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Staying healthy takes a lot of time and effort this day and age. Every man needs to have a well-crafted plan to maintain his health because prevention is the best possible medical tool we have at our disposal. This plan must feature a series of lifestyle guidelines that people can adhere to in the long term. Taking up more positive habits and renouncing the bad ones is the baseline of a healthy life and we guarantee that the effects will not disappoint. We have made a list of the eight most important principles that every man should include in his long-term plan for a healthier life to give you a few palpable examples of the things you should take into consideration.
1. A Healthy Well-Balanced Diet
A healthy diet is the key to a better life. Ultimately, we truly are what we eat, which means that controlling what we put in will actually have a notable effect on what we get in the short, as well as the long term. Surviving in this fast-paced society often leaves us with no time to plan our meals and cook healthy dishes. And it is all too easy to fall prey to a very damaging diet that mainly consists of fast food and sweets.
We assure you that making an effort to improve your dietary habits will make you feel significantly better. The ideal scenario is to renounce fried fatty foods and sugars completely, but adhering to this ideal requires an adaptation process. We recommend you try to reduce your intake of highly processed foods, rather than eliminate these completely, because this is a much more achievable goal.
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Moreover, the occasional treat might work magic for stress relief, so keep a chocolate reserve for those murky days! Your results depend on what you choose to eat most of the time and they will not disappear if you have a treat every once in a while. So replace some of the carbs and the sugars with fibers and vitamins and you will be healthier for it.
2. Regular Exercise
Long work hours and overbooked agendas are an integrated part of our busy lifestyles. This often leaves us with no time to exercise and predisposes us to a sedentary lifestyle. This type of routine then generates an overwhelming vicious cycle that exposes us to some very serious long-term consequences, such as obesity, diabetes, chronic cardiologic conditions, severe exhaustion, depression, and cancer.
The less we exercise, the more tired we feel day by day. Breaking this disastrous cycle requires determination and effort, so our recommendation is to try a test run. Exercise any way you feel comfortable every day for one week. Then, at the end of week, look back and analyze how your general mood and energy level have changed. We can promise that one week is more than enough for you to be entirely convinced that exercising can make a difference in your life.
If you’re interested in getting started on running every day, it would be wise to consult a doctor first. And study up on HOW to run in the first place. Even though our bodies were designed to be able to run for long distances, most Americans’ sedentary lifestyle turns alot of those running muscles into mush after awhile. The second piece of advice that you’ll hear about running is getting the proper running shoes for your feet and running style. You’ll want to get your gait analyzed at your local running store; it’s free and will really help you when getting a pair.
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While any type of exercise is beneficial, the single most important type is cardio because it straightens your resistance to effort and it actively makes your heart stronger. Cardio exercises include routines of low- to mid-level difficulty, carried out for an extended amount of time, such as running or cycling. These will reduce the fatty deposits around your heart, as well as those clogging your arteries, so run every day for a healthier body and a healthier mind.
3. Regular Medical Check-Ups
This is yet another guideline that every man should include in his plan because it is one of the central disease prevention techniques. We recommend you contact your General Practitioner (GP) and get a full check-up every six months just to make sure that everything is in proper shape. Your GP will then refer you to a specialist if you should need targeted medical attention.
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Another important recommendation we would like to make is that you get a complete cardiology check-up every single year. The early symptoms of heart disease are all too easy to miss because we tend to consider fatigue an integrated part of our lives. Regular cardiologic examinations may lead to the timely diagnosis of issues that could develop into chronic conditions.
4. Rest and Relaxation
Working your way towards a successful career will undoubtedly leave you with little or no free time. While it may be tempting to go the extra mile for every single task, remember that R&R has its benefits. You need to include relaxing activities into your daily schedule because this will give your body the chance to recharge its batteries and relieve some of that toxic stress.
5. Sleep Management
An adult should get at least seven hours of sleep every night to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This is the main rule you should keep in mind when organizing your schedule to make sure that you get a good night’s rest. Long-term sleep deprivation can lead to exhaustion, depression, and chronic heart disease, so think twice before overloading your schedule and take a nap every once in a while because it can do miracles for your health.
6. Stress Management and Psychological Health
Stress is one of the leading factors that predispose us to a virtually endless list of chronic diseases. This is why you need to address your shortcomings in an active way and let all that anxiety go before it gets the chance to clog your life. If you ever feel that life is getting to difficult to handle, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. A psychologist can help you get through your most difficult moments and make you realize that you are perfectly able to make a difference in your life simply by changing your perspective.
7. Minimizing Vices
Smoking and long-term alcohol use will pave your way to chronic heart disease, liver disease, and cancer. A smoking cessation program should be at the top of your list because this is one habit for which the damages dramatically outweigh the benefits. While it is almost impossible to renounce all vices, keeping them to a minimum will actively improve your life.
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8. Dental Health
Dental health is commonly underestimated in modern society. Your main aim should be to have healthy teeth, rather than white ones because dental diseases can lead to acute or chronic systemic conditions. For example, root canal infections can lead to myocarditis if left untreated and periodontitis can predispose patients to heart attacks, strokes, and respiratory diseases. This is why we strongly advise you to include regular dental check-ups in your routine. A healthy smile will keep you happier on the long-term!
We hope our list has given you a few ideas of the changes you need to make in your life and the main points you should include in your plan. Remember that your full plan should reflect your specific needs, but these eight points are guaranteed to lead you to a healthier and happier life.