We are very much aware that certain lifestyles are bad for us. For example, we know smoking is bad, sitting at a desk for eight hours straight is not a good idea. Perhaps, a less familiar notion is that your lifestyle can actually be your medicine.
Right lifestyle is not just about avoiding bad habits. It’s also about adopting new habits that can actually improve your wellbeing. In this article learn how to make diseases disappear with lifestyle and nutrition as first-line medicine.
Holistic Outlook Towards Treating Diseases
The simple fact is that the body doesn’t work as simplistic and reductionist like its textbook definition. It is a highly evolved biological mechanism that is completely interconnected.
For instance, if a patient is suffering from depression, then a textbook analysis tells us that it is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and they are ultimately prescribed anti-depressant medications.
On the contrary, depression could just as easily be driven by poor diet, high stress levels, lack of physical activity or even a combination of all three. So, the treatment should address its root cause than just managing its symptoms.
The body is so connected that relatively distant parts affect each other and the cause of a particular disease might not seem obviously immediately. That is why it is important to identify the root causes to make them disappear.
According to an acclaimed international doctor Dr. Rangan Chatterjee “ the future of medicine should evolve with more doctors being super generalists than super specialists”.
Make Diseases Disappear with Lifestyle and Nutrition
A poor lifestyle can be the cause of a certain disease. But, also be aware that a change in lifestyle can also be the treatment at the same time. Here is an actionable plan with a multi-pronged approach to strengthen the four key elements of your lifestyle:
1. Relax
Modern life is stressful with erratic work schedules, looking after children and caring for the elderly. Today, relaxation is more important than ever. Below are five ways how you can achieve relaxation:
- Time for Yourselves Every Day – Seek out me-time for a small amount of time every day to help you unwind and de-stress
- Weekly Screen-Free Time – We all love our gadgets, but don’t get too hooked to it. Have some dedicated hours during the week where you go completely go gadget-free
- Keep a Gratitude Journal – Being so pre-occupied with life, often we forget to count our blessings and express gratitude for the same
- Daily Practice of Stillness – Spend some time thinking about nothing and nothing at all. Just reflect on yourself. This can evolve a meditation routine , Yoga Nidra or taking a small nature walk.
- Eat One Meal A Day Around a Table With Family Without Devices – A daily ritual of having supper with your loved ones, just talking to them and eating your favorite meals is a great stress buster
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Eat
What on earth should I eat to be healthy? Healthy eating starts with you and you don’t have to rely on fad diets for the same. Find an eating habit that works for you and include the following principles no matter what your dietary preference is.
- Break-up with Sugar and Re-train Your Taste Buds – Sugar is addictive and as you take in more processed food with refined sugar it keeps you going for more. So, stay away from sugar and you no longer will crave for it
- Eat Five Different Vegetables Every Day – Vegetables should be a prime part of your diet every single day since that is where you get your share of healthy nutrients
- Consume Food Within a Twelve-Hour Window – Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen and dinner like a pauper. This will help you to indulge in micro-fasts or intermittent fasting to get more of your fat stores burning
- Drink Eight Glasses of Water Per Day – Drink more water and hydrate yourself how much ever you can
- Unprocess Your Diet by Avoiding Food Product that Contains More than Five Ingredients – A simple and warm home-cooked meal is the way to go. It contains lesser ingredients than the processed store-bought ones.
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Move
No need to dress up in special clothes and hit the gym to get your share of physical activity. These simple and fun strategies will enable you to get more movement in your everyday lives:
- Walk at least 10,000 Steps Per Day – Walk to the supermarket, use public transport, climb the stairs and do whatever it takes to get more movement in your life
- Do a Form of High-Intensity Interval Training Twice a Week – Periods of high intensity with periods of slow intensity can be practiced with any workout you choose – walking, running and simple exercises. This will help you push further and burn more calories
- Strength-Training Twice a Week – From Yoga to Aerobics, Planks and Cardio routines, exercise those muscles to keep them healthy for a long time
- Movement Snacking – The idea of snacking movement in between your day is a simple way to get fit. From a deep squat, while you brush your teeth or balanced walking, you can do short bouts of physical movement for an active lifestyle
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Sleep
Many of us fail to get a full rejuvenating dose of night sleep. Deep sleep helps your brain and body revitalize to a great extent. Here’s what you can do to induce better quality sleep time:
- Create an Environment of Absolute Darkness – Shut off from devices well in advance before your sleep and ensure you don’t have too much bright light shining on you
- Morning Sunshine – Spending a few minutes in the morning outside can help you sleep better in the night
- Create a Bedtime Routine – Your body likes routine and it is a natural way of telling it to unwind and sleep better
- Manage your Commotion – Keep away from distractions and plan your activities accordingly so that you can quality sleep time more than quantity
- Caffeine Before Noon – Caffeine does more harm than good and induces your body to a wakeful state
Make small and achievable changes in the above four key elements of your lifestyle to make diseases disappear. What matters the most is finding the right balance across all the things you do.