Fundamentals of Healthy Lifestyle - Essay Example

Healthy Life Style Introduction How would you feel if you found out your child was eating fattening hot dogs and greasy French fries for lunch every day? Many people spend a lot of money to treat illness related to health issues. If people adopt a healthy lifestyle, our medical expenses will reduce significantly. This is why we, especially kids, should eat healthy foods. Most people understand the health benefits of eating a balanced diet and exercising. Keeping our bodies young and healthy is vital so that we have fulfilling lives and live longer. Eating a balanced diet and exercising daily are the only way to help you deflect health problems and protect your body from deterioration. Center for Disease Control recommends people to engage in physical activities to combat diabetes (Samuels 1). I experienced many health problems while consuming unhealthy food that is why I turned to healthier choices. By healthy lifestyle, I mean cooking and preparing my meals and snacks using organic products. The outcome so far to this lifestyle change has been a change that I'm more than happy I did. My healthy lifestyle routine consists of my personal health, saving money while eating clean, and being physically active and productive in my daily activities. As an individual, you have the responsibility to take care of your health through eating lifestyles changes and participating in physical activities. Lack of balanced diet and exercising is harmful to our health Cardiovascular diseases Considering my personal health, I come from a family who has been diagnosed with diabetes type one. According to the National Diabetes Statistics Report, that was released in 2014 "1.25 million American children and adults have type 1 diabetes" (Statistics About Diabetes 3). The type one diabetes is genetically passed, and it is a disease that cannot be prevented and you cannot get rid of it. It also occurs when the immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Symptoms to the type one diabetes usually start during childhood or young adulthood. Episodes of low blood sugar levels also know as hypoglycemia are common. Diabetics struggle a lot with emotions. They often lash out for little things because they experience the emotional roller coaster. They have to visit frequently the doctor, they need support from their loved ones, they need encouragement, and sometimes they feel lonely because they feel their disease is controlling them rather than them controlling the disease. These statistics are scary enough, which made me to consider a healthier way of life. I wanted to be around my friends and family for a long time. Foods that have excess fat can lead to incidences of diabetes. These fats result in thickening and hardening of arteries wall, because of build up of cholesterol and calcium on the walls. The build up makes the walls be narrower. People who are overweight may lead to diabetes. My family members face a lot of criticism when people point out the unhealthy food choices. Because of the devastating complications and threats that this type of diabetes has caused my family, it makes me scared to think that one day it could be me with those complications and how to treat it. I am highly prone to this disease because it runs in my family. That is the main reason I had to change or do something about my bad eating habits. Most people do not lead healthy lifestyle When it comes to eating healthy, many people love the idea but then give up when they realize it is not an easy routine. Unhealthy choices are easy to get a hold of and inexpensive. Even though statistics are clear, many people have refused to change their unhealthy lifestyles. Eating a healthy balanced diet has always been a struggle, especially when there are numerous fast food restaurants nowadays. People complain about having a lot of work, or I cannot exercise since am tired after work. However, most of them do not complain about their work. Few people have a good BMI and healthy bodies. Foods adequate vitamins and minerals increase our immunity so that we are not susceptible to diseases. For example, higher calcium consumption can reduce chances of developing diabetes. We must consume a minimum of 400 grams of vegetables and fruits daily (CDC). These essential amounts will prevent our bodies from diseases, and maintain a good weight. An individual should consume the right amount of calories to maintain a healthy weight. A healthy diet should consist of minerals, proteins, vitamins, and carbohydrates. Fatty foods such as pizza, soda, potato chips, and many others contain unnecessary calories. Research studies have shown that processed food can decrease the quality of an individual life. In other words, eating healthy means that our body will have the strength to fight diseases and live longer. When it comes to feeling relaxed, literature indicates that eating a healthy balanced diet reduces depression. When we eat a balanced diet our energy levels also increases. On the other hand, fatty foods result to weight gain, and thus when you have a balanced diet you have a better chance of losing unhealthy weight. Overall, your body including the skin, hair, nails will look healthier. Going out to a local farmers market to buy fresh veggies and fruits seems like a hassle, but when you think about it, it is the same time you will be waiting in a drive through. I put it to a test, one week I bought food without cooking anything, and my kitchen was sparkling. I came to find that the following week I decided to buy groceries and cook my meals, and the outcome of this comparison was a big difference to both my wallet and liveliness. I realized that when buying fast food I was spending double the amount of what I would be spending when buying my groceries. According to Maya, Robert, and Melinda (1) article, even just reducing your meals out by 1 or 2 times per week can save you about $15 – $25 per week." I feel that the home cooked meals give me a lot more energy, enriched nutrients, and vitamins that fast food would never give me the same benefits. Lack of inactivity may lead to inactivity later. It implies that choice we make today will affect us for the coming years. Inactivity will make our bodies become. However, this can be avoided, by exercising now. Inactivity over time decreases your energy, built-up stress, and eventually deteriorates our healthy bodies. Once our bodies are damaged, our self-esteem and confidence decreases. That being the case, I incorporated daily exercises in my routine as well. It is a little difficult to squeeze in a workout session every day. Whenever I can I try exercise, the minimum I have to do is at least half an hour. Even if it is only a walk around my neighborhood or a short jog, I believe that anything is better than nothing. Research indicates that going for a leisurely walk burns approximately five times more calories than watching Television (“Calories Burned” 1). A regular walking can also reduce the risk of a heart attack equally to a vigorous exercise, for example, jogging. Whether it is just a stroll or walking the dog, it is just as significant as other forms of exercise. I try to work out three to five days a week for at least thirty minutes each day, and if I can do more, then I take advantage. Balanced diet and Exercising is a worthwhile investment Some people think that eating healthy is expensive, but I have found it a lot cheaper than eating outside and buying ready-meal food. People say it is a little time consuming, and a lot of people do not have the time to be cooking. I make my healthy eating a priority, so I have to make time to prepare my meals. Most people assume that is easier to spend twenty-five dollars at a fast food restaurant to buy a family meal since it is ready. Nevertheless, with those twenty-five dollars, you can buy enough groceries to cook for the next couple of days and it is healthier. Another way to save money is to serve the right portions when eating breakfast, lunch and dinner. The average serving per person for meat is three ounces. If we serve the appropriate serving per person and then fill the rest of the sides with filling veggies and grains then there will not be the need to serve the person another round of meat serving. In addition, cooking once and eating the food we cooked twice can save us money. Whether we pack lunch for the next day, eating our extra meat, extra veggies, and grains that we cooked the night before and other leftovers, it can save us another trip to the grocery store or the trip to the drive-thru possibly during lunchtime. Exercises are vital for the whole body, including the mind. It helps the body to produce endorphins, a chemical substance that helps us to feel relaxed. Research indicates that exercise helps us to sleep well, particularly to those who have mild depression and look better. Literature indicates people who exercise burn more calories and have a more toned body than those who do not. There is a relationship between exercising and aging well. Although, it may not seem to be important at a younger age, it will be significant once you are aged. Elderly women are likely to suffer from osteoporosis (a weakening of the bones) as they get older if they did not regularly exercise when younger. Regular exercise helps to maintain blood pressure and cholesterol levels healthily, maintain a healthy weight, and reduce the risk of developing bacteria. All these health issues are associated with other diseases, so exercise will protect the body from further infections. Physical activities distract us from our problems and help to manage stress (Greatest Para 2). It allows us to reflect on ourselves, and keep the mind busy thus avoiding dangerous habits like drugs. Working out, amazingly, gives me more energy and it makes me feel a lot better physically and mentally. It has also improved my confidence, and it has given me a positive self-image. Working out helps me clear my mind and any stresses that I may be having. It's a moment of my day where I can escape, and I can just focus on myself. Being physically active makes my day go faster, if I want to grab a coffee nearby or go to my local grocery store to buy a few things, I walk there rather than take my car. Also, if I were in a building, I'd rather take the stairs than the elevator. A recent study that was conducted at Duke University found that climbing stairs helps an individual to have a higher aerobic capacity ("Benefits Of Taking The Stairs" 1). Using the stairs instead of the elevator will help you achieve a healthy weight and shape; however, a more vigorous exercise can be fun. As previously indicated, going for a run or going to the gym are not the only ways to stay active. During my lunch, I prefer to go for a walk than to sit in a classroom. Working out would help me also to relax and feel that I am all by myself in this whole world. It would also let me sleep my eight hours and wake up well rested and ready to start my day. Exercising has helped improved my brainpower; I feel that my capacity for learning has become powerful, and my performance in school has increased. It also improves your character and your mood because you become more determent, dedicated, and discipline to get tasks done. Exercising has also kept me from getting sick because it has strengthened my immune system. Given these points, my drastic change of my healthy lifestyle has impacted my life in a positive manner. As we stated earlier, my personal health, saving money and eating clean, and working out and being productive are the best choices I have made for myself. With my personal awareness with diabetes type one, I visited the family doctor. After a thorough check-up and the results were that I am far away from getting diabetes, and it is all thanks to my healthy lifestyle. This news from my doctor motivated me even more to continue the healthy journey of mine. It is a worthwhile journey because if I ever have a family of my own, they can also be prone to the disease but hopefully not by adapting to my healthy eating habits since day one. Also, the amount of money I have saved since is started a healthy lifestyle will be enough to pay for a vacation at the end of the year. One of the major benefits of working out is losing unhealthy weight, and maintaining a healthy weight has been the greatest achievement. Am also happy about what I have achieved so far, and it is my hope that I can inspire my friends to join me on this journey so that we can enjoy the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Conclusion We all have a responsibility to living a healthy and active lifestyle. The increasing trends of diabetes in the country threaten to bring young people to their knees, yet there are numerous ways of preventing these patterns. Many people assume that one must attend the gym to exercise while others assume they have a lot of work, but physical exercises can be incorporated into our day-to-day activities. When we make these decisions of exercising daily, our health will improve and encourage others to live a healthy life. Everyone has some exercise that they enjoy performing; this can make it easier to stay active. If everyone begins a routine of staying active, it will give us a better state of mind, and our future will be more rewarding. Additionally, we should maintain a healthy diet, as it helps us to maintain a healthy weight. A good diet also helps to meet the required nutritional needs, for example, daily intake of whole grain, vegetables, fruits, protein, and minerals to boost immune systems and prevent your body from diseases. We have seen that a healthy diet reduce the risks of diseases like diabetes. Once we implement a balanced diet, we will realize the benefits. The future of diabetes in our country look grim, and it has resulted in numerous cases of preventable deaths. This means we have the ability to prevent these deaths. Therefore, let us do it, and save our lives! It is never too late to change our lifestyles and derive the health benefits. Works Cited “Benefits of Taking the Stairs.” Duke Human Resources. Duke University, n.d. Web. 2 July 2015. “Calories Burned.” FitDay. Internet Brands Inc., 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 2 July 2015. Maya, Paul., Robert. Segal, and Melinda, Smith. "Eating Well on the Cheap." : Saving Money on Healthy Food. N.p., June 2015. Web. 2 July 2015. Samuels, Dave. “Importance of Youth Sports.” LIVESTRONG.COM. Demand Media Inc., 28 Mar. 2010. Web. 2 July 2015. "Statistics About Diabetes." American Diabetes Association. The National Diabetes Statistics, 10 June 2014. Web. 23 June 2015. "Unexpected Benefits of Exercise." Greatest. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 June 2015. Read More