Understanding Health: A Holistic Perspective
The human body, as a biological organism, is composed entirely of diverse cell types. The ability to protect itself from external threats and maintain internal stability without abnormalities is what we define as health.
Health is broadly categorized into physical and mental well-being:
Physical Health
Physical health refers to the proper functioning and maintenance of body organs, muscles, and systems. Any decline in these functions may lead to illness, which necessitates appropriate medical intervention. Physical health is also influenced by genetic factors, including inherited immunity and predisposition to certain conditions.
Three pillars are essential to sustaining good physical health:
- A balanced diet
- Adequate rest
- Regular physical activity
These elements not only reduce the risk of chronic illnesses but also promote overall vitality and longevity.
Mental Health
Mental health involves the balance of emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It impacts how individuals think, feel, and act. Good mental health enhances one’s ability to handle stress, adapt to adversity, enjoy life, and build meaningful relationships.
A decline in mental health can directly influence physical health, leading to a cycle of reduced well-being. Thus, maintaining mental health is equally crucial.
Tips to Foster Holistic Health
One often overlooked but highly significant aspect of health is self-esteem. According to multiple research studies, a positive self-image ranks among the most influential factors in maintaining good overall health.
Having a good opinion of oneself includes:
- Accepting yourself as you are
- Being assertive and respectful
- Cultivating supportive relationships
- Engaging in enjoyable and meaningful activities
- Letting go of past regrets and anxieties
Believing in yourself, appreciating your worth, and maintaining a positive outlook not only boost mental health but also empower you to face life’s challenges with resilience.
Exercise
Exercises are physical activities structured to keep you healthy. Exercises help to drive away cardiac problems, low blood circulations, low appetite etc. Undesirable changes in the health of the body can be eradicated by having regular exercise, but the unfortunate part of it is its slow recovery. Of course, medications can reduce the risk of the diseases, but having regular exercise would drive away the diseases before it gets hold of you.
Sleep
Sleep is a refreshing exercise very much required to maintain good mental and physical health. A good sleep should be from 7 to 9 hours which refreshes your thought and the body parts preparing you to work the next day. Moreover, a healthy sleep provides clear thinking, good memory, good immunity and it should not have a long duration of wake ups. Additionally, insufficient sleep can also cause heart disease, heart attacks, headaches, obesity etc. . If you have trouble in sleeping, avoid caffeine in night and also change your pillow .
Have fun
Having fun would make your laugh and enjoy during which blood transportation is fast providing good oxygen content to the cells and thus rejuvenating it. Moreover, it plays a crucial role in reducing stress and boosting up your energy, memory, and concentration. Biking, fishing, hiking, swimming, canoeing, taking yoga classes are all different funny activities. Have you had the experience of trampoline jumping which is very fun loving activity that could do with your friends and family. Jumping on trampoline also provide some health benefits such weight loss, strengthen bone, improve balance and coordination and don’t forget that it is a fun form of exercise. Having fun either with your family members or your friends would cause you to forget the bad and negative incidents of the past.
Early to bed
It is one of the healthy practices that a growing child should follow; not only children, adults, and youngsters can follow to get better health results. Early to bed would make you wake up early without any deprivation of adequate sleep. Moreover, seeing the rising sun after a long rest with a fresh mind would stir your positive thoughts to do something worth in that day. Also, persons who are early to bed would be more productive during the day with low risk for various diseases.
Crossword puzzle
A crossword puzzle is a grid of squares in which one has to fill up the words horizontally or vertically with the clues provided. This puzzle would make your concentrate only on that topic and search for a particular word thus increasing your verbal skills also.
Moreover, working crossword puzzles would reduce stress and minimize the buildup of toxic proteins in the brain, reducing the risk to Alzheimer’s disease. Also, crossword puzzles teach deep engagement in an activity of a person.
Healthy drink
As we know drinking is not a good habit for health, only if alcohol is consumed beyond a limit. Moreover, lower alcohol consumption provides, a better sensitivity of insulin for blood clotting, reduces blocks in the heart and the brain. Also, it can lengthen your life and increase your libido power only if it is consumed in a limit. Remember, excess consumption would damage your liver and women are more prone to liver damage even with little amount of alcohol compared to men. So, make sure you limit your drink.
Avoid mindless eating
Some people have a peculiar habit of eating whenever they become overwhelmed with anger, hunger and bored. Eating mindlessly, without paying attention to health would cause severe issues like heart blocks, cholesterol, diabetes etc. This kind of emotional appetite would make you lazy and make you feel sleepy building abnormal fat inside your body which would eventually lead you to a gastric bypass surgery to limit your consumption.
Don’t sit for a long time
We know that it is very much soothing to sit comparing to standing for a long time. But sitting for a long time would also cause numbness at your back which is caused by the reduced blood flow to those muscles. Moreover, it causes severe low back pain, cardiovascular diseases etc. People whose job include sitting as a part of their career are advised to stand up every hour to refresh yourself and to relieve your eyes from strain.
Less salt
Salt chemically means sodium chloride which when added to the food excessively causes trouble to our health. Sodium needs excess water for its dilution which drawn from the surrounding cells into the bloodstream. This increases the volume of the blood which results in high blood pressure, stroke, and heart failure. So, it is highly recommended that people with diabetes and elevated blood pressure should take minimum salt in their food.
RD Neha Kava
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