On April 7 every year, World Health Day is celebrated across the world. An effort by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the aim of this day is to bring global attention to the issue of health and well-being. As per the international health body, “the celebration has aimed to create awareness of a specific health theme to highlight a priority area of concern for the World Health Organisation.” Hence, every year, a global awareness campaign is undertaken to spread awareness on a specific health issue. Regarding its inception, the decision to mark April 7 as World Health Day was taken at the 1948 World Health Assembly. The day was observed for the first time in 1950.
As per the WHO, heart-related diseases are the world’s number 1 killers, and leads to 1 in 3 deaths worldwide. The leading factors that contribute towards poor heart health are tobacco use, poor diet, lack of physical activity, excessive alcohol intake. Several health issues can also contribute to poor heart health, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes. However, there are ways you can boost your heart health. A healthy lifestyle provides amazing benefits to the diet. Here are some of the tips that might help:
A Heart Healthy Diet
A heart-healthy diet typically means a balanced diet consisting of lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and protein. Limit your salt intake. Also, replace sugar with something else. For example, if you love cakes and pastries, try to replace them with fresh fruits. Similarly, if you are hooked on sodas, try to replace it with some freshly squeezed fruit juices.
Manage Your Weight
Excess weight and obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Hence, if you weigh more, try to bring down that weight. And doing that is much easier than you think. Have balanced meals with lots of fruits and vegetables. Also, increase your physical activity and specifically focus on aerobic workouts, which are exercises for your heart.
Be More Physically Active
Physical activity not just helps you to lose weight, it also helps in managing blood pressure and cholesterol, thus playing a crucial role in making your heart healthy, The WHO says that “some physical activity is better than none.” Hence, if you are a beginner, start with something small, such as walking and taking the stairs instead of the elevator. You can then pace it up in terms of both intensity and duration.
Quit Tobacco
Tobacco use, both directly, and indirectly, i.e. getting exposed to the smoke, hampers heart health. According to the WHO, by quitting tobacco use, your risk of developing heart disease gets half that of a smoker. Similarly, if you have quit it for 15 years, your heart health is similar to that of a non-smoker.
Limit Alcohol Intake
Alcohol consumption has been linked to poor heart health. Since there is no limit to how much alcohol is safe for you, it is better to quit it altogether.
Get Regular Health Checkup
As you know that diabetes and high blood pressure increase the risk of heart diseases, hence you must get your health checked up regularly. This is especially important as at times the person has high blood pressure but doesn’t exhibit any symptoms. Hence, it is better to get such issues ruled out. The doctor might also help you in making healthy lifestyle choices.
With the growing number of mental health cases across the world, it is as important to take care of your mental health as it is for physical health. Here are some of the tips that might help:
Sleep Well
Often overlooked, but proper sleep is extremely important for overall health. Sleep allows our brain to relax, unwind and rewire from the day’s work. Being sleep-deprived makes us cranky and irritated in the short term and depressed in the long term. Hence, make it a point to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every day.
Eat Well
You might have experienced how after having a well-balanced and healthy meal puts you in a good mood. This is because food not just affects our physical health, but our minds as well. Hence, have a balanced meal, which contains a lot of fruits and veggies, along with whole grains, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and proteins.
Exercise Well
You might have experienced that you get happy instantly after working out. This is because during physical activity, our bodies release ‘feel good’ chemicals known as endorphins, which lift our mood. Exercising regularly not only helps us stay in good shape, it also helps warding off depression, anxiety, sleeping disorders, and other mental health issues.
Get Enough Sunlight
Do you know that sunlight can uplift your mood? This is because sunlight contains vitamin D, which is good for your mental health. Hence, try to get some amount of sunlight daily, but while protecting your skin and eyes from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
Get Social
Socialising can make you happy, thus uplifting your moods. Also, you need a support system when you feel down and your family, peers and friends provide you with that. Hence, try to be social whenever you can.
We all know that pregnancy is a critical time for any woman. Hence, it is extremely important to take care of yourself if you are pregnant. Here are some tips that might help:
By incorporating these tips, you can improve your health considerably.
https://www.who.int/westernpacific/news/events/world-health-day
https://www.who.int/philippines/news/feature-stories/detail/how-to-take-care-of-your-heart-health
https://www.peoplefirstinfo.org.uk/health-and-well-being/mental-health/10-top-tips-for-good-mental-health/
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/personal-hygiene