Good health is like a well-cooked meal. Unlike bad health, it tastes great to us and to the people around us. When healthy, our bodies function better. Our minds, too. And we become relatively happier people, so that life feels amazing.
Like every well-cooked meal, there are recipes for good health. Each ingredient makes the difference. Below are fifteen recipes to all-round health:
1. Eat Healthily
We are what we eat. When we eat good food, we become healthy and sound. And when we don’t, we become unhealthy and sick. For this reason, we ought to pay attention to the things we eat.
To stay healthy, we should make a habit of eating a balanced diet. A balanced diet is simply any diet that contains all six classes of food in their right proportions. These six classes of food include:
- Proteins: this class of food helps repair worn-out tissues in the body, provides an alternative source of energy to the body in times of hunger, etc. Sources of protein include animal sources and plant sources—eggs, meat, certain veggies, etc.
- Carbohydrates: grains are a rich source of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of energy. A rich carbohydrate diet keeps us strong and able to focus. The brain derives nutrition from glucose, which is a carbohydrate.
- Fats: There are different types of fat; saturated, unsaturated, and trans fat. The World Health Organization recommends reducing the intake of saturated fats to around 10% of total energy intake. You can find these good healthy fats in fatty fish, avocado, and nuts. Unsaturated fats are also found in sunflower, soybean, canola, and olive oils.
- Vitamins: veggies are a rich source of vitamins. Vitamins mediate cell function and help the body’s immunity, giving the body cells the ability to fend off diseases.
- Minerals: potassium, calcium, etc., are classified as minerals. They can be obtained from animal or plant sources.
- Water: Water is vital for ferrying nutrients within our bodies and helps remove the wastes our body doesn’t need. It also helps to lubricate our joints and regulate our body temperature.
Ensure that your meals contain the six classes of food in the right proportions to help you stay healthy.
2. Exercise
Exercising is another great recipe for good health, especially when we do it often. When we exercise, we burn calories and improve the state of our cardiovascular system. By exercise, we don’t necessarily mean rigorous activities. While these have their place, simple exercises are pretty effective in helping us stay healthy.
Taking walks around the neighborhood, riding a bicycle, lifting weights, skipping, swimming, etc., have been known to prevent chronic diseases when done regularly. Exercising regularly helps with sleeping better at night.
Minimize discomfort when you do workouts by moving your body in a way you feel more comfortable. Exercises can help prevent pain in the shoulder. However, exercise caution when you do activities that involve carrying something or bending forward. If you’re an athlete, always ensure you use the correct technique.
Additional benefits of exercise are: improved memory and concentration, better mood, less anxiety, toned body. If you sit for hours at work, make a habit of taking breaks to stand up and walk around, etc.
Exercises offer relief to tension, neck syndromes, muscle pain, etc. To stay healthy, keep your body moving.
3. Stay Hydrated
Water isn’t only a great recipe for good meals; it’s also a recipe for good health.
Staying hydrated helps with keeping your skin healthy and is great for the kidneys. When dehydrated, our kidneys go through a lot of stress, which is not good for us.
It also helps our concentration levels. When we are dehydrated, it becomes quite difficult to concentrate. Drink enough water to quench your thirst all day; whenever you feel thirsty, water.
4. Wash Your Hands
No part of our bodies comes in contact with our mouths and noses as frequently as our hands. The mouth and nose are the gateways to many infectious germs, which can go in and harm our bodies, so we should ensure that our hands are clean at all times.
Make a habit of washing your hands often. You really shouldn’t wait until they’re visibly unclean before you wash them.
Wash them before you eat. Wash them before you touch a baby. Wash whenever you come in contact with a sick person.
A healthy washing habit does not only protect you from infections; it also protects the people around you.
5. Less Alcohol, Please
Drinking too much alcohol influences important physiological processes in your body badly.
For example, sleep. When you drink too much alcohol, you fall straight into a deep sleep and miss the important rapid eye movement (REM) sleep that you are supposed to have For between 3-5 hours of REM sleep a night.
Alcohol also puts strain on your liver. Over time, excessive intake of alcohol can lead to a disorder called fatty liver. This disorder is characterized by the presence of fat in your liver.
According to the CDC, alcohol intake is also known to have a negative effect on male fertility, decreasing libido and affecting the structure of your sperm.
6. Yes, Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep is an important recipe to stay healthy. Great sleep gives your body the rest it needs so that you wake up feeling energized and happy.
When you do not sleep often, you are likely to be stressed out. You might even wake up with headaches if you get too little sleep.
7. Safe Sex
Unprotected sex is one of the commonest means to contract infections.
Safe sex is a term that envelopes all forms of sexual practice that do not pose a direct threat to the health of people who practice it.
To unmarried couples who may not be seeking children, practicing safe and protected sex is one of the ways to protect yourself from the anxiety that accompanies pregnancy scares.
Considering that with safe sex, you don’t have to watch the calendar every month, wondering whether or not your monthly visitor has lost its way.
Always use a good quality condom whenever you have sex with a partner whose sexual history you do not know for certain. This lowers the risk of getting Sexually Transmitted Infections like gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis.
Also, reduce the number of sexual partners you have. It’s healthy to have just one.
8. NO SMOKING and Please, No Drugs:
The label of a popular cigarette brand reads: “smokers are liable to die young,”
This is true.
Smoking is bad for your lungs and poses threats such as lung cancer, bronchitis, asthma, etc.
Smoking excessively is a risk factor for emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. So, for a healthier lifestyle, shun smoking and use of tobacco.
Concerning drugs, do not abuse them. Drug abuse is simply taking medicines that your doctor has not prescribed.
Your doctor understands your medical history and will only prescribe drugs that are good for you. When you take medicines that your physician has not prescribed, you put yourself at risk.
For example, an asthmatic is not supposed to take certain drugs because they will trigger his allergies.
9. Protect Your Skin
Excessive exposure to sunlight, which is rich in UV radiation, is a leading cause of skin cancer. A recipe for good health is avoiding prolonged exposure of skin to direct sunlight.
When stepping out to areas that will have use exposed to sunlight, wear protective clothing and use a sunscreen
10. Understand your body / avoid triggers
A large number of people are allergic to a number of substances like dust, seafood, smoke, etc.
If you sneeze a lot when exposed to dust, then you are most probably allergic to it. A good recipe for good health is avoiding substances that trigger your allergies.
An asthmatic should not smoke.
One who suffers allergic rhinitis should be careful around pets.
11. No Risky Activity
To stay healthy, you have to stop putting yourself at risk. Risky activities include driving too fast, drinking and driving, etc.
Avoid playing around with sharp objects so that you do not injure yourself.
12. Be Up-to-date On Your Vaccination
Vaccinations are just biomedical substances injected into the body to help fend off diseases. They work by helping your body cells identify harmful germs and enable the body to learn and master how to fight against them.
Around the world, there are a number of vaccinations, and approved ones are able to help us against infections.
Take necessary vaccinations to help ensure that you stay healthy.
In regions where malaria is prevalent, take antimalarial drugs. When you sustain injuries from animals or sharp objects, tell your doctor about it and get vaccinated against tetanus. Etc.
13. Less Salt, Less Sugar
Table salt is a compound containing sodium and chlorine. Sodium helps with increasing the volume of the blood but can be harmful to your heart, putting strain on it.
It is helpful to reduce the intake of sodium in order to stay healthy. This is especially true if you suffer from hypertension.
Sugars pose a threat to your teeth. In children and adults, sugars are a leading cause of tooth decay and cavities.
Unprocessed sugars also cause weight gain and can have a damaging effect on our appetite.
14. Regular Tests
Ignorance is not bliss when health is involved.
What you don’t know can be the reason you spend a long time in the hospital.
For this reason, you should get tested for infectious diseases, especially diseases prevalent in your area.
It is easy to treat and/manage diseases in their early stages. So, test yourself for HIV, Hepatitis, COVID, etc.
15. Routine Medical Check-Ups:
Visit your doctor regularly so he can check you. Follow his advice, and do what he says.
If you are pregnant, visit the antenatal clinics often, so both you and your child will turn out fine.
Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash
