Health is wealth. Health is gone, everything is gone. A person feels happy and enjoys the moment of his life only if he is healthy, whereas opposite to that even the funniest joke does not interest us if we are not well. There are various factors that affect our mental and physical health such as our surroundings, our daily routine, our relationships with family and friends etc.
To stay healthy is the biggest challenge in today’s busy life where adulteration in every food item is at its extreme. Even the water we drink is not safe today, But it is still in our control how to consume and what to consume. There are some simple habits by which we can keep ourselves and our children healthy.
1. Wash hands before and after eating
We must wash our hands before and after eating and teach the same to our children. It is the biggest secret to stay healthy. Always carry sanitizer or a pouch of hand wash in your bags when you go out and do not forget to wash hands before consuming anything. Germs and bacteria travel from our hands to our mouth and make us sick and even prone to dreadful diseases.
2. Make use of dustbin a habit
We have been taught since childhood to make use of dustbins. It is shameful, but truth that we have become so irresponsible and are least interested to use them. Examples can be seen in our markets, streets, public places and everywhere. It’s now time to wake up and know our social responsibilities and be serious about our environment. Instead of blaming others, we should start from personal level and teach our children to make use of dustbin at home and outside too.
Keep dustbin inside and outside your homes and shops too. If our house will be clean, our streets will be clean and when the streets will be clean our city and ultimately our country will be clean. Come on, let’s join hands to make our city and country clean and green.
3. Buy fruits instead of chips and chocolate
Another secret to stay healthy is to buy fruits instead of chips, cookies and chocolate. It is value for money as well as healthy for body and mind too. Nuts and seeds give our body essential nutrients and also tastes great. We can see today in our country small school going children have poor eyesight, overweight and even suffer from diabetes. This is all due to our poor diet system. Fresh fruits not only taste good, but also provides essential vitamins and minerals needed for our body.
4. Quit cold drinks and switch to fresh juice
Consuming cold drinks has many disadvantages like it has high calories, which leads to weight gain and obesity. It contains sugar, which increases the sugar level in blood and can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. It also affects the enamel of teeth and lead to cavities as well as it affects your bones badly as it eats away calcium from the bones, making them weak and brittle. There are many alternatives such as fresh juice, coconut water, spiced or sweet Lassi, green tea etc. which have good food value and less disadvantages.
5. Eat healthy instead of junk food
Your diet is the main part which can make you either healthy or sick. Make your diet plan and follow it. Include fruits and vegetables and juices to it. Add variety to your daily diet. Consuming junk food has become a tradition today. The streets are full of crowd in the evening, which are specially there to eat noodles, burgers, momos and much more. Junk food should be avoided as it is the main cause of obesity in today’s young generation. The name junk only suggests useless and waste which does not have any nutrition and eating them means only consuming calories.
6. Cook at home
Bring fresh fruits and vegetables and cook at home to stay healthy. Use good oil and spices according to your need and taste. This will save money as well as good for your health too. Give your children good meal and pass your knowledge of recipes to them. So, another benefit of cooking at home is to share love and belongingness and cultural values with your children. Research has shown that people who cook their food at home are much more healthy and happy and have good mental and physical health as compared to people who use to eat out.
7. Plant a garden
If you have the space to plant a garden at home and grow some fruits like guava, litchi, lemon, etc. There is nothing healthier and satisfying than, to eat fruits and vegetables grown in the garden made by self. It is not only good for you but also good for the environment and saves money too. You can plant vegetables like ladyfinger, brinjals, guard and much more.
8. Add variety to your meals
Add variety to your meals. One can make sandwiches with salad, leftover and pack to school tiffin. Add green leaves of spinach or grated vegetables or cheese to main dishes to increase the nutrition content. Try to carry a lunch box with you to your work instead of eating in the canteen. Also pack healthy food for your children to school. Avoid giving chips and cookies. Cook food which is simple and consumes less time in cooking, keeping in mind health and which can be taken along to school or work.
9. Be positive
To stay healthy, stay positive. Encourage yourself and leave your past behind and move on. Don’t stick to things and let them go. Erase all the negativity from your house and your surroundings. Let the fresh air come and feel the beauty of nature. Think positive as it helps to manage stress and anxiety and increases your life span. Do regular exercise and practice healthy lifestyle. Even a few minutes walk in the morning can make you feel refreshed and healthy. Quit smoking and drinking to get a few steps closer to life.
10. Make good friends
The importance of friends cannot be neglected to stay healthy. They add humor, love, cheerfulness and are the biggest source to destress ourselves. We can talk and open ourselves in front of them. They provide us a shoulder when we feel to cry. To stay healthy, make good friends and stay in touch with them. Spare some time from a busy schedule, call them and go out this will help to reduce stress and make pleasant memories which one can save in mind for whole life.
