A healthy lifestyle generally includes living your life in a way that keeps you physically and mentally healthy, no matter your stage of life. Planning to get healthy and stay healthy is a wise way to manage your life and give yourself the best possible chance to achieve your physical, social, career and educational goals. As you manage your day-to-day activities, include strategies to manage your weight, physical activity and stress levels.
Purpose
Healthy lifestyle management gives you a blueprint for ensuring that your daily activities and choices keep you on your path to living as healthy as possible for the rest of your life. It can be easy to get distracted by family, educational opportunities and social events and allow yourself to begin making poor food choices and develop unhealthy habits. Sitting down and deciding what lifestyle components are important to you will help you manage your health.
Alcohol and Tobacco
Although neither substance is illegal, limiting your alcoholic intake and avoiding tobacco use altogether is part of managing your healthy lifestyle. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant soon, avoid both completely. TeensHealth indicates that in addition to being addictive, tobacco use can cause cancer, shorten your lifespan and contribute to heart and lung disease. If you currently smoke, talk to your doctor about strategies to quit. Alcohol use by adults of legal drinking age is acceptable in moderation; however, alcohol contains calories that may make it difficult for you to manage your weight if you consume too much. Additionally, if you have a history of alcoholism in your family, you may be more likely to develop a dependence on alcohol, according to "The New York Times."
Weight Management
Living a healthy lifestyle includes learning to manage your weight. The first step toward weight management is to assess whether you are at a healthy weight by asking your doctor or using a reputable online weight calculator. If you are at a healthy weight, focus on eating a healthy balance of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, low-fat dairy and whole grains each day while avoiding frequent restaurant meals or processed foods. To lose weight, begin eating about 500 fewer calories each day. Cut out doughnuts, fried vegetables or meats, candy, full-fat dairy and chips to easily save calories. Plan on losing 1 to 2 lbs. per week until you reach your healthy weight.
Physical Activity
The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans states that part of a healthy lifestyle is staying physically active throughout your life. The more activity you plan into your lifestyle, the more health benefits you may enjoy. Reduced risk of diabetes, easier weight management, decreased incidence of heart disease and high blood pressure are just a few benefits of physical activity. Manage your physical activity by scheduling at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week into your schedule and setting a more ambitious goal of 300 minutes of weekly exercise.
Stress Management
Your mental health is part of a healthy lifestyle, and learning to manage the normal stresses of life can help you learn to relax and avoid some the health problems associated with excessive stress. Strategies for reliving stress include identifying the sources and triggers of stress, developing a plan to reduce the stress and getting help from a friend or counselor if your stress level feels unmanageable. Physical activity and relaxation exercises are ways to manage your stress and stay mentally healthy.
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