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Staying Healthy

Jenny Richards looks at the benefits of maintaining personal health records and some tips on how to stay healthy.

In the polluted and often stressful environment of our lives, it is a significant task for people to stay healthy. While there are many simple tips for maintaining your health, there is no escaping the fact that at some time or the other, you will fall ill, meet with an accident, or otherwise face a medical emergency that will require medical attention. The attending medical practitioners must access your health records for the treatment to be fast and practical.

A personal health record accessible by your doctor can be a lifesaver. It will inform emergency medical personnel of all the facts about your prior and existing medical conditions that might affect your current treatment. This information includes current medications being taken, drug allergies, and contact details of your family doctor.

Personal Health Tip - Nutrition

Just as balanced nutrition is essential for staying healthy, a poor diet can lead to many physical ailments and mental illnesses.

What is proper nutrition? It varies from person to person and depends on gender, lifestyle, age, physical activity level, and the environment. One simple thing a person can do is avoid all sorts of processed foods, as they contain very high sodium and other chemicals.

It is wise not to consume fried foods or foods with high-fat content. Instead, consume healthy fats like nuts, seeds, and fruits like olives and avocados. A certain amount of butter is okay but stay away from lard.

Focus on reducing your sugar intake, especially from sweets, cakes, and beverages like tea or coffee. To curb your inadvertent intake of pesticides, antibiotics, and other harmful chemicals, try to consume organic foods, including free-range chicken and eggs.

Stay far away from recreational drugs and tobacco in any form. Alcohol consumption must be moderate. Eat a hearty breakfast to give your body the necessary energy.

Personal Health Tip - Exercise

The quantity and quality of sleep are fundamental to health. However, the importance of sleep is often ignored. Sleep disruption can occur due to stress, illness, excessive consumption of alcohol and rich foods, jet lag, the need to work at odd hours, or even being away from the comforting familiarity of the home environment.

Insufficient exercise may result in musculoskeletal disease and enhanced stress. Such illnesses significantly affect the patient and the national exchequer in terms of increased medical care expenses, with employers also suffering from lost man-days due to employee absences.

People should ensure that they exercise for at least 30 minutes five days a week. Walking, jogging, swimming, and cycling are great options to stay healthy and fit. Resistance training is the best technique to reduce weight and improve endurance and muscle strength.

Personal Health Tip - Sleep

The quantity and quality of sleep are fundamental to health. However, the importance of sleep is often ignored. Sleep disruption can occur due to stress, illness, excessive consumption of alcohol and rich foods, jet lag, the need to work at odd hours, or even being away from the comforting familiarity of the home environment.

Sleep should be part of your daily schedule for proper health, and you should get at least seven to eight hours of continuous sleep daily. To facilitate sleep, it is crucial to have an airy and comfortably cool bedroom and that the bed and pillow are not too soft.

To enjoy a good night's sleep, remember not to have a heavy meal or drink too much alcohol or caffeine before retiring. You must unwind by walking or undertaking a light exercise in the evening and follow it up with a warm bath.

Reading books is preferable to watching TV or playing console games. Relaxing music can help in aiding sleep.


Page Reference

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  • RICHARDS, J. (2015) Staying Healthy [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article190.htm [Accessed

About the Author

Jenny Richards enjoys surfing the internet and writing content on various topics, such as technology, music, sports events, etc.