How to have a healthier life?

November 25, 2022November 30, 2022 Stephen PaulHealth & Diseases

In recent years, “healthy” injunctions have been extremely significant in French society. They are often accompanied by a series of measures much closer to a performance diktat than benevolent recommendations. To find out what a so-called “healthy” life is and above all, to make changes smoothly and without pressure, here are some tips.

Index

How to define a healthy life?

Leading a healthy lifestyle, or having a healthy lifestyle, involves an individualpracticing behaviors that promote the best possible physical and mental health. Moreover, the World Health Organization defines health as “a complete state of mental, physical and social well-being, and not only the absence of disease”. So-called healthy behaviors are in principle “natural” and are not experienced as a strain. Thus it is considered that the person has adopted and integrated as a life choice the behaviors that are beneficial to him.

A healthy life therefore relies on measures to improve and maintain one’s physical and mental health. These include:

Reasoned and balanced food choices
Regularpractice of physical activityand sports
Optimal hydration
Avoidance of toxics (alcohol, tobacco, narcotics)
Sufficient and restful sleep
Maintaining low stress levels
Quality social interactions
Constructed emotional life (family, friendly, intimate)
Psychological balance – harmony, inner calm, positive thoughts, joy…

How to change your lifestyle?

Having a healthy lifestyle sometimes involves some changes in one’s lifestyle. However, these changes must be made in full consciousness, be desired (and not suffered) and be part of a progressive approach. Thus, to ensure success and have a healthier life, it is essential to:

Admitting that you can’t change your entire lifestyle overnight.
Set credible and achievable goals.
Clearly articulate your goals for a healthier life, even if it means writing them down in black and white and displaying them within sight.
Accept to give up unhealthy habits in favor of habits beneficial to one’shealth.
Give yourself time to integrate these healthy habits into your daily life.
Start with small gestures, to trigger a positive dynamic.
Objectively see the positive impact of new habits on your health and reward yourself.

What are the main changes to be made to have a healthier life?

For a healthy life, eat well

Eating healthy is certainly one of the main changes in accessing a healthier life. However, not everyone defines “Eating Well” the same way. For some, it’s about eating organic. For others, to duly control the origin of the food consumed. Finally, some will think that eating healthy consists mainly of composing your diet of “super foods”, to the detriment of others. But eating healthy is above all about:

Consume a little or unprocessed diet, using raw and quality ingredients.
Favor a bowl of food including all the Nutrients the body needs, in the recommended proportions (varied and balanced diet).
Eat according to your nutritional and energy needs – according to gender, age and build.

Thus, to have a healthy life, it is a question of adopting good eating habits, imbued with common sense :

Cook meals rather than resorting to industrial food ( Prepared meals , junk-food, delivery).
Buy raw and, if possible, fresh ingredients: fruits and early vegetables, fresh fish and meat , bread from the baker, raw groceries (pasta, rice, dried legumes, etc.).
Be curious, that is to say try to broaden your food horizons by consuming foods that you are not necessarily used to eating.
Reconnect with physiological sensations of hunger and satiety , but also with the pleasure of eating, which is antagonistic to excess.
Do not fall into the trap of orthorexia (obsession with healthy eating), which is an TCA. Eating healthy is somewhat of an intuitive process (“I know that eating a bar of chocolate in one day is not healthy and that I would be sick if I did”).
Get help from a nutrition professional ( dietician, nutritionist ) if eating healthy does not seem obvious.

The health benefits of a good diet are undeniable: avoidance of many diseases, weight loss and/or maintenance of a healthy weight,strongerimmune system , pleasure in the act of eating…

For a healthy life, play sports

It is now recognized that a healthy lifestyle must include sufficient weekly physical activity. It is now recognized that a healthy lifestyle must include sufficient weekly physical activity. has positive consequences on health: improved mortality related to cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, mental health, cognitive health, sleep, overweight andConsequences on health: improved mortality linked to cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, certain cancers, type 2.

Thus, the WHO issues recommendations on the recommended weekly physical activity, to have a healthy life(1):

Adults (18-64 years) should get at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or at least 75-150 minutes of vigorous physical activity, or an equivalent combination.
They should also engage in muscle-strengthening activities that work major muscle groups 2 or more times a week.
Sedentary time should be limited, and be replaced as often as possible by physical activity, even low intensity.

Thus, to have a healthier life, you can start by introducing movement into your daily life, for example by making short trips on foot, by bike or scooter, and by engaging in active daily activities (gardening, games with his children or his animal, household…). You can also use a “step counter”application can also be used to ensure that the recommendation of 6000 steps/day is respected. Ultimately, it is strongly advised to resume a sporting activity: it must be experienced as a pleasure and not a constraint. Also, it is essential to choose a sport that appeals to you.

For a healthy life, limit stress

In 2017, one in two French people considered themselves to be quite or very stressed, and nearly 4 in 10 said they had seen their stress increase in previous years ⁽²⁾tag. StressCAN be caused by a multitude of factors (professional, financial, domestic situation, etc.) but in any case has serious psychological and physical consequences: mood disorders, digestive problems , appetite disturbance, difficulty concentrating, loss of sleep, various pains, decreased libido… Ultimately, it can have very negative repercussions on the quality of life: isolation, loss of self-esteem, excessive consumption, anxiety-depressive disorders…

Healthy living involves preventing stress, either by avoiding stressful situations or by taking steps to relieve stress. Diet, restorative sleep, practicing physical activity are the first levers on which to act. However, other measures can also be considered: a more rigorous organization of your daily life, rich social interactions (friends, family), activities allowing you to decompress (leisure, volunteering), relaxation (meditation,yoga sophrology ) and/or speaking out (doctor, therapist, relative).

For a healthy life, take care of your sleep

According to the National Institute of Sleep and Vigilance ⁽³⁾, the French are sleeping less and less, but also less and less well. Thus the average sleep time in France is lower than the recommendations of the health authorities (6h41 on weekdays, for a recommendation of 7h of sleep per night), while approximately 13% of the French population declare symptoms of insomnia^{3 N}

Lack of sleep is contrary to healthy living. Sleep is indeed an essential physiological function to stay healthy. Lack of rest can lead toLack of sleep is contrary to a healthy life. , , , , impaired alertness and memory, lower levels of cognitive, intellectual and physical performance, loss of motivation, mood disorders, stress. Ultimately, serious consequences are observed: depression, eating disorders, weak immunity, metabolic slowdown, appearance of pathologies (diabetes, hypertension, heart problems, cancers…).

A healthy lifestyle therefore involves getting enough sleep, at least 7 hours per night. To promote sleep, it is essential to:

Get up and go to bed at fixed times, if possible early.
Avoid the consumption of stimulants (tobacco, alcohol, coffee , Tea ) after 4 p.m.
Take your last meal after bedtime – at least 2 hours.
Avoid practicing an intensity sport before Sleeping .
Choose a calm, cool, dark atmosphere to rest well.

Other recommendations for a healthy life

Living a healthy life also involves other measures, such as:

Avoidance of risky behavior (drug addiction, unprotected sexual relations, etc.).
The elimination or limitation of certain consumptions (tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, saturated fats, etc.).
The creation of a satisfactory social and affective context: friendly life, family life, quality social interactions.
Regular disconnection from screens(telephone, tablet, computer, television), in favor of relaxing activities (meditation, yoga), promoting creativity (music, drawing), altruism (volunteering), imagination (reading)… These hobbies bring well-being, satisfaction, joy and stability.

Stephen Paul

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Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.