Content

• Steps
• Advice

Have you ever thought about changing your life for the better? Maybe you're interested in losing weight, staying active, or simply feeling healthier. In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it is more likely that you will need to make some adjustments in many ways. A "healthy" life is based on many factors, including: genetics, diet, exercise habits and lifestyle choices. Although you cannot determine your genetics, adjusting what you control can help you live a healthier life. Focus on making small changes to your diet, exercise, and other aspects of your lifestyle to get you there.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Preparing for a healthier life

1. 

   
   
   Make an appointment with your doctor. An important factor in improving and maintaining good health is seeing your doctor regularly. Medical professionals will help you achieve your desire for a healthier life. They can also tell you if you need to start or quit a habit in order to achieve your goal.
   • See a primary care doctor. Talk to your doctor about your current health status and ask if they have any advice to help you get better.
   • Don't forget to visit the dentist either. Usually, the recommendation is to go to the dentist 2 times a year. This is also important that you should not ignore.
   • See other specialties if needed, such as obstetrics / gynecology, allergists or endocrinologists.

2. 

   
   
   Body weight measurement. There are several ways to check your health without going to a doctor. Weighing and measuring body size are also a way to gauge whether a person is healthy or not.
   • Weight. Record your weight and compare it with the national standard ideal weight. This way you will know whether you are close to a healthy weight or need to lose weight.
   • Measure your waist. Another indicator of weight and health is waist circumference. A large waistline is a sign that you have a high percentage of visceral fat, which is a health hazard. Men should have a waist circumference of less than 101 cm, this measurement for women should be less than 89 cm.
   • You can calculate your body mass index (BMI) using an online spreadsheet. This is also just one additional method to let you know if you have a healthy weight or not.
   • If you have a lot of high scores and feel like you are overweight or overweight, this will be the part of your life that will need to work on adjusting to stay healthy.

3. 

   
   
   Write diary. Journaling is a great way to start a healthier lifestyle. You can write notes, set goals and track your progress, and even keep a food diary. These notes will help you understand what to do and be motivated to work hard toward your goal.
   • You can start by jotting down your doctor's recommendations or monitoring your weight, BMI or waist measurements.
   • Write about your goals and the ways you plan to live a healthier life. This requires brainstorming and thinking about every aspect of your life that you want to change.
   • Don't forget to keep a record of all your food choices in your journal. Studies have shown that regular eating journalists maintain a new diet for longer.

4. 

   Build a support group. Support groups are an essential element of a healthier lifestyle. They not only support you in achieving your goals but also provide emotional and emotional encouragement to you.
   • An important aspect of healthy living that is often overlooked is mental and emotional health. A support group is not only there to cheer you on, but your best friend as well.
   • Ask a friend, relative, or co-worker to join you in accomplishing certain goals. They may also want to lose weight, eat healthier, or exercise more.
   • Studies have shown that people with a support group are more likely to achieve long-term goals.
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Part 2 of 4: Choosing a healthier diet

1. 

   Make a meal plan. When you want to lead a healthier life, your diet can be something you want to change. A new menu that you create will be a guide to helping you eat healthy throughout the week.
   • The meal plan is considered the menu for each meal, snack and drink throughout the week.
   • This planner also allows you to see and plan for each option. You can rest assured that you eat and drink the right standards of a healthy lifestyle every day.
   • To make a meal plan, take out a pen and paper and write down the names of each item of the week, then write down all meals, snacks, and drinks.
   • A meal plan can also make it easier to make a grocery list.

2. 

   Eat mindfully. Mindful eating is paying attention and focusing on how you eat. This is also an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle, as it helps you enjoy your meals.
   • People who eat attentively tend to eat less, lose more weight, and be more satisfied with meals.
   • Mindful eating includes many factors. To start, turn off all electronic devices (like phones or televisions) and remove any distractions. You need to be completely focused on your meal.
   • Pay attention to the appearance, flavor, texture and temperature of the dish. Really focus on every piece of food.
   • Take at least 20-30 minutes to enjoy the meal. As you eat more slowly, you may end up eating less and enjoying more.

3. 

   Maintain a balanced diet. A well-balanced diet is key to a healthy diet, and eating healthy will help you lead a healthier life.
   • A correct diet will provide all the necessary nutrients for the body and help you avoid the risk of nutrient deficiencies and other effects of poor quality eating. You will feel and be healthier.
   • A well-balanced diet includes all 5 food groups each day with a wide variety of foods. Don't just eat a few foods every day. This will limit your ability to get various nutrients.

4. 

   Pay attention to the portion of your food. The nutritional information and calories you read on the food packaging correspond to one serving of that food. So how much is a serving? You can eat a whole bag of french fries and assume it only contains 1 serving, but you actually have 3 or 4 servings. Check serving sizes to make sure you're not overeating.
   • Note that the following metrics correspond to one serving: 85g -113g protein, 1/2 cup of whole grains, 1/2 cup or a small piece of fruit and 1 cup of vegetables or 2 cups of leafy vegetables. blue. This is the amount of food for one meal.
   • When you go to restaurants that serve large servings (usually so), you might consider canning a take-out half. This way, you won't be tempted to finish all of the food on your plate, even if you're full.

5. 

   Drink more water. Staying hydrated is essential when you want to live healthier.
   • When your body becomes dehydrated, you may experience side effects that not only affect your health, but also affect your mood.
   • When you become dehydrated, you may experience a chronic headache, fatigue and loss of concentration in the afternoon.
   • Try to drink 8-13 cups of filtered water or rehydration fluids each day. This amount of water can fluctuate depending on your age, gender and activity level.
   • Drinks that can count as water include: filtered water, flavored broths, decaffeinated coffee and tea. Note that sports drinks often contain a lot of sugar, and you should dilute it with water at a 1: 1 ratio.

6. 

   Limit alcohol. Consuming too much alcohol can lead to weight gain or difficulty losing weight, in addition to having many negative effects on your overall health.
   • Health experts generally recommend that women should drink no more than 1 cup of alcohol per day, and men to drink no more than 2.
   • You should limit your alcohol consumption to less than the recommended amount to aid in weight loss and slimmer body. Alcohol only adds calories, not nutrients.
   • Typically, one unit of alcohol is equivalent to 120 ml of wine, 60 ml of brandy or 350 ml of beer.

7. 

   Consider taking a supplement. If your diet is restricted by allergies or diets, etc., you may need to rely on a supplement to get all the essential nutrients your body needs. Ask your doctor if you need a supplement and what is right for you.
   • Supplements can interact negatively with the medications you are taking, so talk with your doctor about possible side effects and drug interactions in advance.
   • Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble; This means that if you drink too much, you will not be able to get rid of it in your urine, but these vitamins will remain in the body. This can be very dangerous, so you need to consult your doctor about the right dosage to use. Never exceed the recommended dosage.
   • Consider taking calcium (especially for women), iron (for women with heavy menstrual periods) or B12 (for vegetarians).
   • Don't forget that vitamins are just a supplement and shouldn't be used as a food substitute. Try to get as many nutrients through food as possible.
8. Increase serotonin levels naturally. Serotonin ("the happiness hormone) helps stabilize mood, sleep, memory, and appetite. You can increase serotonin levels in the brain by eating vegetables and seeds that are high in tryptophan and protein. That's because serotonin is synthesized from tryptophan, an essential amino acid from protein found in foods.
   • Tryptophan cannot cross the blood-brain barrier when there are too many large-sized neutral amino acids (LNAA) in plasma.
   • Carbohydrates present in nuts (and vegetables) help reduce plasma LNAA so that trytophan can enter the brain and produce more serotonin.
   • The best ingredient types are nuts like sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and squash seeds. However, you should not roast the seeds to avoid reducing this effect.
   • Animal products rich in tryptophan (such as chicken, milk, and cheese) will not increase serotonin levels in the brain. If so, they may have an adverse effect because the carbohydrates in animal products do not reduce plasma LNAA levels.
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Part 3 of 4: Keep your body in balance with physical activity

1. 

   Make exercise fun. Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. However, if you are not excited about the exercise you are doing, you will have a hard time reaching your goals for a healthier life.
   • Find an exercise program that you really enjoy. This also helps support your mental and emotional health. Exercises must feel fresh and enjoyable.
   • Create a disc that you'll only listen to during exercise. Every time you play the music, your body will begin to realize that it's time to practice!
   • Choose exercises that you enjoy: walking, yoga biking, zumba, ballet - and remember to practice regularly. Rummage through the libraries for DVDs or exercise manuals. The internet is also full of information.
   • Find a practice companion. You can teach each other your favorite exercises and motivate each other if there are frustrating times. Also, there's nothing wrong with a little competition!

2. 

   Try to do 150 minutes a week of cardio exercises. Experts typically recommend 150 minutes or 2.5 hours of exercise per week with moderate intensity cardio exercises.
   • During high-moderate intensity cardio, you can talk but not sing. You will sweat and your heart rate will reach 50-70% of your maximum heart rate.
   • Once in the habit of doing cardio regularly, you have taken a big step towards a healthier life. Exercise, especially the activity that increases heart rate, has many health benefits, including: improved mood, better sleep, reduced risk of chronic disease, weight control, blood stabilization. blood pressure and glucose.
   • If you want additional health benefits with cardio exercises, try to do 300 minutes a week.

3. 

   Exercise. In addition to cardio exercises, you also need to include strength training exercises in addition to your workout schedule.
   • Strength training has other benefits than cardio. Regular physical exercise can help build lean muscle mass and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
   • Incorporate 1-3 days of exercise per week. Try to work out for 20 minutes each session and incorporate workouts using all the major muscle groups.
   • If you are just starting out, you should not exercise free weights but use the gym machine at the gym. Be sure to ask a trainer for instructions on how to use the exercise machine and maintain correct posture.
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Part 4 of 4: Lifestyle modifications

1. 

   Follow the 80/20 rule. Moving towards a healthier life doesn't mean avoiding all the unhealthy foods or exercising every day, but about maintaining the moderation that works for you.
   • Many health experts recommend the 80/20 rule. Accordingly, 80% of the time you will choose healthy activities and things. The other 20% of the time, you can opt for things that are thought to be slightly less healthy (such as sleeping instead of getting up to the morning exercise, or drinking a glass of wine).
   • As you begin to work towards fulfilling your goals toward a healthier life, include delights or enjoyable activities that may not be considered "healthy." These support your mental and emotional health.

2. 

   Stop smoking. All health professionals advise people to quit smoking and other tobacco products. Tobacco is associated with many diseases and health problems, from lung disease to kidney failure.
   • Try to quit smoking as soon as possible. The method of quitting suddenly is more difficult and may come with more side effects, but it is the fastest way to stop health damage.
   • If you are having trouble quitting smoking, ask your doctor for help. They can prescribe medication or refer you to a tobacco cessation program.

3. 

   Stress management. Stress is an uncontrollable emotion that can wreak havoc on your health. Low-level chronic stress is very common and can prevent you from moving towards a healthier life.
   • Stress can lead to a variety of health problems: headaches, depression, fatigue, increased risk of heart attack and type 2 diabetes, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and impaired immunity.
   • Do other activities to stay calm and reduce stress and anxiety.Try activities like meditation, yoga, light exercise, listening to music, chatting with friends or taking a hot bath.

4. 

   See a psychotherapist. These health professionals can provide you with direct guidance on how to better manage stress, busy life and other life situations.
   • You can ask your primary care doctor or someone who can refer you to a therapist.
   • Psychological treatment is not just for people with serious mental illnesses such as depression. Many studies have shown that going to see a psychotherapist or a life coach is beneficial for people of all ages and backgrounds.

5. 

   Sleep more. When you get enough sleep, you will feel healthier and ready for a new day when you wake up. Good sleep also gives your body plenty of time to rebuild! This is the period of time during which the body repairs itself at the cellular level.
   • The common recommendation is 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
   • For a better rest, don't exercise right before bed, turn off electronics, turn off lights and loud noises. This will help you sleep better.
   • Don't ignore chronic sleep problems. If you do not get enough sleep, do not sleep well, or do not wake up well, see your doctor for treatment.
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Advice

• Be sure to talk to your doctor about your plan, show them your food / food diary and make sure that safe healthcare practices are followed.