Six Simple suggestions to living a life of Good Health and Wellness

Tamara
August 25, 2020
Holistic Health & Wellness
1
1869

Today more than ever individuals are spending an estimated 33 billion dollars on health products however obesity continues to rise along with other health issues that are caused by unhealthy lifestyles(Boston Medical Center 2019). This has led to many feeling as if good health and wellness is unattainable. With so many doctors and other field experts espousing advice that sometimes contradict each other, it is truly difficult for the average individual to figure out exactly what to do to live a healthy life. Good health and wellness is not unattainable but can be achieved by using a variety of tools. Good health and wellness can be defined by living intentionally, which includes spending time outdoors in nature where an individual can be grounded by the environment, managing stress by exercise, maintaining positive social interactions, and balancing one’s diet.

Ground yourself in Nature

You can make intentional choices daily by making time to spend outdoors in nature which can help one to avoid the above chronic and acute diseases. You could live in a city and escape to a park for a few minutes or if one is living rurally one could step out of your backdoor and still enjoy sunlight, wildlife, and greenery. Even better yet, if you have a balcony, a fenced-in yard, or just a backyard you can set up pots with herbs, tomatoes, or other easy to grow vegetables which can allow you some peaceful time to work in the soil and help something else thrive which many find very calming.

Make time for exercise

Instead of sitting down and watching television after a long day, an individual can choose to exercise for twenty to thirty minutes which will boost both mood and immune system. Even small amounts of exercise can help manage or even prevent health problems such as high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and falls(Mayo Clinic, 2019). This can be exercise such as walking, biking, swimming, or running. Whichever is the most pleasurable is the best to choose so that the individual will stick with it.

Spend quality time with friends and family

In today’s Covid19 world this would be considered a controversial idea however it still has its merits. A study completed by PLOS ONEfound that the participants’ levels of happiness and overall good health were more greatly impacted by the strength of their social circle than their level of physical fitness(Thatcher, 2020) This goes to show that time well spent in person with our good family and friends can ultimately help with our physical and mental health.

Make time for meal planning

One of the most common ideas that individuals have when they are embarking on a healthy life is controlling their diet. Unfortunately, fad diets have been twisting and turning individuals round and round for many years which has left the average person scratching their head and wondering what to do and how to lose weight. Typically many begin a diet excited to lose weight and get in shape only to quit after a few weeks because they either failed to see the results they were looking for or the diet was too restrictive which left them constantly looking for something more satisfying. This ends up turning into yo-yo dieting which ultimately means the weight will go up and down with more ups than downs. The best approach instead is to eat a balanced, whole foods diet rich in vitamins and minerals. This can be done by planning out the household meals for the week.

Build the snowball to a healthier life

There are ways to slowly incorporate these ideas into a person’s life. Dr. Scott Young at The Care Management Institute advised “make the right thing easy to do. There is a reason for this. If individuals start with small, attainable daily goals and succeed each day for at least a week they will be more comfortable in creating and adding new healthy goals. This can act like a snowball which can help the individual achieve the healthy, balanced life they are looking for.

Using technology to achieve your health goals

Many find practicing these ideas daily difficult so sometimes tools can be used to help the individual succeed such as websites or apps to help keep them accountable. After all, one should never underestimate peer pressure. Some websites that are useful for tracking things like diet, fitness, or even community support to help an individual are Sparkpeople, MyFitnesspal, MyPlate, and PEERtrainer.

Many of these also have phone apps that are useful when exercising on the go. Individuals that love listening to motivating talk radio while getting errands done or while exercising even may utilize the many podcasts out there that support healthy lifestyles. Listening to these can help keep individuals motivated as they begin to make the changes that are at first a bit discouraging. Some of the podcasts I recommend are The Model Health Show, TED Health; The Ultimate Health Podcast; Nutrition Facts with Dr. Greger, and The Doctor’s Kitchen. These are all available on Apple: however many of them are also on Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify.

Financial coaches advocate “pay yourself first”. This also can apply to health and wellness. Make time for the necessary tasks for health and wellness first. When this is done it will become apparent the path and journey to good health will become easier. An individual must choose to live the life they dream about rather than just settling for dreaming about it.

References

Boston Medical Center (2019, August 21). Weight Management.

https://www.bmc.org/nutrition-and-weight-management/weight-management

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, June 11). Adult obesity causes &

consequences. Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes.html

Francis, R., (1970, October 31). Love all things permaculture – been living. Why Gardening

Makes You Happy and Cures Depression. https://permaculture.com.au/why-gardening-makes-you-happy-and-cures-depression/

Global Wellness Institute (2019, May 14). What is Wellness?