Life is beautiful, but it’s a lot more beautiful when you’re healthy. If you want to enjoy a long and happy life and experience this world’s joys to the fullest, then you’ll want to take care of your body and your mind. Here are a few ways to do that.
Healthy in, healthy out
When it comes to staying healthy, few things matter more than what you put into your body. If you eat right, choose the right supplements, and avoid things that are bad for you, then you’ll get a lot more out of life.
Let’s start with the obvious: You should be eating right. Maintaining a healthy diet doesn’t have to be complicated. Instead of counting every macronutrient and micronutrient you put in your body, just look at the big picture. Eat a colorful variety of vegetables and fruits. Add other whole foods, like meats, to your plant-based diet, and you should be just fine.
Supplements and medications matter, too. Choose a smart variety of healthy supplements to improve your life. A multivitamin is a good place to start, but don’t stop there. Fish oil can give you better heart health. Fiber can make your digestive tract more reliable. And then there’s CBD, which is all the rage right now.
CBD can help your health in various ways, explain the experts at Pure for Life. Perhaps its most widely known and appreciated effect is the lowering of stress and anxiety levels. CBD fans say that they feel more laid-back when they take a daily dose of CBD, which is non-psychoactive, perfectly legal, and perfectly safe.
As important as what you put into your body is what you don’t put into it. Avoid hard drugs, and be very careful about alcohol. Some studies suggest that alcohol may be good for us in moderation, but others disagree, and virtually all experts agree that alcohol is bad for us when we don’t moderate our intake.
Stay active while avoiding injury
You likely know that you should exercise if you want to stay healthy. Experts recommend that we get at least a half-hour of exercise a day, at least five days per week. Are you meeting this standard?
Being active keeps your heart healthy, strengthens your muscles, and helps you burn fat. To be clear, it’s hard to exercise so much that you can make up for an unhealthy diet (and even if you do, you could end up being skinny and unhealthy at the same time). No amount of exercise is a substitute for healthy eating. But it’s also true that eating well does not mean that you don’t have to exercise.
You should get out there and get moving. Don’t hurt yourself; build up your exercise habits bit by bit, and consider low-impact exercises like swimming if you’re worried that things like running and jumping will be tough on your knees and other joints.
Have — and use — health insurance
Health insurance is a tricky issue these days. But no matter what your perspective on policy and politics may be, it’s clear that having health insurance is a good thing for your health — as long as you use it.
So make some time to figure out your health insurance needs. If you’re employed, you’ll most likely get health insurance through your employer — the United States has an employer-based health care system. If you’ve reached retirement age, you could be eligible for Medicare, the federal- government-sponsored health insurance program for older Americans (and select other groups). You can find Medicare quotes online, and many sites will help you narrow down your choices and get recommendations. Similarly, you can use internet tools to find the right health care solution for you on the health insurance exchanges that offer individual plans outside of the employer-sponsored norm.
Once you have health insurance, use it. Your health insurance will almost certainly make it much more affordable for you to visit your primary care provider for checkups. Checkups help everyone — you’ll catch health issues earlier, giving you better outcomes and saving you (and your health insurance company) money. Health insurance companies recognize that this is a win-win, so they’ll help you stay healthy by keeping costs for preventive care low. Be smart, and take advantage of this.
If you visit your primary care provider regularly and do what you can to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you’ll be more likely to live a long, happy, and healthy life. Be the best you that you can be.
