be seen starting small, but its only human. Taking charge of your lifestyle for the better will allow you to see great improvements in the overall structure and quality of life.
