Staying in Good Health
Recent medical studies reveal how positive lifestyle adjustment could help reduce both the risk of contracting a lifestyle or genetically related condition. Medical research by Rutten et al. (2018) on lifestyle behavior as a risk factor to stroke found out those individuals with an unhealthy lifestyle had a 66% higher risk chance of getting stroke compared to those with a favorable lifestyle. A Turkish public health research body recently published a study that projects the ability to prevent 16000 coronary heart diseases related deaths in 2025 if healthy foods and lifestyle policies are enacted (Sahan, Sozmen, Unal, O’Flaherty, & Critchley, 2016). The two study findings form the premise of this paper; that good health can be achieved through proper dieting, regular exercise, and routine medical check-up. Using available scholarly literature, the paper explores these three factors highlighting their essence and benefits towards healthy living.
Dieting is an essential aspect of human life responsible for providing the body with energy and essential nutrients. According to the center for disease control (CDC), a healthy diet constitutes the following: meals that embrace whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and zero or low-fat milk. For proteins, lean meat, fish, beans, and nuts are preferred. The guideline emphasizes minimal intake of saturated fats, salt, and added sugars. Benefits for healthy eating are enormous; firstly, proper dieting ensures that the body gets sufficient energy to run all other bodily functions. Proper diet could be effective in managing lifestyle diseases like diabetes by ensuring blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol are in check (Rutten et al., 2018). Healthy dieting has also been documented to reduce cases of succumbing to cardiovascular disease.
Physical exercise is the act of involving oneself in the performance of an activity to maintain or develop physical health or general body health (Sahan et al., 2016). Physical exercises are categorized into three distinct groups based on the impact on the human body. Flexibility exercises like stretching are essential in extending a portion body muscles can cover. Aerobics like walking, jogging, running is effective in building cardiovascular endurance. The third bunch comprises anaerobic exercises like weight lifting and sprinting that boost periodic muscle strength. Regular physical exercises have many short-term and long-term benefits highlighted by several studies. A study by Berchicci, Lucci, Perri, Spinelli, & Di Russo (2014) found out that regularly exercising positively impacts life expectancy by delaying aging-related motor and cognitive decline. In an extensive study on the impact of physical exercises on body immunity, Karacabey (2005) concludes structured activities can be effectively used to manage a wide range of conditions like depression, hypertension, osteoarthritis, and diabetes mellitus.
The third facet of staying healthy involves undergoing regular medical check-ups, at least once every in two years. This premise is based on the logic that various medical conditions have varied window periods that, if untested, could go unnoticed for an extended period. An example is Chronic Kidney Disease, which can spread enormously and damage the kidney during the asymptomatic stage (Levin & Stevens, 2011). Regular medical check-ups ensure early detection of fatal conditions, which gives room for early and effective interventions. Early detection of such a disease makes it manageable and less lethal.
Throughout the paper, it is evident that healthy leaving has numerous benefits. Healthy dieting helps our body maintain its functioning at optimum while still acting as an immunity booster. Regular physical exercises ensure that our body has strong enough bones while still strengthening immunity and cardiovascular endurance. Regular medical check-ups ensure that one is healthy, and medical conditions can be detected and managed in good time. Conclusively, the above-discussed aspects constitute healthy living.
References
Berchicci, M., Lucci, G., Perri, R. L., Spinelli, D., & Di Russo, F. (2014). Benefits of physical exercise on basic visuomotor functions across age. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 6, 48.
Gavin, J., & Mcbrearty, M. (2018). Lifestyle wellness coaching. Human Kinetics.
Kappen, D. L., & Orji, R. (2017). Gamified and persuasive systems as behavior change agents for health and wellness. XRDS: Crossroads, The ACM Magazine for Students, 24(1), 52-55.
Karacabey, K. (2005). Effect of regular exercise on health and disease. Neuroendocrinology Letters, 26(5), 617-623.
Levin, A., & Stevens, P. E. (2011). Early detection of CKD: the benefits, limitations, and effects on prognosis. Nature Reviews Nephrology, 7(8), 446.
Rutten-Jacobs, L. C., Larsson, S. C., Malik, R., Rannikmäe, K., Sudlow, C. L., Dichgans, M., … & International Stroke Genetics Consortium. (2018). Genetic risk, incident stroke, and the benefits of adhering to a healthy lifestyle: a cohort study of 306 473 UK Biobank participants. bmj; 363.
Sahan, C., Sozmen, K., Unal, B., O’Flaherty, M., & Critchley, J. (2016). Potential benefits of healthy food and lifestyle policies for reducing coronary heart disease mortality in Turkish adults by 2025: a modeling study. BMJ Open, 6(7), e011217.
Teixeira de Lemos, E., Oliveira, J., Páscoa Pinheiro, J., & Reis, F. (2012). Regular physical exercise as a strategy to improve antioxidant and anti-inflammatory status: benefits in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2012.