This way of life is astonishingly harmful for our physical and mental health, s a society we need to recognize and promote the benefits that come from a healthy lifestyle. When it comes to food, we want it fast and we want it cheap. The world we live in has fgured this out, hence the reason why fast-food restaurants are everywhere you look. They offer exactly what we want, but this food is not necessarily what we need. Sure, it''s easier to go to McDonald''s and order a Big Mac than it is to stay put and make a home cooked meal, but maybe the extra time and effort is worth it in the long run.
Eating the proper foods, such as fruits and vegetables, provide ore nutrients and have more benefits than most people realize. Eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke. May protect against certain types of cancers, the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, may lower blood pressure, and may also reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and help to decrease bone loss, and may be useful in helping to lower calorie intake. Another important thing to remember to have healthy eating habits is not to skip a single meal.
When that appens, you could be setting yourself up for disaster, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Why? Because when you skip a meal, you are messing up your metabolism. If it does not have food to breakdown, it slows down. When you do eat, it is slower to break down the food, and then it is more likely to be stored as fat. "... your metabolism is like a muscle. You must use it or lose it. " Skipping meals can cause a lot of damage when it comes to your blood sugar levels, making the chances of developing diabetes higher.
An obvious reason why skipping meals is unhealthy is ecause you will not be getting the proper nutrition that your body needs. There is a certain amount of every food group that a person needs, and if they are skipping meals, those needs are not being met, therefore a person will not function to their best. So take the time to not only eat, but do so properly, even if you are short for time, in the long run eating healthy is always the best option. But it''s not always Just simply about eating. This nation is turning into a prime example of obesity and lethargy.
Exercise is a word a lot of people probably hate to think about. Most of us don''t even have time to dd this into our lifestyle, or so you think. Adding some walking into your daily life is a good way to incorporate exercise in a busy lifestyle. This is also a good way to get some fresh air and relax a little, while getting some sunlight. This could lead to a more productive day since the fresh air will give you a better sense of focus throughout the day. Another way to add some exercise is to take a run or a long walk self-esteem and confidence. Running is also a great way to avoid depression.
If running isn''t your thing, maybe try a yoga class. Yoga has been proven to reduce pain etter than pills, relieves stress, helps for longer, deeper sleep, and a great way to get in shape or toned. Everyone is constantly on the move, there is not a time of the day that a single person is probably sitting down relaxing. We are always thinking of what happens next, or what we need to finish from our list of things to do. Maybe we are always thinking about what we haven''t done at work yet, or maybe trying to constantly remember which kid has which appointment or event this day.
It causes so much stress, you wouldn''t believe it. Working too much or constantly being in this state of tress increases the chances of developing depression, decreases sleep which could result in a lack of ability to do the tasks needed to be done that day, as well as lead to "obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and skin problems, among others. " What do we need to do? Slow down! Don''t bring work home, don''t dwell on what was not accomplished during that day and "savor each bite and the company you are sharing your meal with. Learn to take a step back and Just be content with everything, and enjoy the moment as much as possible. Take a certain amount of time out of the day, o matter what type of schedule you have and make that sacred "you time" and do not cheat from this time. If you have a busy schedule, a good time would be lunch breaks. Allow yourself to relax during the busy day, unwind and let yourself be inspired during this time or feel renewed. Never allow a busy schedule to get in the way of this time because it is important to your mind as well as your body.
In the morning, take five minutes to simply stretch and focus on your breathing, this will kick start you in a calm direction and leave you more focused and ready for the day. Another idea, from Marthe Hagen, is to take "5-minute mint-breaks" every hour so that you don''t let your mind wonder in different places, making it harder to focus on the tasks that need to be done. This gives your brain time to relax and process all the information that been thrown at you the last 45 minutes of that hour. Refocus. With a faced pace society, comes one of unorganized and frustrated people.
Too many times our work or home life gets a little messy, when this happens it''s time to jump into a great "spring cleaning", even if it isn''t spring. Though we do need to ccept that not every aspect of our lives needs to be organized and planned out to the T, we do need to have the parts of our lives that we can control, organized. This means making a plan for the things that need to be done at work, school, or home. Make goals to get certain things on that list done but for only one day, do not skip ahead to another day because this eliminates "down-time" which is needed throughout the day, despite our need to feel constantly busy.
According to Hagen, it is good to break your self-care habits into smaller tasks and to do these one at a time, daily. Splitting up certain tasks throughout the week, so that when your free day comes along, you aren''t flustered with trying to get all of them done on one day. Making lists is always a great way to staying organized, lists of all sorts. Making to-do lists, accomplishment lists, worry lists, or writing down an emotional emergency list. Making a worry list can help you in a very positive way, this list allows you to worry about certain things, but only in a certain time frame.
This way you are not worrying to do about the things on the list and it is a very good way to remain calm and gain a better focus and understanding about the problem. Most of the time, people try to please everyone so that they can avoid confrontation or upsetting their friends and co-workers, but sometimes you Just need to say no. Don''t let others try to make you feel like you have to do certain things, if it isn''t important to you, don''t do it. If it breaks your morals or limits, say no. We don''t have to be people pleasers even if society makes you feel that way.
Along those lines, we need to learn how to say what we feel. If someone upsets you, tell them in a positive way and try to make them understand that what happened, didn''t sit well with you and why. Sometimes, it was Just a misunderstanding and they had no intention of upsetting you. As Michelle Bland states, this works for the opposite side of the spectrum as well, appreciating what is in front of you as well as telling the people you care about that you love them, because you never know when you won''t talk to them again.
Smile at strangers because you never know who might need a little pick-me-up, even if it is the simplest gesture, it could go a long way for people who have been having a bad day. Sometimes on those bad days, we need to ask for help. There is nothing wrong with it and it does not mean anything about your haracter. A lot of the time people are actually happy to be asked, it can make them feel important or useful. Always make sure to keep in touch with those you love or care for, even if you have a busy schedule and keep positive people in your life who build you up and are constantly encouraging you.
Honest people as well, those who will tell you if they think you are making a bad decision but will support you if you go through with it and more importantly, will be there if or when it doesn''t work out the way you wanted. Instead of them coming to you and pointing a finger in your face aying they told you so, they will help you get through it and help you find your footing again. These people will keep your life on the positive side, even if your world feels like it is crashing down. A big factor as to why this society has poor mental health is because we focus too much on the negative.
We consume ourselves constantly with it in our everyday lives with celebrity gossip, work drama, and home-related problems. Or we surround ourselves with negative people. Just step away from all of that and realize that you deserve so much more than to be constantly thrown into something that makes you eel down and depressed. We need to surround ourselves with as much positivity as we can. "Break up with stress- it is the leading cause in illness and disease. When you run your body on empty, it can only go so long before it shuts down on you.
Find what calms you down in this chaotic world and focus on that. " Make a wall of inspiring quotes and pictures, make a fun goal poster , bring positive people into your life, keep a daily gratitude list and keep track of all the good things that have happened in your life recently because it is easy to forget those. Keep a reminder ournal of why you are doing what you are and what it means to you, this way you can look back when the times are getting rough and realize that you are doing it for a reason and sometimes you have to go through the valley to get to the top of the mountain.
We also need to remember never to talk badly about ourselves because this gets you into the mindset that you are not good enough for what you want to do, way we are because there is no changing how you were made and each and every one of us is unique and adds something to the world that no one else can. Whether it be your smile or the way you embrace people and make them feel welcome. You, as an individual contribute so much more than you could ever imagine.
Realize that we only have so much time here, we need to make it the best we can and not let the negativity and fast paced lifestyle of this world get the best of us. We need to take the time to care for our bodies and relax our minds in simple ways that sometimes escape us. "Love yourself and surround yourself with those who love you back. And never feel guilty for taking care of yourself, because you deserve it. " Good physical and mental health are the key to success, even if our every day lives seem too busy for it. Works Cited Bland, Michelle.
Can You Honestly Say You''re Taking Care of Yourself? 23 August 2013. web. 30 October 2013. . Chan, Amanda L. , Sarah Klein and Laura Schocker. 7 Reasons Working Too Much Is Bad For Your Health. 28 January 2012. Web. 30 October 2013.. Hagen, Marthe. 55 Gentle Ways to Take Care of Yourself When You''re Busy Busy Busy. 28 October 2011. gentle-ways-to-take-care-of-yourself-when-youre-busy-busy-busy/>. Internet Brands, Inc. 3 Reasons Why Skipping Meals is Unhealthy. 2010-2013. Web. 30 October 2013.. United States Department of Agriculture. Why is it Important to Eat Fruit? n. d. Web. 3 November 2013..
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