Have you heard of the term lifestyle diseases? Non-communicable diseases like Hypertension, Type-2 Diabetes, Obesity, and Cardiovascular diseases are commonly called lifestyle diseases. These are caused by some unhealthy routines that we follow habitually. These unhealthy routine habits may seem harmless in the beginning but they can eventually lead to some serious issues.
But you can take charge and follow a healthy lifestyle by making some small changes. These healthy lifestyle changes, if followed consistently over a period of time, will collectively lead to much better health.
These 5 heroes of a healthy lifestyle can give us good energy levels, active metabolism, stronger immunity, reduced risk of high blood pressure, mental alertness, and reduced stress; all while preventing the dreaded ‘lifestyle diseases’.
Sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Nowadays, our lifestyle requires us to sit for long hours without moving. Aim for moderate intensity exercise for at least 150 minutes a week. Apart from a fixed exercise routine, it is important to stay active all day long. There are some simple changes that can help us with doing that. Get up every 40 minutes to take a short walk or stretch your body, prefer to take stairs and not lift, take a walk while you are on a phone call.
A healthy diet can help prevent, delay, and even manage lifestyle diseases. Several scientific studies prove that an ideal dietary pattern for that is to include a variety of foods, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein. It is important to minimise intake of foods with saturated fats to prevent high cholesterol, added sugars to prevent blood sugar spikes, and high sodium to prevent high blood pressure.
No matter what, some or the other form of stress inevitably creeps up in day-to-day life. Psychological stress leads to poor mental health. And it is scientifically proven that prolonged mental stress can lead to many physical health problems too. So, it is important to manage stress by maintaining a work-life balance. Taking time out for leisure activities that help you to relax, like meditation, sports, music etc. can help to manage stress.
A consistent sleeping routine is necessary to set-up our circadian rhythm. A sound and uninterrupted sleep of 7–8 hours is vital for both your mind and body. It boosts immunity, helps in preventing weight gain, and also helps us to manage stress. It promotes overall well-being and helps prevent lifestyle diseases.
Both alcohol and tobacco have harmful effects on our bodies. Alcohol raises fatty substances that can harm our metabolic health and increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and liver damage. Smoking is damaging to lungs, heart muscles, and causes different types of cancers.
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