Consider yourself to be living a healthy lifestyle. With the exception of the occasional detour, the majority of us believe we do a reasonable job of preserving our health through excellent (or at least acceptable) eating habits and physical activity whenever we can fit it in. But is that sufficient to qualify as “healthy”?
A recent survey found that just a small percentage of Americans genuinely lead healthy lifestyles. Only 3% of American people, according to the survey, scored perfectly on the four essential elements of a healthy lifestyle, according to the authors of the study, which was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Barely 13.8% of the criteria were met, while 34.2% only met two of them. Men scored a little lower than women did.
Find out how you fare on the four criteria for healthfulness identified by the researchers:
Are you a smoker?
Are you able to maintain a healthy weight (a BMI of 18 to 25) or are you making progress toward a healthy weight loss goal?
Do you consume a minimum of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day?
Do you work out five times a week for at least 30 minutes?
The good news is that all but one of these behaviors should be familiar to you because the Weight Loss Clinic depends on them all. The WLC program is built around habits 2 through 4, which we frequently talk about, advocate, and write about.
Everyone is aware of the harmful effects of smoking. Give yourself a pat on the back if you are one of the fortunate people who never developed a nicotine addiction. I hope all of you who smoke are making a concerted effort to stop. The benefits of living a smoke-free life for both your health and the health of those around you cannot be overstated.
A total of 4 Steps
These four behaviors are unquestionably crucial for leading a healthy lifestyle, although some people would contend that more aspects need to be taken into account. What would be on that list, exactly?
For fun, I created my own top ten list of healthy habits (outside of the four fundamentals) that promote wellbeing and lifetime satisfaction:
To maintain your teeth and gums healthy and disease-free, brush and floss every day.
Have a restful night’s sleep. People who get enough sleep not only handle stress better, but may also have better control over their appetites. Lack of sleep has been linked to an imbalance in our “hunger hormones,” which may lead to overeating, according to research.
Enjoy regular meals as a family. This makes it possible for parents to serve as positive role models, encourage more wholesome eating, and pave the way for engaging dialogues. A vital component of living a healthy life is having strong relationships with friends and family.
Several times per day, laugh out loud and smile. It keeps you in check and makes it easier to handle situations that could otherwise drive you mad. To elicit those joyful emotions, read funny books, watch sitcoms, or deliver jokes.
Spend at least 10 to 20 minutes every day in prayer, meditation, or some other form of reflection. Contemplation is beneficial to your mental and emotional health, as well as your ability to handle the stresses of daily life. It may even help lower your blood pressure.
Get a pedometer and use it to spur you on to walk more and more. Don’t worry about how many minutes you need to spend exercising; just try to increase the number of steps you take each day. Regardless of how you obtain it, exercise can reduce stress, burn calories, and improve self-esteem.
Remain upright. If you take a tall posture and contract your abdominal muscles, you’ll appear 5 pounds lighter. Think “tall and tight” whenever you walk to maximize your stride.
Try yoga. The positions aid in improving balance while boosting strength and flexibility. Both men and women can gain from these crucial areas, which are especially important for elderly people.
Strengthen the protein. This vitamin, which can account for 10% to 35% of your total calories, is crucial to your dietary strategy. Protein keeps you full for a long time in your stomach; pair it with high-fiber foods to feel satisfied on less calories. Eat a few almonds, low-fat dairy products, legumes, lean meat, chicken, or fish in moderation.
Finally, but most importantly, keep an optimistic outlook. Try your best to view things from a “glass half full” perspective. To achieve, you must have confidence in yourself, supportive relationships, and an optimistic outlook (“I think I can, I think I can…”).
