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Staying Healthy

Jenny Richards looks at the benefits of maintaining personal health records and some tips on how to stay healthy.

In the polluted and often stressful environment of our lives, it is a significant task for people to stay healthy. While there are many simple tips for maintaining your health, there is no escaping the fact that at some time or the other, you will fall ill, meet with an accident, or otherwise face a medical emergency that will require medical attention. The attending medical practitioners must access your health records for the treatment to be fast and practical.

A personal health record accessible by your doctor can be a lifesaver as it will inform the emergency medical personnel of all the facts of your prior and existing medical conditions that might affect the current treatment. This information includes current medications being taken, drug allergies and contact details of your family doctor.

Personal Health Tip - Nutrition

Just as balanced nutrition is essential for staying healthy, a poor diet can lead to many physical ailments and mental illnesses.

What is proper nutrition? It varies from person to person and is dependent on factors such as gender, lifestyle, age, physical activity level, and the environment. Some of the simple things that a person can do are to avoid all sorts of processed foods as they contain very high sodium and other chemicals.

It is wise not to consume fried foods or foods that contain very high-fat levels. Try and consume healthy fats that are included in nuts and seeds and fruits like olives and avocados. A certain amount of butter is okay but stay away from lard.

Focus on reducing your sugar intake, especially from sweets, cakes, and beverages like tea or coffee. Try and consume organic foods, including free-range chicken and eggs, to curb your inadvertent intake of pesticides, antibiotics, and other harmful chemicals.

Stay far away from recreational drugs and tobacco in any form. Alcohol consumption must be moderate. Eat a hearty breakfast to give your body the necessary energy.

Personal Health Tip - Exercise

Most people do not get the amount of exercise that they should, given the sort of lifestyle and nutrition they have. Lack of physical activity not only results in obesity but dramatically increases the propensity for heart attacks and strokes.

Insufficient exercise may result in musculoskeletal disease as well as enhanced stress. Such illnesses take a huge toll not only on the patient but on the national exchequer in terms of increased medical care expenses, with employers also suffering from lost man-days due to employee absences.

People should ensure that they exercise for at least 30 minutes for a minimum of five days a week. Walking, jogging, swimming, cycling are great options to stay healthy and fit. Resistance training is the best technique to reduce weight, improve endurance and muscle strength.

Personal Health Tip - Sleep

The quantity and quality of sleep are fundamental to being healthy. However, its importance is often ignored. Sleep disruption can occur due to stress, illness, excessive consumption of alcohol and rich foods, jet lag, the need to work at odd hours, or even being away from the comforting familiarity of the home environment.

For proper health, sleeping should be made a part of your daily schedule, and you should attempt to get at least seven to eight hours of continuous sleep daily. To facilitate sleep, it is crucial to have a bedroom airy and comfortably cool and that the bed and the pillow are not too soft.

To enjoy a good night's sleep, remember not to have a heavy meal or drink too much alcohol or caffeine before retiring. You must unwind by walking or undertaking a light exercise in the evening and maybe follow it up with a warm bath.

Reading books is preferable to watching TV or playing console games. Relaxing music can help in aiding sleep.


Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

  • RICHARDS, J. (2015) Staying Healthy [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article190.htm [Accessed

About the Author

Jenny Richards is very crazy about net surfing and writing content on various topics like technology, music, sports events, etc.