Did you know that as a global population, we spend enough on health fads every year to completely eradicate hunger? Besides an odd injustice, this proves that we have a tremendously wrong-minded view on health. If you’ve had the experience of picking up a fad diet, exercise regime, or “superfood” that didn’t stick, it’s time to think a bit more deeply about how you change your health.
Approach it as a Lifestyle Change
One of the biggest problems is that health goals tend to be too short sighted. Having a beach bod or keeping yourself from becoming deficient are good starting points to a healthy lifestyle. But that’s all they are. Starting points. Besides the immediate goals, you need to think about the long-term future. Besides aiming for those goals, think about new healthy habits that you can start to pick up. Track how much water you drink in a day and how you sleep each night, for instance.
A ‘Diet’ Isn’t Good Enough
You shouldn’t be on a diet. You should have a diet. People who take on diets that revolve around superfoods or super stringent rules tend to find them impossible to stick to for long if they are even working in the first place. You need to learn what really matters in a diet. Portion control and nutrition. Supplements from places like Bio-Health are making it a lot easier to manage both of those at the same time, too. Just make sure that any big changes to your diet get a bit of consultation from the doctor, especially if you have any chronic conditions.
Exercise is For More Than Losing Weight
There’s no doubt that losing weight is a great reason to exercise. But the truth is that 80% of weight control is down to diet. If you want to exercise, make sure you’re doing it for the whole spectrum of benefits. This includes muscle training and stretching to improve your range of motion, to keep your energy levels up, and even to improve your emotional health. Which follows on to the next point.
The Mind Matters
Organisations like the Mental Health Foundation need to be paid close attention to. The truth is that there’s still a stigma when it comes to mental health, so not enough focus is put on how you can maintain a healthier, happier mind. It’s not just about talking about your feelings, though that does play a big part. Exercise, diet, meditation, good sleep, even socializing all contribute to the mixed-up organ that is your brain. Make sure that good mental health habits play just as big a role in your goals as the physical do. Especially since those physical health habits are a lot easier to keep up when your mind is in a good place.
The truth is that getting healthy is truly difficult at first. Denying yourself old comforts, taking on new habits both physical and otherwise, and getting educated takes time and effort. However, the sooner you put that effort in, the sooner it all becomes second nature. Start laying out your goals one by one and make those changes stick.
