In recent years, the obesity epidemic has been on a steady rise. It is even overtaking malnutrition as a leading cause of death in some parts of the world. This is especially true for children and adolescents who are at risk for developing major health problems later in life. That is, if they continue to eat an unhealthy diet and have no physical activity.
The good news is that there are many solutions you can take to help reverse this trend towards obesity-related disease. For instance, eating healthier, exercising more often, or making better life decisions. Here are five steps you can take toward achieving better overall health:
1. Set Realistic Goals for Yourself
It’s essential to set realistic goals to achieve better overall health. Doing this will mean you are not setting yourself up for failure by trying to reach an unattainable goal. You should write out your goal with specific details to have something tangible toward which to work. It also helps with accountability, which is essential when working on achieving better overall health.
Furthermore, setting realistic goals to achieve a better you is a great way to live a healthy lifestyle. It’s the first step towards changing your life for the better.
2. Replace Junk with Healthier Options
One of the most important factors to health is what you eat. Your diet determines how healthy you are overall and whether you will enjoy a long and healthy life. You should replace junk food such as French fries, pizzas, sodas, and other things laden with preservatives and sugar with healthier alternatives such as fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains. These products contain fewer calories and offer your body needed vitamins that won’t cause weight gain or lead to chronic diseases later in life.
3. Don’t Forget Your Oral Health
One of the most common problems you can experience when achieving better overall health is oral and dental health. Many people neglect their oral hygiene. It can lead to serious problems affecting your teeth and gums, such as gum disease or cavities. Even conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and blindness can be linked back to oral health.
Research any dental problems you may have and visit a dental office. Seek treatment as soon as possible so that you can avoid further complications to your oral and overall health. You need to visit your dentist’s office at least twice a year so that they can help you come up with a dental health plan. It’s also important that you take care of your teeth at home by brushing twice a day, flossing once a day, and making an effort to limit how many sugary foods and drinks you consume.
4. Get Enough Sleep
It’s crucial to get plenty of sleep every night to achieve better overall health. Sufficient sleep is when you are in bed for 8 hours or more. You should also make sure you are getting enough deep, restful sleep. You can accomplish this by following “sleep hygiene” guidelines. These include going to bed at the same time each night and using your bed only for sleep.
Being well-rested will help you with your energy levels and concentration throughout the day, which is vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It also enables you to think more clearly, which is critical in making decisions about your health.
5. Drink Plenty of Water
You should drink plenty of water to help your body flush toxins, keep the skin and organs hydrated, and avoid chronic diseases. Health experts say that adequate water intake is eight glasses per day (about 2.2 liters). An excellent way to estimate your needs is to take your weight in pounds and divide it by two. This will be the number of ounces of water you need to drink per day. It’s imperative to stay hydrated in the winter months when you’re less active and in summer when you’re sweating more than usual.
6. Break Unhealthy Habits
If you want to achieve better overall health, you must break any unhealthy habits you have. A bad habit is anything that:
- makes your life worse,
- increases symptoms of a chronic disease or symptoms of an illness,
- makes it hard for you to do things you would otherwise enjoy doing, and
- has a positive effect on symptoms of an illness but can have negative side effects as well.
Unhealthy habits are more common than most people realize, so if this applies to you, then these tips can help:
- Break the habit first by cutting back slowly. You might try going from smoking two packs a day to one pack a day over three months.
- Find ways to manage stress. For example, learn how to manage your anger so that you’re not punching things or yelling at others every time you feel irritated.
- Find ways to relax, such as hobbies that calm you down, listening to music that relaxes you, or reading a book before bedtime.
- If you have trouble quitting habits on your own, you might want to seek help from a therapist, counselor, or group.
There are many ways to achieve better overall health. You must take care of yourself, especially in these trying times.
