Great health is not something you achieve but it comes from regular practice. Today, we will talk about the 5 pillars of great health and how making simple changes to your everyday lifestyle can put you on the track for better health.
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1. Exercise
Exercising has proven to have many benefits – both physically and mentally. So, what kind of exercise should you be doing? You should choose a workout based on your age, medical patterns and also your liking. You can do zumba, floor exercises, yoga, and gyming. Based on your target, you can also choose the intensity of the workout. Do you want to build your body, lose fat, increase endurance, improve flexibility: based on this, you can choose your workout. In your health, working out plays a 20% role. The other 80% is nutrition. So what do we do to ensure this 80% nutrition is fulfilled? Our next pillar is water.
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2. Water
What is the importance of water? It detoxes your body, energises you, maintains your hydration, which also gives you a healthy glowing skin. It also carries nutrients into the body, aids in digestion, and helps you wake up fresh. So, water plays a very essential role in our health and well-being. So how much water should you be drinking? For every 20 kilos, you must have 1 litre of water. Make sure you drink water throughout the day, based on your weight.
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3. Sleep
The third important pillar is sleep. You need to get 6-8 hours of proper sleep. This has to be continuous and not broken between the day and night. Our ancestors have said it with reason, that if you sleep early, you will rise early, you will be able to workout as well, and you will get good sleep too. Having a sleep schedule, keeping away from blue light one hour before, and avoiding sweet and oily food at night can help you have a sound sleep. Read this post where we got insights on how to get sounder sleep from the doctors in our Sisterhood.
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4. Stress management
The fourth pillar is stress management. When we are under stress, negative hormones are secreted, and it majorly affects our body. This causes lifestyle diseases like blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and anxiety. Life will always have stressors, but you need to manage it with the help of your family and meditation. Practising meditation, breathing exercises, yoga or going for a relaxing walk can really help you manage your stress.
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5. Fibre-rich food
Fibre is a must in your diet. Good fibrous food ensures a clean digestive system. You must include green leafy vegetables, fruits, salads and millets generously in your daily diet. These give you fibre, multivitamins, minerals, and hydration which ensures great digestive health. If you’re diabetic or pre-diabetic, fibrous food will do wonders to keep your sugar under control.
Watch the video where Dr. Poonam, a diabetologist, breaks down diabetes – its causes, symptoms, and treatment.
We hope this video helps you take care of yourself and your family better. Don’t forget to share this with them. Eh-Maaya is committed to getting you unfiltered information from doctors and experts. Written by Dr. Vijay Kumar Jadhav, MBBS, MD