Let’s Get Physical

So here is the final piece to this ten-part instalment.  The last point to highlight the importance of all the others.

10. You can’t choose your parents!

There has been identified a strong link between a persons genetic makeup and their state of physical and mental health.  From this you may feel that there is no point to all this, that our health is predestined.

However this is not the full story. Because a member of family may have died young due to ill health doesn’t mean we will also. It might highlight there is a greater risk factor though. So all the more reason to look after our health and counteract the weaker genes.

By following these 10 segments of health advice, we are encouraging a healthier life and reducing the risk of ill health especially later on in life when were most vulnerable!

I hope you find this guide useful!

Being and staying healthy is a lot more than just how you look after yourself physically, but it also involves how you take care of your psychological aspect as well. Bearing that in mind…..

9.    Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

It makes a massive difference to your life when you can keep a positive mental attitude. Over the years there has been a clear connection between a living a healthy lifestyle free from regular ill health and stress and being having a positive outlook on how your life is.

So rather than focus on things that go wrong that you can’t do anything to put right or looking back on the past you can change, think about and action the things that have a positive effect on your life and those around you and this should have an overall improvement on your health.

It’s not an overnight change so try just thinking of everyday immediate thing and let it build up from there.

With the ever increasing number of “Social Drinkers” aka binge drinkers and under-age drinkers out there you might want to look away now!

8. Curb the Excessive Drinking

It’s been said many times and there are many studies floating around advocating that a glass of wine with your meal or a unit measure of alcohol for women and 2 units for men a day can be good for your health, in particular helping to reduce the risk of heart disease.

However the general public have not taking heed of this message and insist on over drinking. The number of health problems related to alcohol has risen sharply over the years and is not showing signs of slowing down. There are young adults showing liver and kidney problems and even being diagnosed with cancers that have only previously been seen in older patients who have been drinking heavily over many years.

The message is clear, slow down with the booze. It’s not big or clever!

Ok it probably looks like I’m running out of things to say and I’m getting desperate and clutching at straws so I need you to bear with me on this one. What’s the worst that could happen?

7. Take Care of Your Teeth

Hopefully by this point you’re still with me. Right, so the obvious would be look after your teeth and oral hygiene. Good teeth are an indicator of good health. Poor teeth can be a sign of potential deficiencies. People with good teeth are said to smile more and appear more confident which can only be a positive thing.

However of greater importance, it’s been shown in some studies that there may be a direct correlation between longevity and good health and the flossing of teeth. Now there is not an exact reason why this is, but it has been said the people who pay more attention to their oral health are generally more health conscious than people who don’t.

I believe it’s because those who go the extra mile will identify possible deficiencies early on and work to reduce their risk of ill health much sooner and their possibly more likely to floss their teeth.

The next tip in this series once again may seem like common sense but mentioned for a reason

6.    Buckle Up

At first glance this might appear to be a rant about wearing your seatbelt but it’s more to do with general safety and due attention to your safety and that of others. It’s a well known fact that buckling up while driving can not only reduce injury in the event of a collision but more importantly may save your life and even the life of others.

Every year hospitals admit patients as a result of careless acts that could have been easily prevented such as trips and falls resulting in injury and time off work which in the case of contract workers is days unpaid without sick pay and for employers lost man hours.  Despite that it’s the affects to your physical and mental health such trauma might have which is of more concern.

So the moral of this story is prevention is better than cure!

Today’s point is about something that’s all around us but we owe it to ourselves to be responsible for how we interact with it. I’m talking about the environment. It’s been said that the environment or rather the changes to it has been responsible for a lot of the global health issues!

5. Resist the effects of the environment

It’s unrealistic to consider surrounding yourself in a bubble protecting yourself from the world around you but we can try to reduce the results of its effects on us! Exposure to the environment encourages negative elements such as ‘Free Radicals’ to build up within us. These Free Radicals have been associated with the onset of premature ageing but more seriously chronic disease like Heart Disease and Cancer. It’s therefore our responsibility to protect ourselves by eating foods rich in antioxidants like vitamin c, reducing our exposure to smoke and fumes and ultimately being responsible for maintaining our environment.

The next one is obvious. Most of us want to do it but not sure how and with the way society is today, jobs and other modern pressures etc, this can be hard to do but we can only try!

4. Stress Relief

This is one of the biggest issues of modern society. It’s not always the easiest to see but its affects are clearly noticeable. In the UK alone over half absences from work are either related to or a direct result of stress. Take a moment and sit back and look at what we do and why we have stress issues. Whatever they may be its always good to escape them once in a while and recharge. Incorporating exercise and a healthy diet into your lifestyle can help to reduce stress levels.

When feeling stressed you might want to consider:

• Think about positive things
• Take a stroll outdoors
• Take a shower or soak in the bath
• Read a book
• Change of scenery
• Pamper or treat yourself

Do what you feel is right for you!

Ok so now we have got the ball rolling we can move onto the next part. Good health isn’t always what you do but what you don’t do as well.

3.    Give Up Smoking

Possibly one of the hardest things to do apparently is quitting smoking. Its apparent addictive nature has claimed many lives and is still claiming them. In the early 60’s the detrimental effects were noticed and publicised. This resulted in many people worldwide taking notice and giving up the harmful tobacco killer, but more recently there has been another surge in smoking particularly in adolescents and teens. It’s been said to be the influence of celebrities. Back to point, if you really care for your health then you should consider quitting for your own good and the good of those around you. Rather than doing anything drastic that might only last temporarily try reducing the amount you smoke by one a day or if that’s to sudden try 7 a week.

Day 2 in the healthy tips series. By now you should actively thought of how you are going to realistically achieve the targets set yesterday. Now we shall consider another lifestyle that should (hopefully shouldn’t be!) excuse the pun close to your heart.

2.    Reduce your fat intake

I consider this one to be a no brainer as its everywhere media, with magazines and TV shows and food manufacturers all trying to cash in by regularly selling on the back of fad diets, to the serious hard facts communicated by health professionals, a diet high in fat prolonged over time will cause serious damage to your health and well being.

So how can we sensible avoid this? Well by doing the obvious and staying clear of fried and fatty foods. Even when trying the ‘low fat’ versions, it doesn’t mean you can eat TWICE as much! And the one people indulge in the most but may or may not realise the down side of is alcohol. Alcohol has more or less the same number of calories as fat, so imagine yourself drinking large quantities of melted lard next time you fancy a binge! (You know who you are!!)

On that bombshell I’ll leave you to ponder on how you will implement these hard facts into your life before the next instalment.

For you the regular readers here’s another instalment of everyday health tips you’ll be all familiar with. Each day there will be a new addition to add to the previous ones. Good health works best when built up gradually. You wouldn’t build a house without foundations would you?

1. Be more mobile

Challenge yourself everyday to keep moving or find new ways to keep moving. Even consider a pedometer to track your daily foot print. By making a more conscious effort to be more mobile you should stay more motivated. Do things like climb stairs over using escalators or lifts. Things that used to be considered everyday but now seen as a chore such as doing house work, walking the dog and mowing the lawn should be readopted.

Here are a few suggestions of activities.
• Substitute the car for public transport, biking or walking where possible
• Walking to your colleague in the other department at work to resolve a minor issue face to face rather than send an email
• Household chores you may have put off or pay someone to do counts as an activity. Why pay someone else get active when you can do it yourself and it may even teach you to be more responsible in your own home
• If possible any activity lasting a minimum of 30mins in a group would be good for those who find it hard to keep motivated

The bottom line is KEEP MOVING!