To be in good health, there are some very simple precepts and advice to follow. Here are 7 tips for good health.
1. Eat a balanced and healthy diet That’s the first piece of advice we can give you. If you want to be healthy, watch what you eat. The sacrosanct “eat 5 fruits and vegetables a day” is a rule that you have probably heard dozens and dozens of times, but there is a reason for it. These fruits and vegetables have a protective role in the prevention of diseases that can appear at age, such as cancers (see also: Preventing cancer, tips for a healthy lifestyle), cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes… They also provide the vitamins, minerals and fibre necessary for the body to function properly.
For some doctors and nutritionists, it is even necessary to consume 7 or even 10 fruits and vegetables per day! It is therefore important to avoid eating too much fat, sugar or salt. To help you eat better, it is possible to go see specialists, or to bring your smartphone with you: some applications like Yuka, available on Android or iPhone, allow you to consume better by telling you if a product you can find in supermarkets is too salty, sweet, or full of additives. Easy to use, these applications will make it more fun!
Eating a balanced diet
2. Get regular physical activity Again, it’s probably something you’ve often heard. But regular physical activity is important for your health at all ages. Physical activity helps to maintain the body and mind, to reduce mortality, and to prevent the onset of certain diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or being overweight. It also helps to fight stress and to sleep better.
You don’t have to be a great sportsman to be physically active. Walking or cycling to work or avoiding taking the elevator to take the steps are small everyday things that can only do you good. Going to the pool or jogging regularly are also beneficial activities that don’t take up too much of your time.
The amount of time you need to spend doing this physical activity depends on your age: you can look at the World Health Organization’s advice on this subject HERE. “The WHO defines physical activity as any bodily movement produced by muscles that requires the expenditure of energy - this includes movement while working, playing, doing household chores, moving around and during leisure activities,” says the WHO on its official website.
Good to know: “The term ‘physical activity’ should not be confused with the term 'exercise’, which is a more deliberate, structured, repetitive sub-category of physical activity, aimed at improving or maintaining one or more aspects of physical fitness. »
3. Drink plenty of water Water is essential to our survival. As a reminder, our body is composed of 60 to 70% water. Drinking water therefore helps us keep in shape (even if it is not enough to be in good health, of course), keeps us mentally fit as well and has virtues for health that you surely don’t suspect. So you need to make sure you have enough water in a day to be at your best. Doctors recommend drinking between 1.5 and 2 litre(s) of water per day for an adult person. This figure can be increased during hot weather such as this summer or if you practice a sport, in order to keep yourself well hydrated.
4. Get enough sleep Did you know that you spend almost 25 years of your life sleeping? That’s to say that sleep is a major part of our lives and should not be neglected. But with work, school, family and all the other pressures of daily life, your sleep time is heavily impacted. And that can be detrimental to your health. Lack of sleep can affect your mood, your mental state, your physical state, can disrupt your metabolism and even increase the risk of developing certain diseases. These are all reasons that should push you to adapt your lifestyle to get enough hours of sleep. According to the American National Sleep Foundation, the number of hours of sleep recommended depends on your age. It ranges from 14 to 17 hours a day for newborns to 7 to 8 hours for seniors (over 65). A teenager (14 to 17 years old) will need 8 to 10 hours of sleep, a young adult (18 to 25 years old) 7 to 9 hours and an adult (26 to 64 years old) 7 to 9 hours.
There are many solutions to calm your anxieties without resorting to medication. It’s up to you to find the one that suits you best…
7 natural remedies for anxiety Whether it’s about money, family, health or work, when anxious people start to panic, the panic attack is not far away. Although a Canadian study has just linked anxiety to intelligence, you may be looking for a natural solution to calm your stress attacks. Here are a few ideas to help you avoid going through the medication box:
Chamomile and green tea
Chamomile infusions would have the same effect on the brain as valium, blocking certain receptors. If you feel anxiety rising, prepare a cup of chamomile or take a few drops of essential oil. Guaranteed soothing effect. Same observation for green tea, which would have the ability to slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure.
Physical exercise
There’s nothing like a good workout when you’re on edge. Physical activity has an antidepressant and anti-anxiety effect that boosts your morale and fights the dark thoughts that go round and round in your head. By exercising regularly you will also increase your self-esteem and well-being. This will give you one less reason to stress.
Lavender
Various studies, cited by the American website Health, have demonstrated the relaxing effect of lavender. This powerful “emotional anti-inflammatory” is used in waiting rooms or offered to students before an exam to reduce their anxiety level. But be careful not to abuse it, lavender extract is very powerful and an excessive dose can fog up your mind, the site reminds us.
Breathing
A few breathing exercises can calm you down very quickly. Empty your lungs completely in one slow exhalation, then inhale on the count of four, hold your breath on the count of seven and exhale again on the count of eight. This technique is effective because you could not breathe deeply and be anxious at the same time.
Breakfast
Anxious people tend to skip meals, the Health site reminds us, especially breakfast. A bad habit that causes choline levels to drop and anxiety to increase. Instead of skipping this meal, choose protein-rich foods, such as eggs, that will help you feel full.
Temperature
You will certainly have noticed: the cold tends to accentuate your muscular tensions. To limit anxiety, choose an environment warm enough to relax your body. A sauna, a hot bath, a tea…all means are good to raise the temperature a few degrees and increase your well-being.
Meditation
A growing number of studies have examined the antidepressant effect of meditation. Its soothing properties have been shown to be particularly useful for anxious people. By devoting a few minutes a day to a simple awareness of the present moment, you leave less room for everyday anxieties.
7 natural remedies for anxiety
There are many solutions to calm your anxieties without resorting to medication. It’s up to you to find the one that suits you best…
7 natural remedies for anxiety Whether it’s about money, family, health or work, when anxious people start to panic, the panic attack is not far away. Although a Canadian study has just linked anxiety to intelligence, you may be looking for a natural solution to calm your stress attacks. Here are a few ideas to help you avoid going through the medication box:
Chamomile and green tea
Chamomile infusions would have the same effect on the brain as valium, blocking certain receptors. If you feel anxiety rising, prepare a cup of chamomile or take a few drops of essential oil. Guaranteed soothing effect. Same observation for green tea, which would have the ability to slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure.
Physical exercise
There’s nothing like a good workout when you’re on edge. Physical activity has an antidepressant and anti-anxiety effect that boosts your morale and fights the dark thoughts that go round and round in your head. By exercising regularly you will also increase your self-esteem and well-being. This will give you one less reason to stress.
Lavender
Various studies, cited by the American website Health, have demonstrated the relaxing effect of lavender. This powerful “emotional anti-inflammatory” is used in waiting rooms or offered to students before an exam to reduce their anxiety level. But be careful not to abuse it, lavender extract is very powerful and an excessive dose can fog up your mind, the site reminds us.
Breathing
A few breathing exercises can calm you down very quickly. Empty your lungs completely in one slow exhalation, then inhale on the count of four, hold your breath on the count of seven and exhale again on the count of eight. This technique is effective because you could not breathe deeply and be anxious at the same time.
Breakfast
Anxious people tend to skip meals, the Health site reminds us, especially breakfast. A bad habit that causes choline levels to drop and anxiety to increase. Instead of skipping this meal, choose protein-rich foods, such as eggs, that will help you feel full.
Temperature
You will certainly have noticed: the cold tends to accentuate your muscular tensions. To limit anxiety, choose an environment warm enough to relax your body. A sauna, a hot bath, a tea…all means are good to raise the temperature a few degrees and increase your well-being.
Meditation
A growing number of studies have examined the antidepressant effect of meditation. Its soothing properties have been shown to be particularly useful for anxious people. By devoting a few minutes a day to a simple awareness of the present moment, you leave less room for everyday anxieties.
Maybe you’ve heard others tell you to stop being so anxious or worried. This kind of remark only adds to the overwhelming feeling you already have. Only people who have had an anxiety attack can understand how intense the panic is. Anxiety can be so physically violent that you suddenly find yourself paralyzed. How can anxiety be so strong and frightening?
As human beings, we are unique in our ability to be afraid of fear itself. Animals can also be frightened, but they are only frightened when they are faced with real things, like a bear for example. They do not have the ability, unlike us, to feel fear at the mere thought of that bear. So for us humans, this anxiety is often associated with what our heads tell us about all kinds of situations. These bear stories cause our heads to build a cage in which we take refuge to protect ourselves from this threatening animal. Our head can stop us from doing many things that might be important to us.
Take a moment to observe that the bars of the cage that imprison you are often just “blah blah blah” that gets in the way of what matters to you: I can’t do it, I can’t do it, it’s not normal to feel this way, I’m going to die if it doesn’t stop… When we let anxiety stop us, life becomes blander and loses its lustre.
Thanks to our intelligence, we can not only send rockets into space, but also feel sensations in our bodies similar to what we would feel if there was actually a rabid bear in the room. Make no mistake. Experiencing an anxiety attack is as relaxing as being locked in a room with a rabid grizzly bear. Of course, if you’re suffering from anxiety, you already know that.
Once again, our intelligence is playing tricks on us. Anyone can see that there are no bears in the room. Others won’t understand what you’re feeling or why you’re acting in a panic. What’s more, your head may reprimand and blame you for feeling so anxious when no grizzly bears are present.
First of all, rest assured, we understand! Anxiety is a completely frightening thing. Although it can vary in intensity, it is surely one of the worst experiences a human being can have. The feeling of being misunderstood and judged when it gets its claws into us makes it worse. Quite often it is our own heads that will add to it. A few seconds after the anxious feelings appear in your body, your head will tell you: “This is stupid, there is no reason to be afraid or anxious, you must be weak or deficient to feel this way”. All kinds of degrading and humiliating words go through your head when you already feel horrible about yourself!
But that’s not all. Even worse, your head will give you lots of reasons not to do what you would like to do, like putting you in a cage to “protect” yourself from the bear of your anxiety.
Are you starting to feel a little stuck and a little bad when you read this article?
Sorry, don’t give up, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Lucky for you, the bear of your anxiety isn’t going to eat you alive. There is an alternative solution. The secret is this: you can learn how to tame this bear and even become its friend!
Of course, this won’t happen in a day. This new way of dealing with what you feel when your head tells you these threatening bear stories is not going to get rid of the discomfort that comes with these attacks. You will continue to shake at times. What you can do, however, is learn to observe your anxiety as you would observe an animal to tame. Instead of running away from it, freezing it, or trying to fight it, you can reach out one hand to the bear of your anxiety and the other hand to that part of you that is shaking. This way, the three of you can leave together in the direction of what matters to you.
You may already be able to see your disagreeing, blabbering head, convincing you to stay in a cage until you can get the bear out of your thoughts that make you feel so bad. Is this really the kind of life you dream of? If there was another way to free yourself WITH this anxiety by making room for it when it comes up: “Here! My friend the anxiety is back! How about we go for a walk together and see some friends?”
But why make room for her anxiety?
When we take the time to slow down a bit, we can see that the anxiety is back!
