Thursday, November 10, 2016

Living a Healthy Lifestyle

Author: Colton Yapoujian

Essay topic: Living a Healthy Lifestyle

According to Mark Twain a very famous writer, “The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not.” The world needs to have a change of mindset and start living a healthier lifestyle. When you make healthy choices they pay off in the end; they are not going overboard with alcohol, getting the right amount of sleep each night, knowing how to handle stress appropriately, getting the needed exercise each week, and knowing what foods you should eat.
To begin, it is very important to not over drink on alcohol and to know how much alcohol is okay to have. It is said that over drinking can cause major problems to your brain, heart, liver, and immune system. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, “Alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways, and can affect the way the brain looks and works.” This shows how your brain is unable to function the same when you go overboard on your alcohol consumption. Then, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism states, “Drinking a lot over a long time or too much on a single occasion can damage the heart.” This shows how you are more likely to have things such as heart attacks or strokes when you go overboard on your alcohol consumption. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism also states, “Heavy drinking takes a toll on the liver, and can lead to a variety of problems and liver inflammations including: steatosis, or fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis.” This shows that your liver is really harmed from large amounts of drinking. Finally, it is said that drinking too much can make your immune system much weaker and increase your chances of developing more diseases and illnesses compared to someone that doesn’t over drink. However, there are times where drinking is okay, but just make sure to never go overboard. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Moderate alcohol use for healthy adults means up to one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger.” This shows that you should never have large amounts of alcohol in a day, even if you are at a party or bar. Clearly, it is extremely critical that if you do decide to drink that you stay at moderate levels because drinking too much alcohol can lead to major problems and will keep you away from living a healthy lifestyle.
Healthy living requires not over drinking, but it demands welcoming restorative sleep. It is vital to stay away from electronics and television two hours before you go to bed. WebMD states, “We're very sensitive to the cue that light gives you that it's time to be up and about.” It is also a serious matter to not do insane exercise workouts before you decide to go to bed. WebMD states, “If you're working up a sweat, you're working too hard right before bed.” Intense exercise causes your body to get too hot, which makes it quite difficult to get yourself to fall asleep or calm down. In addition, it is a good idea to develop a regular sleep schedule. WebMD says, “We're going to get nowhere if we take big naps during the day and keep a very erratic sleep schedule; it's chaos then.” This shows that it is crucial to pick a time that you are going to go to bed at each night because when you don’t this leads to having to take naps throughout the day and feeling really tired. Without a doubt, getting the right amount of sleep can be the difference between living healthy or not living healthy.
Since healthy living requires the need for restorative sleep, having the ability to handle and keep away from stress is critical. One origin of stress may come from stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine. According to Skills You Need, “Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants and so they will increase your level of stress rather than reduce it.” Skills You Need also states, “Talking can work by either distracting you from your stressful thoughts or releasing some of the built-up tension by discussing it.” This explains that it is a good idea to talk to someone you are close to or are familiar with so that you are able to release any stress you may have. Then, Skills You Need states, “A common cause of stress is having too much to do and too little time in which to do it.” This demonstrates that it is not always a bad idea to say no to someone, if you know it will cause major stress on your life. In addition, it is important to understand you are not always in control during a certain situation and keeping a positive mindset can be quite helpful. Clearly, knowing how to manage stress can help you live a healthier lifestyle.
Consuming low to no amounts of alcohol, getting quality sleep each night, and being able to control your stress levels are all important strides to make towards healthy living; getting the right amount of exercise is also very valuable. WebMD states, “Weekly goals give you more day-to-day flexibility and keep you motivated if you happen to miss a day.” This demonstrates that it is very crucial to pick an amount of exercise you would like to reach each week. In addition, people should try and get a minimum of 150 minutes of exercise in every single week. Then, WebMD says, “There's no need to stick to cardio equipment in the gym if you're dreading it and you don't like it….Find something that’s fun.” This shows that you are able to do things that you feel are fun ways to get exercise in, such as sweeping and mopping your floors around the house or taking your dog on a walk around the park. WebMD also states, “Keep a visual record that you look at frequently as a reminder and motivator.” Being able to keep a visual record is a great way to keep yourself motivated and on track. Without a doubt, being able to stay active throughout the week is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle.
Since staying active is an important step to reaching a healthy lifestyle, so is the ability to be able to eat the correct foods. It is a great idea to start incorporating more fruits and vegetables in your diet. WebMD states, “If you're not getting the rainbow, you're probably not getting all the nutrients that you need.” Then, WebMD goes onto say, “If you really enjoy food, sit down and enjoy your meal. You're much more likely to feel psychologically satisfied if you don't multitask while you're eating.” This shows that being able to enjoy your food will allow you to eat less and stay healthier. WebMD also states, “When we're really hungry, our physiology kicks in and that's when we're craving the hamburger and fries; we're not craving a salad.” This shows that we should try to avoid eating out and eat more at home, even if our mind tries to tell us differently. Another smart thing to do, is to keep track of everything you eat in a day and all of its nutritional values. Finally, Very Well explains that it is a great idea to drink 8 ounces of water with every meal and to get a minimum of 64 ounces in a day. This shows how drinking fluids is a great way to keep yourself full and not want to eat more. Truly, eating healthy can be the difference between living healthy or poorly.
With all the important steps we must take for our body, it is also extremely important to be able to take control throughout the world. It begins with changing the types of commercials that are shown on television for fast food and restaurants, to eating healthier such as fruits and vegetables. In addition, we must take down billboards throughout cities, that try and bait us into eating at fast food restaurants instead of just going home and making a homemade meal. Also, being able to listen to our doctors about how we should make our lifestyle a healthier one is crucial. Finally, it’s pivotal that we understand how much benefits come from living healthy compared to living an unhealthy lifestyle. Hopefully, these changes are just right around the corner.
Without a doubt, living a healthier lifestyle means not worrying about as much diseases or illnesses you may develop or the amount of doctor visits you have to go to. Just a change by a few people each day, will start to make our world a much healthier place. When you make healthy choices they pay off in the end. Being able to stay away from alcohol, sleeping well, handling stress, exercising well, and eating well can make all the difference. If you are able to live healthier you are able to live happier.




Works Cited
2011-2016, (c) Copyright Skillsyouneed.com. "Dealing with Stress | Ten Tips." Dealing with Stress. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.
"Alcohol's Effects on the Body | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.
“Alcohol: If you drink, keep it moderate.” Mayo Clinic. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.
Feature, Miranda Hitti WebMD. "Healthy Living: 8 Steps to Take Today." WebMD. WebMD. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.
"There Are Simple Ways to Live a Healthier Lifestyle Right Now." Verywell. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.

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