“The power of love to change bodies is legendary, built into folklore, common sense, and everyday experience. Love moves the flesh, it pushes matter around. Throughout history, ‘tender loving care’ has uniformly been recognized as a valuable element in healing.”
Larry Dossey
HEALTHY LIVING
A healthy lifestyle is a way of living that lowers the risk of being seriously ill or dying early. A healthy eating plan, knowing which diets work, how active you should be for your age and what you can do to manage your weight are important too.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet provides nutrients to your body. These nutrients give you energy and keep your heart beating, your brain active, and your muscles working.
A healthy diet is a diet that helps to maintain or improve overall health.
Healthy living is also about physical, mental and social well-being.
Nutrients
A nutrient is a substance used by an organism to survive, grow, and reproduce. The requirement for dietary nutrient intake applies to animals, plants, fungi, and protists.
Proteins: meat, dairy, legumes, nuts, seafood and eggs
Carbohydrates: pasta, rice, cereals, breads, potatoes, milk, fruit, sugar
Lipids (most commonly called fats): oils, butter, margarine, nuts, seeds, avocados and olives, meat and seafood
Vitamins: common vitamins include the water soluble B group vitamins and vitamin C and the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K
Fruits and vegetables are generally good sources of Vitamin C and A and folic acid (a B group vitamin)
Grains and cereals are generally good sources of the B group vitamins and fibre
Full-fat dairy and egg yolks are generally sources of the fat soluble vitamins A, D and E
Milk and vegetable or soya bean oil are generally good sources of vitamin K, which can also be synthesised by gut bacteria
Minerals: (sodium, calcium, iron, iodine, magnesium, etc.): all foods contain some form of minerals.
Milk and dairy products are a good source of calcium and magnesium
Red meat is a good source of iron and zinc
Seafood and vegetables (depending on the soil in which they are produced) are generally good sources of iodine
Water: As a beverage and a component of many foods, especially vegetables and fruits.
Physical activity and exercise
Physical activity and exercise is a major contributor to a healthy lifestyle; people are made to use their bodies, and disuse leads to unhealthy living. Unhealthy living may manifest itself in obesity, weakness, lack of endurance, and overall poor health that may foster disease development.
Tips:
Regular exercise can prevent and reverse age-related decreases in muscle mass and strength, improve balance, flexibility, and endurance, and decrease the risk of falls in the elderly. Regular exercise can help prevent coronary heart disease stroke, diabetics , obesity and high blood pressure. Regular, weight-bearing exercise can also help prevent osteoporosis by building bone strength.
Regular exercise can help chronic athirst sufferers improve their capacity to perform daily activities such as driving, climbing stairs, and opening jars.
Regular exercise can help increase self-esteem and self-confidence, decrease stress and anxiety, enhance mood, and improve general mental health.
Regular exercise can help control weight gain and in some people cause loss of fat.
Mental health
Healthy living involves more than physical health, it also includes emotional or mental health. The following are some ways people can support their mental health and well-being.
Sleep & fatigue
Insomnia and not getting a good night’s sleep can be frustrating and impact on your day to day living and quality of life. Sleep problems can be caused by changes in your daily routine, times of worry, a new baby, shift work or sleep apnoea, but the good news is there are many things you can do to help yourself.
Emotions
The way you feel physically has a big effect on your state of mind and emotional well-being. Similarly, if you are emotionally agitated, your physical health and energy levels are affected. Eating a nutritious diet and being active can help with depression, anxiety and stress.
Healthy Living 