Health Is Wealth – 16 Effective Ways To Stay Healthy

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Health is the real wealth, not pieces of gold and silver.” Contrary to this amazing philosophy, we spot many people who spend their youth trying to gain wealth and then spend their wealth to regain their health. The irony is shockingly very true these days, isn’t it?

[Partying out all night with reunited colleagues doesn’t sound bad, but the dark circles bordering your eyes the next day creep you out.

Unfortunately, health is not something to be acquired through pills or surgeries. Or imagine the reckless life we would be living as the medics would cure us anyway.]

The number of health issues has increased. The age groups for these diseases have decreased as well. Almost every household these days has one diabetic patient. Obesity and depression are frequently creating problems for our youngsters. Heart problems and blood pressure level fluctuation are common.

The good news is that they can all be prevented by applying simple health tips.

Here are some simple tips to stay healthy:

Water: The blue liquid

We have all heard that water is the elixir of life. But honestly, how many of us have adhered to drinking 8 glasses of water as prescribed. It flushes out the toxins from your body and helps keep you fit and hydrated. This is probably the best way to stay healthy.

Since 75% of our body is made up water, maintaining the water level is a must. Many people unknowingly suffer from dehydration. Skin problems and hair problems for many people arise from lack of water. Thus if you want to make your skin glow the natural way, without the use of expensive creams, water is the answer to your problems.

Carry a water bottle with you wherever you go this season as the summers in India are heart-wrenchingly cruel to us innocent humans.

Maintain a proper diet:

Including the green veggies and the beans in your diet is very crucial. The vitamins and nutrients that are needed by the body can only be provided by the natural greens and reds. However, there has to be a proper balance. Including dairy and other such products is necessary. Include every vegetable in your diet. This makes it healthy eating plan.

Tip for the summer: eat as many fleshy fruits as you can. These replenish fluids of the body as well as provide the much-needed fiber. They also help in digestion and prevent acidity.

Have a good long night:

When the sun goes down, so should you. Sleeping early helps you in covering the basic number of hours of sleep. A minimum number of 7 hours of deep sleep is essential for a healthy individual. The best hours of a deep sleep are in between 10 pm and 4 am. This has been told by many science experts. Skipping sleep using work as excuse leads to unavoidable stress.

Some youngsters pull all night-errs while preparing for the nerve wrecking exams. Let me tell you an important thing about staying up all night long. The longer you avoid sleeping, the worse your memory gets. Sleep is needed to allow the conscious brain some rest. If this luxury is restrained, the conscious memory becomes affected by stress due to overload.

Some argue that night time eliminates all possible disturbances and is thus considered the best time to get some studying done. If that is the case, you can do this in its stead. Go to bed around 8 and wake up around 3 am. This way you can get at least 7 hours of undisturbed sleep and have the better part of the night in your hands.

Early to bed and early to rise:

“Wake up an hour early to live an hour more.”

As the line already states, waking up early not only promotes a healthy lifestyle, but also gives you the opportunity to live more productively. This is the best possible answer to how to stay healthy. There are times when waking up for your job or school seems impossible. In winter, it’s almost close to torture. (Hands up if you agree).

However, waking up early helps you get a fresh start of your day in an energetic mood. Exercising doesn’t seem like a weight when you have already started your day. Also, with more time on your hand, you get a number of things done, even before you actually start your routine life.

That in itself is enough to make you feel on top of the world. After all, it’s not easy to get up early and finish your chores even before the day officially starts.

Say no to Brunches:

Some paranoid people have the habit of skipping a proper breakfast and in its stead combining it with lunch. This is a very damaging habit. It has many harmful effects on your health.

There is a reason why breakfast is called what it is called. It is because you break open the fast that has been going on for the whole night. Having a late breakfast or skipping it altogether means you are purposely starving your body when it has already been fasting for a night.

Some experts say that one should have a heavy breakfast, a normal lunch, and a light dinner. At the very least, one should have a glass of milk and some fruits at day break. Having a fulfilling breakfast is the key thing to stay healthy.

Run or jog, just do something:

Exercising is the oiling needed by our body to improve its spirits. A light exercise helps in improving blood circulation and the flexibility of your limbs. Doing a cardio routine workout cures many simple ailments. Sweating also releases the excess salt from your body. Exercising is an excellent way to keep your body healthy.

Some people enjoy resistance training. Others get bored after some time. The best way to stay healthy is to pick a set of exercise which suits your taste and which you can enjoy. It is advisable to pick walking your dog to the park or doing sun salutation when the sun breaks through the clouds. Following an interesting workout routine, helps you stay in a good mood. Plus it saves the cost of anger management courses you might have invested instead.

Keep the bio clock tuned in….

The biggest disadvantage that better jobs and higher income bring to us is that work becomes everything. Skipping meals, skipping exercise and sometimes even skipping sleep becomes necessary. People with day jobs can manage a routine once it starts. But those who work in shifts or during the night literally race against time to get even the most minor things done.

It’s hard for such people to maintain a proper schedule for sleep and food. However, ignoring the biological processing of our body can lead us directly to our graves. Sleep is naturally induced by hormones which are released during night time (darkness). When you force yourself to stay awake, the hormonal balance is disturbed throwing our whole body in turmoil.

My advice to such troubled people would be to prefer a stable job. A job which follows a set routine every day, which is required when setting our personal biological clock. This way, even if you stay up every night working if you make yourself sleep in a dark environment, the sleep settings would not be disturbed by a large margin. All things said the best healthy routine is to work during the day and to hit the sack at night.

Do yoga or stretches:

“Yoga is not about touching your toes. It’s about what you learn on the way down.” Jigar Gor.

Yoga is considered a healing art by many. Pushing your body to do a full stretch while your heart thumps like a time bomb and you can hear your own breath is what I prefer. It gives a calming sensation, especially when you take time out from a hectic schedule to perform a set of poses.

Releasing energy leads to a healthier life. Kids who are hyperactive become aggressive when their playtime is cut short. Similarly, your body needs to let out the tense and strong energy out.

No smoking:

The irony that most people ignore when they purchase cigarettes is the warning printed on the front. Smoking is by far the latest trend among youngsters. Being a non-smoker myself, I don’t understand the craze that has taken over everyone.

However, there is a reason why the warnings against smoking are given out regularly. It’s because the ill effects last way longer the enjoyment. The bottom line is “smoking kills.” The first thing to be done to stay healthy is to quit smoking.

Abstain from drugs and alcohol:

Hectic life can pave the way for drugs. Popping in pills for sleep, or taking in nicotine to stay awake are the first stage of drug usage. Health is described as a stage where the body in balance with itself.

Drugs are even worse than smoking due to their addictive quality. Drinking down a peg of vodka does sound nice, however, soon the dependence on alcohol can increase. Occasional drinking can be considered okay. However, ending your day every day with alcohol is a definite no.

Spend quality time with yourself:

It has become common for people to spend time with their family and then some time with their gadgets. Gadgets these days are being held in contempt for disrupting gathering and manners. I, personally used to prefer going through my files over getting the required minimum sleep.

One needs to spend time with yourself. It does not mean that you spend time alone with your phone for company. Writing a journal, making plans beforehand and taking trips to the park are some recommended activities. Such simple, healthy habits cultivate one’s mind and make one’s spirit more cheerful. You can do your personal grooming done during this time or just read your favorite book.

Such habits keep depression away. Depression these days is affecting most people. Anxiety and fear are emotions that are always haunting many people. Spending time doing things you like in a peaceful atmosphere is productive in keeping negative thoughts away. This is a productive way of staying healthy.

Stop being a couch potato:

All of us look forward to spending our Sundays just relaxing and doing absolutely nothing. At least I do. But very often, our Sunday finishes even before you properly spend it, and at the end of the day, you find yourself wondering if you got any of the things done that you had left for this day.

Sunday does provide us the opportunity to catch up on our sleep. However, if you spend every free minute of the day lazing around on the soft cushions of the sofa, you honestly need to stop. The sofa needs to be used, however, kindly don’t overuse it and become a potato. Lying around after eating leads to obesity. Obesity has become an issue for children and adults alike.

The workout you do every day goes down the drain if on your Sunday you spend the entire day eating chips and logging on the couch. Instead cut the lazy routine and go for a spin. Or pick up a hobby. And mind you watching movies all day long is not a hobby. Some might disagree. For them, I would like to remind you that it would definitely not be considered a healthy hobby.

Pick carbonated water over soda:

When in a rush, food is consumed only based on the need for the moment and taste. Having instant noodles because cooking is tiring is an everyday occurrence for some. You eat when you are hungry. Some people eat because they are sad. The most preferred food during such situations is junk food. We crave it, don’t we?

What is the use of putting in hours at the gym, when your day starts and ends with burgers and cola? Say no to soda and fries. Choose fresh fruit juices or tea. There are some teas with medicinal and weight loss values. If cutting fruits is too much work, pick smoothies instead. Do everything in your power to cut down on the junk food intake. Even if the decrease is meager, it is worth it all. After all, once your health fails you, having even a teeny tiny bit becomes harmful.

Tip: follow a healthy eating plan as mentioned above. Include every necessary item. Occasional eating junk food would not be a problem then

Keep your posture in mind:

Did you know, your head weighs around 4 kg alone? Imagine that weight being handled by tiny pieces of bone. Makes you wonder does it not. The vertebral column supports the weight of the entire upper body. Keeping a correct posture while sitting, walking and sleeping is important. Many people these days suffer from weak bones and joint pain.

The bones and joint become weak due increased weight on them. If the head is tilted for long, the pressure applied on the neck bones is equal to 22 kg. Imagine how much the entire upper body would weight if the angle of standing and sitting is wrong.

It’s no wonder that most people start complaining about joint pain at a considerably young age.

Tip: the core to maintain a correct posture is to keep your back as straight as possible. Practicing yoga helps in understanding the right way of standing and resting.

Avoid piling up your platter:

It is believed that the food should take up 40% of the stomach, another 40% should be filled up with water. The remaining 20% should be left with air. This helps in digestion.

Gastric ulcers, acidity, etc. are due to indigestion. Maintaining a proper diet is important. However, one’s digestive system should be kept in mind. Imbalance in one system in the body can lead chain reactions due which the individual becomes disturbed as a whole.

Tip: always eat less than what you want. This is also a way to stay healthy and eat healthily.

Cut the usage of technology:

While technology is a boon to development and society, it has a harmful side to itself as well. Sitting right at the computer for so long or spending too much time on the phone has destructive effects.

Spending time in front of the screen tires you out. The harsh radiation takes away the glow of your face. Scrolling through your phone before sleeping results in a restless sleep. For some, sleeping becomes a problem. There are many cases where you hear people ignoring the real people around them for the friends from social media. Many relationships suffer as a result. This, in turn, leads to depression.

Bottom line being, we should reduce the amount of time we spend on our tablets and instead talk to the people around us.

The tips might sound boring and most probably repeated, however, the reason these things are being repeated s because they still have a ring of truth. Follow these simple tips to stay healthy and see the improvements yourself. I can tell you one thing for sure, the improvement with these tips on your health will shock you. It amazed me!