The definition of health states that it is a condition of the body that is capable of enduring normal conditions without any negative impact on the body or mind. Healthy living is the state in which health is maintained, improved and maintained so as to allow you to live your life to its fullest and be at peace with yourself and the world around you. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), healthy living includes a healthy diet, exercise, social interaction and maintaining personal hygiene. Description of health is more important than defining what constitutes the condition.
Description of health in relation to diet helps us define our dietary needs and how to achieve good health. A well-balanced diet that provides all essential nutrients is a major element of good health. It also helps in controlling obesity, which can result to various other diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis and high blood pressure. A healthy diet alone may not be enough to control some other diseases or even prevent the onset of some particular disease.
One cannot fully control the changes in weather and climatic conditions, but we can certainly control our responses to these changes to some extent by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Physical exercise keeps us fit and healthy and makes us feel good. Regular exercise helps in controlling weight, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and mental illness. Exercise also increases the production of ‘feel good’ hormones such as dopamine, serotonin and endorphins and gives you a sense of well-being. Exercise can help in preventing the onset of osteoporosis, gout, asthma, COPD, depression, insomnia, kidney failure, rheumatoid arthritis, colon cancer and certain types of cancers of the lymphatic, endocrine and reproductive systems.
Another way to define health and physical well-being is through the process of managing chronic illnesses and injury as well as treating them. These illnesses, if left unchecked and allowed to continue for a long time, can have very detrimental effects on the physical health and the mental health of the individual. In fact, sometimes they may lead to more serious diseases that may eventually require the attention of medical professionals.
It is true that physical well-being is important to ensure good health but it is equally important to have mental health. You have to balance both the good health practices such as eating healthy and exercising regularly, along with your emotional health. Emotional well-being can also be influenced by how we cope with daily challenges and the mental health practices that help us manage stress and deal with anxiety.
Managing either one or the other will improve your health and ensure that you live a better quality of life. There are many excellent programs, books, and therapies available to those who suffer from either physical illness or a chronic illness. You can do whatever it takes to find the right program, book, or therapy to meet your needs. However, you have to take the initiative to start on your own in order to find mental health that will give you control over your life.