How to lead a healthy lifestyle [Top 20 tips for everyday living ]

healthy lifestyle habits, healthy lifestyle examples and steps to a healthy lifestyle is the secret of happy mind and healthy life. Health is a vast concept which goes beyond the absence of disease. The WHO (World Health Organization) defines it as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. There are many factors that influence healthy lifestyles. These top 20 tips for a healthy lifestyle will help you achieve it.

The importance of personal well-being in the society has led more people to wonder how to lead a healthy life. Food is the key to healthiness, but it is not the only thing to consider to achieve the best possible health. Physical exercise, rest, emotional well-being and good habits also matter for a healthy lifestyle.

How to follow simple health tips for everyday living

Food has a fundamental weight in our advice for a healthy life.

1. Base your diet on plant-based foods

Fruits, vegetables, cereals, pulses, tubers, mushrooms and other vegetables are part of the Mediterranean diet and, therefore, must be part of a balanced diet.

2. Sign up for the motto “5 a day”

Consume 5 servings of fruit and vegetables daily, preferably 3 of fruit and 2 of vegetables. A serving of fruit or vegetables is equivalent to about 140-150 grams.

This figure is not a maximum; it is a minimum. The more fruits and vegetables you consume, the better for your health.

3. One of the servings of fruit and vegetables, which is raw

Consuming raw, whenever possible, is the best way to ensure the use of nutrients in fruits and vegetables.

4. Add pulses to your diet

Pulses are a good source of protein, and therefore an alternative to foods of animal origin. Pulses should appear in your diet at least 3 times a week

5. Reduce meat consumption

Do not exceed 3 or 4 servings of meat a week and consume, whenever possible, white and lean meats such as chicken, rabbit or turkey. 

6. Cook more

Start cooking with fresh and healthy food

7. Cook with little fat, and make it olive oil

Use the pot, the steamer or the oven to cook. Leave the fried ones for special occasions and bet on the other cooking techniques, much lighter.  Use extra virgin olive oil both for seasoning and cooking in all cases.

8. Buy seasonal product

Find out in your store or regular market about what foods are in season: they taste better and are cheaper.

9. Look for proximity products

Probably the foods that have travelled less kilometres to get from their place of origin to the supermarket are tastier and better preserve their properties.

In addition, we help promote varieties of traditional and local foods. 

10. Hydrate yourself

Drinking enough water to stay hydrated is essential to leading a healthy life. Drink water at all meals and between meals, when you feel thirsty. 

11. Look for the “energy balance”

Find the balance between the energy you take in and the energy you use. Food is very directly related to other aspects of your lifestyle, for example, physical exercise.

How much physical activity is good for health

12. Practice between 30 and 60 minutes a day of moderate physical exercise

Physical exercise is never lacking in general advice on how to lead a healthy life . It is as fundamental as food. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of chronic diseases and is associated with greater general well-being.

Walking, doing housework, climbing stairs are also forms of exercise that complement more intense physical activities such as running, swimming or cycling.

13. Do not spend more than 2 hours on the sofa in front of the television

This advice can be extrapolated to any sedentary activity. A sedentary lifestyle is one of the great enemies of a healthy lifestyle.

14. Practice meditation, relaxation and stretching exercises

This type of low intensity physical activity, combined with moderate exercise, also contributes to emotional balance, adequate rest and, ultimately, to leading a healthy life.

How to improve emotional wellness

15. Take a positive attitude and enjoy the things you like

The attitude is basic to improve your quality of life and your health. Learn to develop your strengths and increase positive affect. This will control stress and improve your well-being.

16. Take care of social relationships

They are a fundamental aspect for health and for healthy aging.

What is healthy life? Broadly speaking, it is the sum of a healthy diet, the practice of physical exercise and a correct rest.

Rest

17. Sleep 8 hours a day

Adequate rest is essential for health. Poor or poor sleep affects the immune and cognitive systems. To enjoy a good rest, always try to go to bed at the same time and in a quiet and undisturbed environment.

These Healthy Habits are worth adopting into your life

18. Avoid tobacco and alcohol

The toxins present in tobacco, alcohol and in the atmosphere of some cities are one of the enemies of public health.

19. Maintain proper hygiene

Although taken for granted in society, good hygiene is the basis for avoiding health problems. The concept of hygiene not only refers to the grooming and cleaning of the body, but also affects the domestic environment and in the kitchen.

20. Sunbathe in moderation

Opening the window and exposing a part of the body to radiation, such as the face or neckline, is enough. Sunbathing helps to synthesize vitamin D, improves sleep quality and mood.