These days, maintaining your health and fitness is regarded as one of the hardest challenges and many people frequently complain about having little time for activities linked to their health and fitness due to the fast-paced metropolitan lifestyle. Social media, fast food, unhealthy eating habits, digital devices, work and socializing are frequently seen to eat up a significant portion of our daily lives and make it difficult to maintain a healthy weight.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Sameer Bhati, Public Health Expert and Director of Star Imaging and Path Lab, suggested the following important tips to stay healthy and fit:
1. Refuel yourself with a healthy breakfast – The morning meal must be healthy and nutritious because it charges you for a wonderful day ahead. It refills the blood sugar (glucose) in the body giving the energy necessary to start a new day which is good for physical as well as mental health. It will help to have better concentration, problem-solving skills and an active life. Skipping the breakfast is the worst idea as it can make you more susceptible to weight gain and increase your risk for heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. So, make your day with a healthy and balanced breakfast having nutritious options like milk, yogurt, oats, almonds etc.
2. Colour your plate with fruits and veggies – Fruits and veggies are the best sources of essential vitamins and minerals. Having unique taste and interesting flavours, these low calorie dietary foods creatively fill your stomach with lots and lots of fiber helping you in weight management too. They are immunity boosters and can even help you decrease inflammation, lower cholesterol levels and control blood pressure.
3. Focus on dos and don’ts – Develop a sensible meal routine to plan your meal wisely and choose healthy options like protein bars, makhanas, bajra puffs etc. at grocery shopping. Avoid bad eating habits like stress eating, over consumption of sugar and salt, munching processed foods or enjoying a junk food treat. Limit your caffeine intake and hydrate yourself with healthy options like water, lime juice, coconut water, smoothies, milk and not soft drinks as it will increase calories leading to other health issues.
4. Activate your fitness through physical activities – Physical activities are crucial for healthy metabolism, improve sleep cycle and promote blood flow delaying signs of aging. A 15-minute-morning walk, a half-hour-yoga session or a one-hour-gym-routine and a walk after your meal specially dinner has the power to improve your mood and decrease feelings of depression, anxiety and stress. It will make you more active and save from countless number of diseases.
5. Keep a check on your Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 levels – Being common in many people, Deficiency of Vitamin D3 and Vitamin B12 is seen as a Silent Epidemic nowadays. It is very alarming as it has a direct impact on one’s brain, bone and hormonal health. Preventive health check-up will help you to know your numbers. For deficiency of these vitamins, you may spend some time from your morning routine in sunlight, have mushrooms, milk and dairy products and take supplements with doctor’s advice.
Bringing her expertise to the same, Dr Aruna Kalra, Senior Gynaecologist and Obstetrician at CK Birla Hospital in Gurugram, added some pointers to help you get closer to accomplishing your health and fitness objectives by just adhering to them every day:
1. Healthy Eating – Try to fill your plate with a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. Make sure you develop the practice of eating a balanced, healthy diet. You must carefully arrange your meals as well. You can create your own want to go slowly on yourself. With the intention of leading a healthy and active food calendar and schedule meal times. Choose an eating strategy that still includes some of our favorite foods but avoids overeating.
2. Staying hydrated – For optimum health, proper hydration is essential. Due to their ability to boost performance, minimize fatigue and exhaustion, aid in digestion, and reduce muscle soreness, electrolytes are essential for sustaining fitness. Dehydration in the body is linked to a number of health problems.
3. Exercising regularly – One of the best things you can do for a change towards health and fitness is to get your body moving. While exercising, you might lifestyle, start with modest exercise. You can choose simple at-home workouts like planks, squats, lunges, etc. if you don’t have time to join a gym, yoga, or Zumba studio. Cardio can be very beneficial. To begin with, you might jog in the morning or evening or even consider using the stairs. Make sure you exercise for 30 to 40 minutes every day.
4. Having proper sleep – Due to travel or working hours, many people compromise on their sleep schedules. These simply make you more physically stressed, which makes you more susceptible to illness and exhaustion. Nothing is more enjoyable than a peaceful night’s sleep.
5. Going for regular check-ups – Being knowledgeable is beneficial. This proverb also applies to your health. You can stay informed about the development of your body and systems throughout time with regular and timely checkups. Finding any underlying problems that might be problematic is also beneficial. A timely diagnosis might potentially save your life as well as medical expenses.