When we fall ill, most of us may realize that we haven't done enough to maintain our body's health, so we can get sick. In fact, maintaining a healthy body is important so that we can carry out our activities optimally. Especially during a pandemic, maintaining a healthy body demands attention and effort that is many times greater than before.
The proper way to maintain body health basically focuses on providing the body with what it really needs and preventing it from things that risk damaging its function.
Maintaining a healthy body doesn't mean it always has to be expensive. Are you curious about what we can do to always maintain our health? Check out the right way to maintain body health here!
1. Set a bedtime
The easiest and most often forgotten way to maintain health is to set sleeping hours or rest time. It seems trivial so many people misinterpret the correct need for sleep.
So far, the advice that we have probably heard a lot is to sleep at least 8 hours a day. However, does 8 hours of sleep really mean that we can sleep at any time as long as we meet the 8 hours? Is staying up until dawn then replacing it with up to 8 hours of sleep the same quality as sleeping all night?
Staying up late or awake all night and then changing to sleep during the day will damage the body's cycle. The impact can be serious on health. Someone who doesn't get enough sleep or whose sleep cycle is disrupted has a higher risk of suffering from hypertension, stroke, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.
To maintain your health, start building a disciplined sleep schedule. Limit your maximum wakefulness to 10 p.m. and get into the habit of waking up in the morning before the sun rises. That way, the body system returns to its natural pattern which is certainly healthier.
2. Reduce sugar intake
Sugar is a source of disease that is often not realized. Excessive sugar consumption can trigger various diseases ranging from obesity, diabetes, impaired kidney and liver function, to mental health. The Indonesian Ministry of Health recommends that we limit sugar consumption to a maximum of 50 grams per day or the equivalent of 4 tablespoons. Meanwhile, the American Heart Association limits it to a maximum of 9 teaspoons per day or 150 calories for men and 6 teaspoons or 100 calories for women.
The problem is, sugar has a thousand faces, not just granulated sugar which is often used to sweeten food. Sugar is also contained in fruit and processed foods such as bottled sauces, corn sugar, white rice, honey and malt. Apart from that, all substances called fructose, lactose, glucose, maltose, sucrose and dextrose also contain sugar.
To maintain body health in the long term, we need to change our diet by reducing sugar intake. One easy way is to increase vegetable consumption, reduce flour consumption, and gradually reduce sugar in our regular cooking or drinks.
3. Go for a walk
The body needs to exercise regularly to maintain better health. No need to bother looking for what sport. We can get used to exercising by walking regularly for at least 15-30 minutes per day. Easy and cheap!
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Gigesive & Kidney Disease, getting used to walking at around 6 kilometers per hour with a travel time of 30 minutes can reduce our risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes.
Not only that, regular walking can help us avoid the risk of pancreatic cancer, osteoporosis, stroke, heart attack, reduce the risk of Alzheimer's, and so on.
4. Manage Stress
Health can be disrupted if we are frequently exposed to stress. When stress occurs, the body will produce the hormones cortisol and adrenaline which will trigger an increase in heart rate, dilation of blood vessels in the arms and legs, blood glucose levels increase, and breathing becomes faster. For those who have asthma complaints, rapid breathing can trigger panic attacks. In addition, chronic stress will increase the risk of hypertension, heart attack and stroke.
We can manage this stress by recognizing triggers that often trigger stress in us. For example, we often get stressed because we read social media timelines full of bad news and annoying chatter. The solution, we can reduce checking social media, start meditating or exercising to stimulate anti-stress hormones.
5. Complete Insurance Protection
One important factor that greatly influences a person's health condition is peace of mind. A calm mind will avoid stress and we can be more conscious about living our days, including choosing healthy food and productive activities.
Well, one of the things that will really help someone's peace of mind is financial conditions
