Oftentimes, we find ourselves looking up solutions to our health problems after the condition has already started to cause symptoms. While this retroactive approach is sometimes necessary to restore well-being, it is obviously not the ideal way of doing things. To avoid health problems and keep yourself in optimal shape at all times, you’ll want to take a more proactive approach by fine tuning various aspects of your diet and lifestyle. There’s an old saying that goes “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” With that in mind, here are four proactive steps you can start taking towards better health:
1. Assessing Dental Hygiene
You’ve probably heard that dental health issues can be linked to all sorts of other conditions. Aside from causing physical symptoms in the case of an abscessed tooth or gingivitis, unsightly teeth can hurt your confidence and cause social consequences that lead to depression – an emotion that has been linked to poor health in numerous studies. If you haven’t already, start by comparing dental plans and providers to add some professional assistance and stability to your dental hygiene routine.
2. Starting a Daily Exercise Routine
Physical activity has been proven to boost your immune system and increase overall well-being. As such, everyone should be incorporating a daily exercise routine into their proactive healthcare regimen. Of course, if you’re not in good shape it would be wise to consult with your physician about how much and what kind of exercise would be safe and appropriate based on your current condition. Even if you just start with a walk in the morning and the evenings, that’ll be one step in the right direction.
3. Practicing Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting has been shown to have a number of health benefits, as it gives your body time to heal and rejuvenate without expending energy on digestion. Drinking plenty of water during your fast will ensure that your body is in an ideal state for detoxification. Even fasting for half of one day out of each week can be beneficial. There are many ways to practice intermittent fasting, so be sure to do your research before deciding on a method that would be most suitable for your schedule.
4. Cutting Out the Bad Foods
Unfortunately, there are more “bad” foods at the grocery store than there are healthy products. Even many of the so-called health foods are in fact bad for you (i.e. – diet soda and artificial sweeteners). That doesn’t mean you have to be a fanatic about what you eat, it just means cutting out the blatantly unhealthy foods in favor of whole foods like fruits, vegetable, grains, and legumes.
Be Consistent and Keep Stress Low
In closing, remember that all of the steps above will only help if you stay consistent and practice them over prolonged periods of time. As a bonus tip, be sure to practice stress reduction and management techniques like meditation to keep your cortisol levels low, as high stress has been liked to a whole host of disorders and diseases.