New Delhi: Good health requires good effort. It needs attention, preparation, sacrifice, compromise… a little bit of everything. But once you are convinced that this practice of good habit to maintain your personal wellbeing is one that could help you achieve your goals, there should be no stopping you. There’s a problem here, as highlighted by Sharanya, a college goer.. “There are just too many health guidelines doing the rounds. Some are workable, others are misleading. Which one should I make my health goal?” she queries.
Simple answer to this. Experts have this to say about goal setting (whatever category of goal you are eyeing). They say, first have a clear idea about what it is that you seek. Second, take small baby steps towards that ambition. Third, and most importantly have a plan B in case you find faults in Plan A as you progress down that path. This same can be applied while setting health and wellbeing goals.
1. Make your own objectives: Do you want to concentrate on what your body is telling you? Is it weight goals that you need to set, or just a goal that will remind you to eat well and healthy?
2. How do you reach these goals: Do you need to have tests in order to determine the future course of action? In that case fix an appointment with your GP at the earliest.
3. The plan B: If you have planned to take up the 30 minute exercise challenge every day but don’t seem to enjoy the activity… Is it possible to change this to something more enjoyable? A dance class perhaps?
Having some knowledge about how to set goals is the first part, identifying what they should be is more difficult.
What health goals do we all need
Here’s a doctor certified universal set of health rules that you must abide. It is the very basic that you need to address, can add to this list depending on your health complication and requirement. Go on, have fun creating it!
Limit white sugar and salt from the diet: White refined sugar is your body’s biggest enemy. So is salt which deposits itself in your blood stream causing problems for the heart and lungs. We have already spoken about the umpteen replacement options available in the market. Many have switched to honey or gur (jaggery) as a routine option. Salt in food can easily be regulated by adding potatoes into the dish.
Eating in moderation: This is another health bible one must swear by. According to Dr Anoop Mishra, an endocrinologist, “always make it a point to eat till you are half full and not completely so. This is so that you give enough space for the digestive juices to flow and your body to feel active even after meals. The other important part of not feeling bloated or too full after meals is to not have water during food. Can have it a little later, but avoid water at meals.
Have enough water daily: There is a subtle difference between dehydration and silent dehydration. In the latter, you may not even know that your body needs water. By the time the signs are there you are too dehydrated. Ensure you have the required 2 litres of water every day so that your body is adequately hydrated before you start your day.
DOSE for mental health: Doctors say Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphins are as essential as other nutrients. These are chemical transmitters but you have a lot of say in the release and production of such chemicals. Remember if you feed your brain well, it will repay with dividends
Ditch the lazy life: Sedentary lifestyle is the main reason behind most of the diseases that we have faced. It is not so difficult to opt for an active life. The trick is to opt for activities that you genuinely enjoy, or by making your routine life very active. Instead of ordering groceries, why not make it a Sunday walk down the supermarket aisle?
As mentioned earlier these are only a few basic healthcare guidelines that one must adhere to. The list can be exhaustive once you get around to doing these. However, one needs to start from somewhere and this could be it.
Weekends, especially Sundays are busy days for everyone when they plan to finish chores, get ready for the next week and plan for the month in advance. However, it is also a good day for us to sit back and reclaim our own personal health goals. If you haven’t set them yet, we have you covered… Health Conditions Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
