Healthy Sleep

Think of everything you do during your day. Try to guess which activity is so important you should devote one-third of your time to doing it. Probably the first things that come to mind are working, spending time with your family, or pursuing leisure activities. But there’s something else you should be doing about one-third of your time—sleeping.

Many people view sleep as merely a “down time” when their brain shuts off and their body rests. In a rush to meet work, school, family, or household responsibilities, people cut back on their sleep, thinking it won’t be a problem, because all of these other activities seem much more important. But research reveals that a number of vital tasks carried out during sleep help to maintain good health and enable people to function at their best.

While you sleep, your brain is hard at work forming the pathways necessary for learning and creating memories and new insights.

Without enough sleep, you can’t focus and pay attention or respond quickly. A lack of sleep may even cause mood problems. In addition, growing evidence shows that a chronic lack of sleep increases the risk for developing obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and infections.

Despite the mounting support for the notion that adequate sleep, like adequate nutrition and physical activity, is vital to our wellbeing, people are sleeping less. The nonstop “24/7” nature of the world today encourages longer or nighttime work hours and offers continual access to entertainment and other activities. To keep up, people cut back on sleep. A common myth is that people can learn to get by on little sleep (such as less than 6 hours a night) with no adverse consequences. Research suggests, however, that adults need at least 7–8 hours of sleep each night to be well rested. Indeed, in 1910, most people slept 9 hours a night. But recent surveys show the average adult now sleeps less than 7 hours a night, and more than one-third of adults report daytime sleepiness so severe that it interferes with work and social functioning at least a few days each month. 

Let's have a Good & Healthy Sleep throughout the night time...

Exercise and Physical Fitness

Regular exercise is a critical part of staying healthy. People who are active live longer and feel better. Exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight. It can delay or prevent diabetes, some cancers and heart problems.

Most adults need at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days per week. Examples include walking briskly, mowing the lawn, dancing, swimming for recreation or bicycling. Stretching and weight training can also strengthen your body and improve your fitness level.

The key is to find the right exercise for you. If it is fun, you are more likely to stay motivated. You may want to walk with a friend, join a class or plan a group bike ride. If you've been inactive for awhile, use a sensible approach and start out slowly.

There are 1,440 minutes in every day. Schedule 30 of them for physical activity!

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

Healthy Eating Pyramid

This is the Food Pyramid that all of us might familiar with since we have learnt it since primary school. However, do we follow this food pyramid ??? Let's have a closer look at below Healthy Eating Pyramid.



The Healthy Eating Pyramid sits on a foundation of daily exercise and weight control because these elements affect what you eat and how food affects you.


The other bricks include:

• Whole grain foods (at most meals)- the best source of carbohydrates are whole grains such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread and brown rice. Your body can’t digest whole grains as quickly as it can high processed carbohydrates like white flour which helps to keep your blood sugar stable and your hunger at bay.
• Plant Oils- Note that this category contains plant oils specifically, not all types of fat. These healthy fats can improve cholesterol levels and protect the heart from sudden and potentially deadly rhythm problems. Good sources of healthy unsaturated fats include olive, canola, soy, corn, sunflower, peanut, and other vegetable oils as well as fatty fish such as salmon.
• Vegetables (in abundance) and Fruit (2-3 times a day)- a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can decrease the chances of having a heart attack or stroke, protect against a variety of cancers, lower blood pressure, add variety to your diet, and wake up your palate.
• Fish, Poultry, and Eggs (0-2 times a day)- These are important sources of protein and there have been studies to suggest that eating fish can reduce your risk of heart disease.
• Nuts and Legumes (1- 3 times a day) Nuts and legumes are an excellent source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Legumes include black beans, navy beans, garbanzos, and other beans. Nuts contain healthy fat and are good for your heart.
• Dairy or Calcium Supplement (1 – 2 times a day)- Building and maintaining bone mass takes calcium, vitamin D, and exercise. Try to stick to low or no fat dairy products and if you don’t like dairy products, calcium supplements offer an easy way to get your daily calcium.
• Red Meat and Butter (Use Sparingly)- These sit at the top of the pyramid because they contain a lot of saturated fat. If you eat red meat every day try switching to fish or chicken several times a week.
• White Rice, White Bread, Potatoes, White Pasta, Soda, and Sweets (Use Sparingly)- These foods can cause fast increases in blood sugar, which can lead to weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic disorders.
• Muti-Vitamin- A daily multivitamin can’t replace healthy eating or make up for unhealthy eating but it can fill nutritional holes that can affect even the most careful eaters. Look for one that meets USP (US Pharmacopeia, an organization that sets standards for drugs and supplements) requirements.
• Alcohol (in moderation)- Studies suggest that having an alcoholic drink a day lowers the risk of heart disease. Moderation is important and for most people one drink a day is just about right.

Let's start practice our daily meals with this Healthy Eating Pyramid ! Isn't it a Good Idea ???

Healthy Eating

Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible– all of which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and using them in a way that works for you.

Healthy eating begins with learning how to “eat smart ”—it’s not just what you eat, but how you eat. Your food choices can reduce your risk of illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, as well as defend against depression. Additionally, learning the habits of healthy eating can improve your health by boosting your energy, sharpening your memory and stabilizing your mood. Expand your range of healthy food choices and learn how to plan ahead to create and maintain a satisfying, healthy diet.

What is Wellness ?

According to the Mickinley Health Center, University of Illinois, Wellness " is a state of optimal well-being that is oriented toward maximizing an individual's potential. This is a life-long process of moving towards enhancing your physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental well-being."

The University of East Carolina defines Wellness as " the integration of mind, body and spirit. Optimal wellness allows us to achieve our goals and find meaning and purpose in our lives. Wellness combines seven dimensions of well-being into a quality way of living. Overall, wellness is the ability to live life to the fullest and to maximize personal potential in a variety of ways. Wellness involves continually learning and making changes to enhance your state of wellness. When we balance the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, occupational, spiritual, and environmental aspects of life, we achieve true wellness."

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary, Wellness is " A philosophy of life and personal hygiene that views health as not merely the absence of illness but the full realization of one's physical and mental potential, as achieved through positive attitudes, fitness training, a diet low in fat and high in fiber, and the avoidance of unhealthful practices (smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, overeating) ".

Sources: National Health Service (NHS), UK, The Mayo Clinic, Wikipedia, HHS (Department of Health and Human Services USA), NIH (National Institutes of Health, USA).

What is Health ?

The English word " Health " comes from the Old English word hale, meaning " wholeness, a being whole, sound or well ". In addition, Health can be defined as " The state of the organism when it functions optimally without evidence of disease or abnormality ". 

According to World Health Organization (WHO), " Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." or Health is " a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities."

Meggitt (2001: 1) discusses health in holistic terms, and suggests that being healthy constitutes a number of different physical, mental and social, emotional, environmental and spiritual states. These are being fit, not being ill, being able to adapt, living to an old age, and being happy.

1. Environmental health

Environmental health refers to the general health of the society in which we live. In areas of famine – 

where the first priority for health is to obtain enough food – people may be denied access to health. Poverty and overcrowded living conditions are all negative aspects of environmental health.

2. Physical health

This is the easiest aspect of health to measure. It involves the physical functioning of the body and includes the growth and physical development of the baby and child.

3. Emotional health

Emotional health involves how we express emotions such as joy, grief, frustration, hurt and fear. This ability to express our own emotions and to react to other people’s emotions leads on to coping strategies for anxiety and stress.

4. Spiritual health

Spiritual health involves personal, moral codes of conduct – as well as religious beliefs and practices.

5. Mental health

Mental health involves our ability to organise our thoughts logically, and is closely linked to emotional and social health.

6. Social health

Social health involves the way we relate to other people and form relationships.