AS the world battles the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the old saying that health is wealth has become important. True, before the now, there were cases of high blood pressure, and coughs, some of which are symptoms of the killer disease. In view of the foregoing, therefore, the need to take care of one’s body to prevent health problems.
One way to do is to adopt we call NEWSTART, an acronym for eight principles of healthy living, which are very easy to practise.
N stands for Nutrition: It is easy for one to neglect spending long hours cooking in the kitchen, and go for fast foods. Fast foods are not necessarily bad, but consuming them all the time with little or no attention paid to their nutrient value is what is harmful for the body. As hard as it may seem, having a well-balanced meal is still the best option for the body. A balanced diet does not require much more than you ensuring that your grains – oats, rice, etc. is balanced out with proteins like eggs, vegetables, nuts and fruits.
E for Exercise: Ever heard something like sitting around kills faster? Well, it is true. Research has shown that the longer time one spends sitting (not walking or moving around in between), the more one is exposed to health conditions, which can shorten one’s lifespan. Exercise is crucial for the average human. Exercise can be as simple as walking, going to the gym or jogging.
W for Water: drinking water is also key to a healthy lifestyle. One needs about eight glasses of water daily to keep him hydrated. Drinking enough water also has tons of benefits for everyone like improving skin health and beauty, maintaining blood pressure, ensuring healthy circulation of blood, regulating body temperature and so on.
S for Sunshine: Do you know that sunlight helps to improve one’s mood, prevent one from eating too much and may also elongate one’s life? These are just a few of the benefits one could get from going into the sun. Another major benefit is the stimulation of vitamin D in the body, needed for the absorption of calcium in the human body. A good way to get the best from the sun is walking early in the morning (maybe during exercise, going to work or somewhere) or in the evening.
T for Temperance: according to the Oxford dictionary, means ‘abstinence from alcoholic drink.’ It also means ‘the habit of not drinking alcohol because you believe it is dangerous or wrong’ Temperance is key to healthy living. Alcohol causes more damage to the body than good and this is one important reason to stay away from it.
A for Air: getting fresh air is also very good for the body. Unfortunately, the air conditioner does not provide the healthy fresh air that we need. Most times people do not get adequate air and their lifestyles do not help either. Today, most people live, ride in air conditioned cars and in the office, thereby spending the day without receiving fresh air. One should open the windows in the house for some fresh air and cross-ventilation.
R for Rest: Rest is required for a healthy living. Getting enough rest is very crucial for our overall well-being. One needs about nine hours of rest/sleep daily to recuperate all that was lost during the day.
T stands for Trust in God: after all said and done, we should trust God to direct our lives and give us grace to live healthy lives.
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