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The beginning of the year is an ideal time to review your life habits and propose changes to those aspects that you do not like or that are detrimental to you. Invest in yourself and your health
It seems that modifying life habits is one of the most difficult aspects of human life to achieve, but that does not mean it is impossible. Taking advantage of the beginning of the year to try to improve them is a safe investment in health.
The World Health Organization (WHO) assures that it is enough to maintain a healthy diet, a normal weight and certain physical activity throughout life to prevent a third of the cases of cancer. Adopt the following habits that improve your health.
Eat healthy and balanced
A correct diet is responsible for the prevention of several diseases and the strengthening of the immune system.
In this sense, the Mediterranean diet is considered the most complete, as it includes all the foods to eat in a healthy and balanced way: cereals, vegetables, legumes, fish, olive oil… It is important to reduce the consumption of saturated fats (pastries, sausages…) and to include more antioxidants (fruit and vegetables).
Exercise your mind
The mind is just another muscle in the body. Several studies show that people who engage in activities that require intellectual effort retain more mental vitality as they age. There are several useful tools at your disposal, such as reading, writing or participating in social gatherings.
Crossword puzzles, word games, Parcheesi and dominoes are excellent for boosting and stimulating the brain. Artistic activities, such as painting or drawing, work the intellect and encourage psychomotor development. On the other hand, do not abuse television because it atrophies the mind too much.
Get away from the stress
When stress becomes chronic it can affect health causing fatigue, poor appetite, insomnia, nervousness, anxiety, back and neck pain…
To avoid it: try not to want to do too many activities at once and focus only on what is possible; try to sleep well (7-8 hours a day); practice conscious and deep breathing, through alternate breathing (breathing alternately through the two nostrils) or abdominal breathing; take advantage of sports and meditation or yoga to relax the mind and keep negative thoughts away; give yourself a massage, a hot bath, listen to quiet music…; and cultivate social, family and cultural relationships.
Drink more water and get cleaned up
The body needs to be hydrated, so it is important to drink water (about 8 glasses a day). It also helps eliminate accumulated toxins and improves kidney function. You also benefit from infusions, broths and fruit juices, provided they are natural.
Quit smoking
Quitting smoking is not easy because it involves a physical (nicotine) and psychological (habit) dependency, but quitting this habit is key to gaining health and quality of life. Nicotine passes from the lungs to the blood and affects the heart, the hormonal system, the metabolism and the brain.
There are many methods to achieve this: nicotine patches, gum and lozenges; acupuncture, group therapies or certain (prescription) medications. Exercise is a great ally because it combats withdrawal and the anxiety that comes with quitting tobacco, but the most important thing is to become mentally fit and have the willpower to succeed.
Activate your body with exercise
A healthy life cannot be without physical exercise, since among its many virtues, the contribution of muscular elasticity, the protection of the heart, the strengthening of the immune system and the participation in a greater pulmonary and cerebral oxygenation stand out.
In this way, sport helps you sleep better and raises your spirits thanks to the release of endocrines, which are responsible for the feeling of well-being. Along with a healthy and balanced diet, maintaining constant physical activity is the best guarantee of health.
Exercising regularly has more than 110 benefits to the point of significantly reducing the risk of suffering from a long list of major illnesses and lowering the amount of medication at all levels.
Blood pressure and cholesterol at bay
Reducing salt and alcohol consumption, exercising and trying to stay away from stressful situations helps maintain optimal stress levels. In addition, the benefits are even greater if consumption of fruit and vegetables is increased and saturated fats are reduced.
Diet also plays a key role in maintaining adequate cholesterol levels. Other measures that contribute are: staying within normal weight limits, quitting smoking and controlling blood pressure.
We hope that you will be able to adopt as many healthy habits as possible in your life, as the more you add, the longer your life expectancy will be and the risk of cancer or other cardiovascular disease will decrease considerably.