20 ways to be healthy

Discover 20 simple ways to be healthy and improve your well-being. Incorporate these tips into your daily routine for a happier and healthier lifestyle.

In this article you will find a list of healthy habits related to nutrition, sleep and rest, physical activity, and medical examinations. It is not necessary to implement them all at once. It is enough to gradually add them to your lifestyle, and within a couple of months you will notice that you feel much better.

Many people believe that a healthy lifestyle means constant restrictions and discomfort. In fact, there are many ways to be healthy without making drastic changes in your life! Even if you follow them only partially, your health and mood will become much better.

How does lifestyle affect health?

Many health problems require a certain lifestyle. The gastroenterologist’s patients understand why they can’t eat fast food, and people with diseased bronchi are most likely to quit smoking after diagnosis. Unfortunately, many of our habits can aggravate existing diseases. And if everyone knows about the dangers of fatty foods, alcohol or tobacco, then lack of sleep, constant stress or a sedentary lifestyle often seem like minor problems.

Unbalanced food affects not only the gastrointestinal tract, but also the entire body: a lack of even one of the vitamins can lead to serious illnesses. The harm of ethyl alcohol and nicotine to the human body has long been proven: they negatively affect the digestive, respiratory, circulatory and nervous systems. Lack of rest reduces immunity, contributes to memory loss and absent-mindedness, and aggravates existing diseases.

On the contrary, people with confirmed diagnoses often only need to change their lifestyle, and their illnesses will begin to manifest themselves much less. Often, to be healthy you just need to eat a properly balanced diet, include a little physical activity in the fresh air in your daily routine, consume more fluids, sleep 7-8 hours and avoid stress.

The right lifestyle: 20 habits and ways to be healthy

Healthy eating

1. Drink more water . An adult needs approximately 8 glasses of fluid per day. This amount includes all drinks and liquid foods (such as soups). But it is better to replace strong tea and coffee with clean water. Try to get into the habit of drinking a glass of water immediately after waking up: this will allow you to wake up faster and “wake up” the gastrointestinal tract.
2. Don’t skip breakfast . A hearty, balanced meal in the morning will keep you alert and strong until lunchtime. Coffee and cake will not work: the best option would be to combine cottage cheese or eggs, porridge and fruit.
3. Review your eating habits . Nutritionists advise preparing each meal in this way: half the plate is fresh vegetables, a quarter is a side dish (porridge or starchy vegetables), and another quarter is protein (meat, cottage cheese, eggs or fish). If possible, you should get rid of sugar and sauces to get used to the natural taste of food. Try to give up sweets, fast food and snacks: at first it will be difficult, but after a week or a week and a half, the craving for unhealthy foods will decrease significantly.
4. Eat on time . Try to go at least two hours without eating before going to bed. Distribute your meals throughout the day so that there is no break of more than 3-4 hours. But at the first feeling of hunger, be sure to have a small snack: this will reduce the risk of overeating during a full lunch or dinner.

Sleep and rest

1. Organize your sleeping area . The bed should be comfortable, the mattress and pillows should be firm enough to support your back while sleeping. Ventilate your bedroom in the evening. If light and sounds from the street bother you, use a nighttime eye mask and earplugs.
2. Don’t skimp on sleep time . To be healthy, an adult needs to sleep at least 7-8 hours a day. We can work hard for a while and stay awake for 20 hours, but in the end this will lead to problems and poor health.
3. Change activities . The best rest is a change of activity. If the work involves physical labor, then when you get home, you shouldn’t immediately rush to repair and clean. Better take a warm bath, turn on music and read a book. And if you’ve been sitting at the computer for eight hours, then in the evening it’s worth taking a break from the screen: go for a walk, do a workout, or cook lunch for tomorrow.
4. Avoid stress whenever possible . These are communication with unpleasant people, uncomfortable work, problems in your personal life, failures in creativity or favorite activities. If it is impossible to get rid of sources of stress, it is better to consult a specialist to learn how to properly respond to irritants.

20 ways to be healthy

In this article you will find a list of healthy habits related to nutrition, sleep and rest, physical activity, and medical examinations. It is not necessary to implement them all at once. It is enough to gradually add them to your lifestyle, and within a couple of months you will notice that you feel much better.

Elena Smirnova

General practitioner, deputy chief physician for clinical expert work, check-up consultant, 15 years of experience.

May 14, 2024

The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment. In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and properly prescribe treatment, you should contact your doctor.

How does lifestyle affect health?

Many health problems require a certain lifestyle. The gastroenterologist’s patients understand why they can’t eat fast food, and people with diseased bronchi are most likely to quit smoking after diagnosis. Unfortunately, many of our habits can aggravate existing diseases. And if everyone knows about the dangers of fatty foods, alcohol or tobacco, then lack of sleep, constant stress or a sedentary lifestyle often seem like minor problems.

Unbalanced food affects not only the gastrointestinal tract, but also the entire body: a lack of even one of the vitamins can lead to serious illnesses. The harm of ethyl alcohol and nicotine to the human body has long been proven: they negatively affect the digestive, respiratory, circulatory and nervous systems. Lack of rest reduces immunity, contributes to memory loss and absent-mindedness, and aggravates existing diseases.

On the contrary, people with confirmed diagnoses often only need to change their lifestyle, and their illnesses will begin to manifest themselves much less. Often, to be healthy you just need to eat a properly balanced diet, include a little physical activity in the fresh air in your daily routine, consume more fluids, sleep 7-8 hours and avoid stress.

The right lifestyle: 20 habits and ways to be healthy

Healthy eating

1. Drink more water. An adult needs approximately 8 glasses of fluid per day. This amount includes all drinks and liquid foods (such as soups). But it is better to replace strong tea and coffee with clean water. Try to get into the habit of drinking a glass of water immediately after waking up: this will allow you to wake up faster and “wake up” the gastrointestinal tract.
2. Don’t skip breakfast. A hearty, balanced meal in the morning will keep you alert and strong until lunchtime. Coffee and cake will not work: the best option would be to combine cottage cheese or eggs, porridge and fruit.
3. Review your eating habits. Nutritionists advise preparing each meal in this way: half the plate is fresh vegetables, a quarter is a side dish (porridge or starchy vegetables), and another quarter is protein (meat, cottage cheese, eggs or fish). If possible, you should get rid of sugar and sauces to get used to the natural taste of food. Try to give up sweets, fast food and snacks: at first it will be difficult, but after a week or a week and a half, the craving for unhealthy foods will decrease significantly.
4. Eat on time. Try to go at least two hours without eating before going to bed. Distribute your meals throughout the day so that there is no break of more than 3-4 hours. But at the first feeling of hunger, be sure to have a small snack: this will reduce the risk of overeating during a full lunch or dinner.

Sleep and rest

1. Organize your sleeping area. The bed should be comfortable, the mattress and pillows should be firm enough to support your back while sleeping. Ventilate your bedroom in the evening. If light and sounds from the street bother you, use a nighttime eye mask and earplugs.
2. Don’t skimp on sleep time. To be healthy, an adult needs to sleep at least 7-8 hours a day. We can work hard for a while and stay awake for 20 hours, but in the end this will lead to problems and poor health.
3. Change activities. The best rest is a change of activity. If the work involves physical labor, then when you get home, you shouldn’t immediately rush to repair and clean. Better take a warm bath, turn on music and read a book. And if you’ve been sitting at the computer for eight hours, then in the evening it’s worth taking a break from the screen: go for a walk, do a workout, or cook lunch for tomorrow.
4. Avoid stress whenever possible. These are communication with unpleasant people, uncomfortable work, problems in your personal life, failures in creativity or favorite activities. If it is impossible to get rid of sources of stress, it is better to consult a specialist to learn how to properly respond to irritants.

Fitness support

1. Introduce physical activity into your daily routine. Heavy training is not at all necessary: ​​to be healthy, it is enough to walk at a brisk pace for half an hour. Gradually, you can start to give up elevators and get off two or three stops earlier. Activity in the morning will invigorate you, and a leisurely walk in the evening will improve your well-being and sleep.
   In addition, you can add a little gymnastics to your daily plan. For example, exercises to strengthen the back muscles .
2. Maintain your weight within normal limits. If you have a clear deficiency or excess weight, try to correct it. Both negatively affect the health of the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems.

Healthy Habits

1. Create a daily routine. This will help organize time, work and rest. With a clear routine, you won’t stay up late at night doing things, won’t skip meals or exercise, and will stop forgetting about the necessary rest.
2. Do a warm-up. The more often you get up, the better it is for your legs, back and heart. It is best to walk a little and stretch every 20 minutes. But activity even once an hour will save you from fatigue and restore your efficiency.
3. Get rid of bad habits. It’s hard, and you may have to turn to professionals. But the improvement in well-being and health after giving up alcohol, tobacco and other harmful substances is worth all the effort.
4. Avoid unnecessary risks and practice safety precautions. Wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle or buckling up in a car is easy, but it can help prevent serious injury.
5. Maintain good hygiene. Wash your hands thoroughly before eating, after using the toilet or going outside. You should shower daily and brush your teeth at least twice a day. These simple steps will save you from many infectious diseases.
6. Take your time. There is no point in trying to acquire all these habits at once. It is better to start gradually so that they do not cause tension and become firmly established in your life.

Medicine and body check

1. Get regular medical checkups. This way you can notice diseases in time, when they are easiest to cure. It’s best to do this at least once a year. If you always do not have enough time to visit several doctors and undergo tests, undergo a complete examination in one visit to the clinic. A comprehensive Total Body Scan diagnosis will take only three hours.
2. Don’t ignore discomfort. If you feel unwell, consult a doctor; don’t wait until it gets really bad. A non-specialist is unlikely to be able to determine the cause of the disease, and self-medication may even worsen the problem.
3. Follow your doctor’s instructions. Do not skip medications, physical therapy, and follow the prescribed rules of activity and nutrition. If you doubt the correctness of the prescribed treatment, consult another doctor from the same field.
4. Before making a radical lifestyle change, consult a specialist. Perhaps some sport is contraindicated for you, or some “healthy” product is contraindicated due to an allergy or stomach disease. If you are not sure that you know everything about your body, be sure to consult with your doctor.