Maintaining health is very useful so that we can live a busy daily life. The density of activities makes many people experience stress, eat non-nutritive foods, and adopt unhealthy lifestyles that have a major impact on health. Poor diet and irregular exercise risk increasing weight and triggering chronic diseases (eg diabetes or hypertension). In addition, you can not enjoy the various benefits of exercise. Smoking, uncontrolled stress, or lack of sleep are also harmful to health. In order to maintain physical health, make sure you apply a healthy lifestyle during your daily activities.
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Method 1 of 3: Adopting a Healthy Diet
Step 1. Monitor your daily calorie intake
To maintain a healthy body, you must maintain an ideal body weight. Body health will be disturbed if you are overweight.
- Calories are used as the unit of measurement. Calorie intake is obtained from food as a source of energy so that the body can function properly and be active throughout the day.
- You will be overweight if you eat too many calories. You will lose weight if you reduce your calorie intake. Americans are advised to adjust their diet to consume a maximum of 2,000 calories / day.
- Make sure you know how many calories you need daily to maintain an ideal body weight. If you want to lose weight, reducing 500 calories/day is considered a safe diet and try to lose -1 kg of body weight/week.
- Use an online calculator or phone app to calculate your daily calorie needs. As a guide, adults who engage in moderate-intensity activity require an intake of 30 calories/kg body weight per day to maintain body weight. Calculate the daily caloric intake needs to ensure whether the diet you apply is in accordance with your physical condition.
Step 2. Apply a balanced diet
Eating a balanced diet is an important aspect of maintaining a healthy body. You will find it difficult to maintain health if you do not eat a balanced diet.
- A balanced diet means eating all food groups every day or at least as often as possible.
- Eating a variety of foods from each group helps you get a variety of nutritional intakes.
- In addition, a balanced diet means eating each food group in the right proportion or portion as needed. The diet is said to be unbalanced if most of the food portion consists of protein, but the portion of fruits or vegetables is very small. A balanced meal consists of each food group: 90-120 grams of protein (the size of a card box), 1 cup of vegetables or 2 cups of leafy greens, cup of chopped fruit or a small piece of fruit, and 30 grams or cup grains.
- Eat a balanced daily menu at each meal and as a snack consisting of 3-4 servings of protein, 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables, and 3-4 servings of whole grains (half of which are whole grains).
Step 3. Choose lean protein
Protein is an important nutrient that must be consumed every day because it is needed to maintain fat-free muscle mass, repair body cells, and build the immune system.
- Lean protein can be obtained by eating poultry, eggs, seafood, lean beef or pork, legumes (beans and legumes), tofu.
- Lean protein helps you reduce fat and calorie intake so that your daily calorie needs are met, but not over the maximum.
- Consuming protein as needed is also beneficial for maintaining a healthy body because you are able to control your appetite, maintain an ideal body weight, and maintain normal cholesterol, fat, and blood sugar levels.
Step 4. Eat half a plate of fruits or vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are two of the most beneficial food groups because they contain the most vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
- Eating lots of fruits and vegetables has been shown to provide various health benefits, such as lowering high blood pressure, regulating blood sugar levels, overcoming diabetes, reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease, preventing certain types of cancer, and reducing the risk of developing blindness.
- Another thing to note, the different colors of fruit and vegetables indicate different nutritional content. In addition to meeting your daily needs, you need to eat fruits and vegetables of various colors.
Step 5. Eat whole grains
Whole grains are proven to provide various benefits to improve body health. When eating whole grains, make sure they consist mostly of whole grains.
- Refined or unprocessed grains contain fewer nutrients than whole grains. The content of fiber, protein, and other nutrients is also lower.
- Eat whole-grain foods, for example: whole-wheat pasta and bread, brown rice, whole-grain oats, farro, millet, oats, and barley.
- Maybe you don't like to eat whole grains, but health experts recommend that you eat at least servings of whole grains because they are useful as an intake of fiber and other nutrients, lowering the risk of heart disease and some cancers.
- Reduce carbohydrate intake if you want to lose weight.
Step 6. Avoid non-nutritive and processed foods
Although processed foods vary widely (including both nutritious and healthy), many products are high in calories, fat, sugar, and preservatives.
- Many health experts recommend that you eat processed and non-nutritious foods wisely. Even though it is not nutritious, it is okay if it is consumed occasionally.
- Choose the menu wisely if you want to eat non-nutritive foods. Chips, biscuits, sugary drinks, frozen foods, fast food, pastries, and sweets should not be consumed every day.
- Many processed foods are healthy and highly nutritious and can be consumed every day, such as canned vegetables (look for ones that say "low sodium"), frozen vegetables and fruits, washed lettuce and salad greens, and dairy products.
Step 7. Drink water as needed
Water is a source of essential nutrients to maintain health and provide various benefits for the body. You will become dehydrated if your fluid needs are not met.
- In general, adults need 8 glasses of fluids (2 liters) per day. However, health experts recommend that you consume 10-13 glasses of fluid / day.
- If you move a lot or sweat a lot during your daily activities, in addition to consuming fluids according to your daily needs, drink more to replace lost body fluids.
- Drink caffeine-free and sugar-free drinks, such as water, decaffeinated coffee and tea. This is the most healthful and useful drink to hydrate the body
- Dehydration has a negative impact on health ranging from minor problems to severe health problems, such as fatigue, drowsiness, headaches, emotional changes, kidney stones, and urinary tract infections.
Step 8. Take vitamins and minerals regularly
Many health experts and nutritionists recommend that you take a multivitamin every day. Supplements containing various vitamins and minerals are useful as a complement if you do not eat healthy foods or do not meet your nutritional needs through the food you eat.
- Supplements are also beneficial for people who suffer from food allergies or intolerances, are very selective in choosing a menu, or adopt a certain diet (eg vegetarian or vegan).
- Supplements cannot replace food or meet essential nutritional needs. People who eat nutritious foods usually don't need supplements. In addition, vitamin supplements do not improve physical health or treat disease if you have adopted a healthy diet because supplements are only useful as a complement.
- Talk to your doctor to find out which supplements you need. Certain supplements may interact with medications and may not be safe for everyone. When consulted, inform the supplements that are being taken, how much, and how many times a day.
Method 2 of 3: Exercise
Step 1. Get into the habit of doing aerobics
Aerobic or cardiovascular exercise plays an important role for those of you who want to adopt a healthy lifestyle and maintain physical health.
- There are many benefits if you exercise regularly and consistently, such as improving mood, improving sleep quality, improving blood circulation, maintaining an ideal body weight, lowering high blood pressure, reducing the risk of stroke, regulating and controlling insulin, normalizing blood fat levels. and cholesterol, increase energy, and improve self-image.
- Health experts recommend that you exercise aerobics at least 150 minutes/week or 30 minutes/day 5 times a week. The benefits are even greater if you train 300 minutes/week or 1 hour/day 5 times a week.
- Do a variety of exercises each week, such as walking, jogging, running, dancing, swimming, taking an aerobics class, cycling, or hiking.
Step 2. Perform muscle strengthening exercises 1-3 times a week
Strengthening or resistance training is a complement to regular aerobic exercise. In addition to maintaining health, this exercise is beneficial for building and maintaining fat-free muscle mass. Strengthening and muscle building exercises also speed up metabolism and lose weight.
- In addition to strengthening muscles, strengthening exercises provide a variety of benefits. Regular weightlifting reduces the risk of osteoporosis so that the bones become stronger and denser.
- Health experts recommend that you do muscle strengthening exercises 2 times a week. As you train, make sure you work all the major muscle groups: arms, chest, back, core, and legs. Practice using loose weights or a weight training machine. In addition, you can practice yoga or pilates using your body weight as a weight.
- You should rest for at least 1 day before training again to restore and repair your newly trained muscles.
Step 3. Get used to moving a lot during daily activities
In addition to muscle-strengthening and aerobic exercises on a schedule, you should stay active throughout the day or during regular activities. Although it doesn't burn a lot of calories, this method is very beneficial for maintaining health.
- Routine activities are exercises or activities that you do every day, such as cleaning the house, washing the car, using the stairs, or walking while carrying out your daily routine.
- Research shows that even sitting for 1-2 hours has a negative impact on health because it slows blood flow, reduces calorie burn, and makes it more difficult to cope with chronic diseases (such as hypertension or diabetes).
- In addition to moving more, health experts recommend that you stand even for only a few minutes after sitting for approximately 1 hour.
Method 3 of 3: Changing Your Lifestyle
Step 1. Don't smoke
Many people already know that smoking is a negative behavior that causes various health problems. If you smoke, stop this habit to maintain health.
- Smoking is a source of various diseases, such as cancer and lung disease, hypertension, heart disease, blindness, and oral disease.
- There are various ways to get rid of the urge to smoke or use other tobacco products, for example by chewing gum or sugar-free candy that is sold freely, taking medication according to a doctor's prescription, and participating in a counseling program.
Step 2. Limit alcohol consumption
Research shows that alcohol consumption within a certain limit (30-60 ml every few days) has a positive impact on health. However, alcohol consumption in excess of these limits or in excess triggers various health problems.
- Drinking too much or excessive alcohol (more than 90 ml/day or 210 ml/week) can trigger various diseases, such as inflammation of the pancreas, stroke, hypertension, liver and brain damage.
- Recommended alcohol consumption: less than 30 ml/day for women and less than 60 ml/day for men.
Step 3. Get in the habit of getting a good night's sleep every day
You have to get a good night's sleep every day to keep your body healthy. Lack of sleep is bad for health.
- Various problems will arise if you are sleep deprived, such as gaining weight, getting hungry more quickly, getting tired easily, having trouble focusing, not being able to concentrate or memorizing information, and even increasing the risk of death.
- Make sure you get 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Go to bed early to get enough sleep.
- Before going to bed, turn off the TV, phone, tablet, or laptop. The lights from these devices make it difficult for you to fall asleep.
Step 4. Deal with stress
These days, many people experience chronic mild stress. This does not seem to be bad for health or the body, but the negative impact is very large.
- Stress triggers various health problems, such as lack of sleep, weight gain or loss, unstable mood, fatigue/fatigue, and others.
- The ability to cope with stress plays an important role in maintaining health. There are various ways to deal with stress, such as chatting with friends or family members, taking a leisurely walk in the park, meditating, practicing yoga, taking a short nap, or listening to your favorite music.
- If you're having trouble dealing with stress, talk to a therapist for help.
Step 5. Weigh yourself regularly
Weight is an important indicator that shows whether or not your body is healthy. Being overweight or underweight is not a good thing and can lead to health problems.
- Use a scale to find out your weight. Health experts recommend that you weigh yourself once a week at the same time (once you wake up in the morning is the best time) wearing the same clothes or without clothes. If you want to lose weight, weigh 3 times a week.
- If your weight is too low or too high, change your diet, exercise regularly, or change your lifestyle so you can reach your ideal weight.
- Monitor your body mass index, waist circumference, or body fat percentage to get accurate data to determine if your weight is ideal for your age, gender and body shape.
- Keep in mind that your weight fluctuates and changes throughout the day and month due to various factors (menstrual cycle in women, the food you eat, whether you are dehydrated, etc.).
Step 6. Consult your doctor regularly
One of the important aspects to maintain a healthy body is to consult a doctor. In addition to maintaining health, this method is useful in preventing various chronic diseases.
- See a general practitioner, dentist, obstetrician (for women), or another doctor for a physical examination 1-2 times a year. Even though your body is healthy, this method is very useful because the doctor can inform you of a healthy lifestyle that suits your physical condition.
- Consult a licensed dietitian to find out a healthy diet to maintain or improve health.
- Consider whether you need to ask a counselor or therapist for help. For some people, adopting a healthy lifestyle or exercising is easy, but they have difficulty dealing with stress. If you are unable to cope with stress or feel unhappy, consult a counselor or therapist who will help you control your emotions effectively.
Tips
- Talk to your doctor before changing your diet, starting a new exercise program, or making any lifestyle changes. Your doctor will tell you whether the changes are safe and appropriate for you.
- Make small changes in the long term so that the benefits can be enjoyed for a lifetime.
- Lifestyle changes that are applied consistently are beneficial for improving health and body fitness. This makes you feel more physically and emotionally prosperous. Make sure you always take care of your health so you can enjoy life and always feel happy.
