Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity*
Now more than ever, we are becoming more mindful of our health choices, and what we put into our bodies.
By making adjustments to our lifestyle, we can give ourselves the best chance of good health, and increase our resistance to illness
Looking at our main areas of health - diet, sleep, exercise, stress - here are some suggestions and links to lots of further information, to help you get well and stay well
As the gut is the home to around 70% of our immune system, it is essential that we look after it, to maintain the trillions of good bacteria keeping us healthy.
Some things we can do to help ourselves;
Eat a wide range of plant-based foods such as fruit, vegetables, pulses, nuts, and wholegrains. This will also help give us the fibre we need
www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/what_should_you_eat_for_a_healthy_gut
Eat foods rich in probiotics, such as live yogurt, kimchi, sourdough, kefir, kombucha
www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/top-probiotic-foods
Drink plenty of water – it doesn’t just quench our thirst, water helps flush out waste and toxins from the body, regulate body temperature and helps brain function
www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/why-is-water-important
Avoid processed foods - click the link to see which foods will benefit our health
www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/what_should_you_eat_for_a_healthy_gut
Vitamins and minerals – See the NHS website for the recommended daily allowance for vitamins
www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-c/
Sleep is as important to our health as eating, drinking and breathing.
It allows our bodies to repair, and our brains to consolidate our memories and process information.
Poor sleep is linked to physical problems such as a weakened immune system and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
Click link for Sleep Matters: The impact of sleep on health and wellbeing
www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publication-download/sleep-report
Some suggestions on helping you get to sleep
www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/how-to-get-to-sleep/
Get to sleep and stay asleep – an app to help you build your own sleep programme
www.sleepio.com
An app to help improve sleep, reduce stress and anxiety
www.calm.com
A podcast with a selection of gentle stories to help the mind relax and fall into sleep
www.nothingmuchhappens.com
Exercise is important for mind as well as body.
Research shows that physical activity can boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease **
Exercise can reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer by up to 50% and lower your risk of early death by up to 30%
Source NHS: www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-health-benefits/
A number of studies have shown that yoga may help stress and anxiety.
Why not try yoga at home www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene
Yesterday is gone
Tomorrow has not yet come
We have only today
Let us begin
Mother Teresa
Headspace - along with meditation, sleep help and mindfulness, this app helps you manage stress and everyday anxious feelings
www.headspace.com
An easy must read - Matt Pepper shows us how to raise our own happiness levels with his book 7 Ways to Life-Changing Happiness
www.mattpepper.com
Action for happiness’ monthly calendars are packed with actions you can take to help create a happier and kinder world.
Download your free Action for Happiness calendar here
www.actionforhappiness.org/calendars
*World Health Organisation definition of health www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2080455/
** www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-health-benefits/
