Leading a healthy life has become fashionable, but the truth is that it is seriously, closely, and bindingly related to a lifestyle that includes the regular practice of physical activity, accompanied by healthy eating and good sleep in a healthy balance.
A well-balanced diet, physical activity, and adequate nighttime rest are effective in slowing down health problems when they are a regular part of the routine; the proper intake of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and proteins is essential for the normal functioning of the body and the organism.
The Value of a Balanced Diet
Following a balanced diet, that is, a balanced and varied diet to lead the healthiest life possible, should be part of this routine of healthy habits. This implies including most nutrients such as proteins, minerals like calcium, vitamins C and D, which are key for maintaining good muscular, bone, and joint health.
Maintaining a balanced diet involves establishing a series of habits, including setting and respecting appropriate meal times, proper hydration, and consuming a variety of foods in the correct portions and amounts. In short, a healthy diet is based on meeting the nutritional and caloric needs of each person according to their requirements and daily activity.
This means that a healthy and adequate diet should be personalized and tailored to the specific requirements of each individual; healthy eating habits include, as already mentioned, establishing meal times and strictly adhering to them, including different nutritional groups in the diet, as well as proper hydration.
Importance of Sleeping Well
It is interesting how sleep functions can also be regulated by following a nighttime rest routine that includes setting a time, a light dinner, a comfortable pajama, and favorable environmental conditions to naturally stimulate sleep until the body gets used to the fact that it is time to sleep.
Heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure rise and fall during the night, which is a very important process for cardiovascular health. Additionally, the body releases a series of hormones that help in cell repair.
There are many factors that can interrupt and affect sleep; stimulants such as caffeine or certain medications. Other physical agents like the noise from electronic devices or the light from televisions, uncontrolled use of cell phones, among others, can make it difficult to fall asleep.
A Matter of Habits
The construction of healthy habits is important, since otherwise there is a risk of health problems that can become chronic. It can be somewhat difficult and even challenging to change wrong habits that are already deeply ingrained, especially if they are behaviors that have been adopted for a long time. The best way to improve quality of life is to start creating the habit progressively rather than adhering to an entirely strict discipline.
Imbalances in Quality of Life
Malnutrition, overwork, and lack of physical exercise can result from both a deficit or excess of calories consumed, as well as an imbalance in the intake of different nutrients. A healthy diet is not governed solely by the number of calories it contains, but by the content of the foods and the needs of each individual.
A diet that does not meet each of the basic requirements can promote the onset of diseases of all kinds, which can be acute or chronic. A completely insufficient diet, that is, one that does not cover the daily caloric requirements that an individual demands, can cause malnutrition.
On the other hand, in case of a significant deficiency of any nutrient, associated pathologies could arise, such as anemia due to low consumption of iron-rich foods. Excessive caffeine intake affects sleep, and lack of exercise and sedentary lifestyle promote overweight.
Importance of Schedules
Referring to habits, and for a good understanding of the topic, it involves a series of repetitive ways of behaving day by day, aimed at building routines that help regulate daily activity in an orderly manner, denoting order and structure as well as greater physical and emotional security and stability (Hidalgo, 2007). Therefore, including appropriate routines and habits even from childhood helps to define appropriate behaviors in connection with educational strategies in space and time, through the repetition of actions and tasks (Cabría, 2012).
It is of utmost importance, then, for various authors and researchers in the field, the adoption of routine schemes not only for the proper education of the child, as a socializing factor and for the construction of learning, but also for the formation of appropriate behaviors from the structure. In summary, the design of routines and good habits starts with determining plans and schedules of voluntary but strict compliance that allow for proper ordering and structuring, framed within an adult's awareness of self-discipline.
Following a diet and rest schedules that respect both meal times and nighttime rest is of great importance, as it prevents periods of hunger and insomnia ranging from transient to chronic, which result in disorder and imbalance in health. The task is to ensure food intake every three to four hours, in portions that do not exceed the person's requirements, as well as sleep hours according to individual conditions.
The consumption of food during meal times is well recommended because it keeps the metabolism working continuously, which contributes to active movement of the body through the use of calories and nutrients provided, and thus maintains stable levels of blood sugar and cholesterol.
Routines have become an inherent part of current life, and indeed they are, since constructing them does not require extensive formal knowledge. Parents at home teach and set daily habits for their children from an early age, being significant figures who help develop affectionate, protective bonds and modeled behavior as authority figures within the dynamics of each of these family units. This means it is not so difficult; it only requires willpower and discipline.
Some Recommendations
Finally, to achieve a truly healthy and wholesome life that promotes good health, it is recommended first to set schedules and adhere to them. Regarding good nutrition, the ideal is to build a diet based on a careful selection of foods to consume. Maintaining a complete and sufficient diet is essential, one that includes all food groups and encourages the consumption of fruits, vegetables, lean meats and dairy, legumes, and whole grains.
We live in a modern society, where the trend towards leisure and sedentary lifestyle increases dangerously; it is very common to spend a lot of time sitting, even leisure hours are limited to watching television or video games, and in most cases working in front of a computer. Gradually, we have been neglecting activities that benefit our health such as dancing, walking, or doing any sports activity we enjoy. Choosing and dedicating time to physical activity provides great health benefits, even helping to sleep better when accompanied by a comfortable pajama. We invite you to visit our website El Búho Nocturno where we are sure you will find it.