how to be healthy essay

how to be healthy essay

The Ultimate Guide to Achieving and Maintaining Optimal Health

1. Introduction: Understanding the Importance of Health

Balance of life is the key to health. Each individual is different from the other and depends not only on anatomical and physiological inherent differences but also on natural and social environments. It is a belief that optimal health can only be reached through a balance among several aspects of human life, such as physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being, and several factors, such as nutrition and physical activity. All these several aspects finally compete in a general good feeling, with a personal sensation of complete well-being. Because happiness is such a key to health, and happiness is so subjective, health itself is a subjective arithmetic, unique to each person.

The concept of health has evolved over time to reflect an overall well-being of a person. Initially, health was equated to only the physical condition of a person, with diseases being the only factor that determined this dimension of a person. Later, when medical advancements prevented people from diseases, the concept of overall well-being was beginning to emerge, beyond the mere absence of diseases. Today, a general definition of health refers to a condition of optimal well-being: optimal functioning, reduced risk of diseases, lack of complaints, and a happy life. This implies a balance of several factors, which cannot be the same for each individual in a general way, but they need to be individualized, taking into account the uniqueness of each being and personal life, as well as physical abilities and limitations.

2. Section 1: Building a Foundation for Health

Sleep is another major key to health. A good night’s sleep is one of the most important factors for optimal health. As you sleep, your body repairs tissues, solidifies memories and releases the necessary hormones to reduce stress and help you cope with possible negative emotions. Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night; if you are not getting to that 7-hour mark, you’re taking a risk with your life. Find the courage to budget the appropriate amount of time for sleep. Look for beautiful, strong sleep habits, and don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor if you’re having trouble achieving a good night’s sleep.

Hydration is a major key to health. Water is the number one component in all of the cells in your body. Proper hydration assists in providing enough oxygen for your body to function at optimal levels. When your body has plenty of water, it can transport the necessary nutrients to your cells and assist in the removal of waste products from your body. Dehydration can cause severe health issues because when your body is dehydrated, it begins to look for water in places where it cannot find it, like in your bones. Look for water-rich foods to increase your hydration levels.

What does it take to build a strong, lasting house? It takes a strong foundation. Your body, like a house, needs a strong foundation in order to last the decades of your life. There are four key areas that make up a solid foundation, and each of them is important in maximizing your personal health. These areas are: hydration, sleep, food, and joy.

3. Section 2: Mental and Emotional Well-being

Mental and emotional well-being is linked to overall health. Physical health is mental health. The reverse is also true – as with physical health, mental illness is an enormous burden. Anxiety alone is an ‘invisible illness’ that results in many visits to doctors without anyone’s understanding why. To restore, maintain, or even strengthen mental and emotional well-being, you need to incorporate rest, enjoyment, and sleep into your daily schedule, as well as find time in nature. The next few chapters are designed to describe each one of these components of optimal health in more detail.

In addition to overall physical health, your mental and emotional well-being plays a crucial role in achieving optimal health. The fast pace and stressors of modern life have driven soaring rates of anxiety and depression. Even when time and money are spent on poor diet and lack of exercise, mental and emotional well-being is often overlooked. But the implications of ignoring them include decreased productivity, career failures, family problems, addiction, and even suicide. This makes them every bit as serious as heart disease and cancer, so maintaining optimal health isn’t complete unless it includes mental and emotional well-being.

4. Section 3: Preventive Health Measures

The fact is that many conditions which have long been accepted part of the aging process are in reality preventable, and one of the most significant achievements of modern medical science is to maintain or improve healthier human qualities. Cognitive decline and dementia are key examples of conditions that are theoretically preventable by converting to an active lifestyle and good nutrition. Data are clear about the extent of aging involved and on best practices to reduce dementia risk. Every individual is allowed to take full control of their mental health to improve and maintain optimal health. If you’ve been watching one of the masses of TV advertisements that market prescription medicine for conditions you’ve never heard of but which so desperately need a cure, maybe you’ve learned, as I have from time to time, to feel pretty bleak about yours.

The vitality of a proactive health and wellness approach is that a healthy lifestyle plays a much higher role than healthcare in terms of maintaining health or complication prevention. Rather than advancing from illness to health, the primary aim will be to promote health maintenance and illness avoidance. With a focus on early detection of developing illnesses, the healthcare system often focuses on prevention of long-term deterioration or damage. The truth is that many conditions that have traditionally been considered inevitable aspects of aging are in fact preventable, and that maintaining or growing healthier human capabilities is one of the most significant achievements of modern medical science. Cognitive decline and dementia are primary examples of illnesses that are theoretically preventable by changing to a dynamic lifestyle and a balanced diet.

5. Conclusion: The Journey to a Healthier You

As you move down your road to optimal health, take a moment to consider some final pointers on your travel. Take with an open heart and an open head as much from what health and fitness experts have to say as you can, and remember that those ideas and theories that really resonate with you should be integrated into your lifestyle, while others that are not quite as compatible with your personality or your schedule can be placed gently on the back burner for now. Topics like basic nutrition, safe exercise, prevention, nutrition that works, and stress management are covered in great detail, and developments and breakthroughs in research and medicine are shared with the intent of providing guidance and support, all in an effort to make your journey to supreme health a smooth and enjoyable ride. Thank you for joining in on the quest. Safe travels to you.

Congratulations – you’re now on the journey to achieving your optimum health. Take a moment to pause and reflect on the effort you’ve made so far. Not everyone is ready to take those first challenging steps, but already you have started to carve a path to a healthier you. That path will likely continue in seasons and stages. You may not always be able to be as rigorous or as structured in your exercise routine as you’d like, or maybe you don’t always make the healthiest food choices, or you don’t even have the most stress-busting techniques at your disposal. But you’ve started, and you’ve earned the rewards of better physical, emotional, and mental health by making the commitment to yourself. Your future health is worth the time and effort and whatever sacrifice you’ll have to make to guarantee yourself a full and rewarding life.