10 important tips for achieving good health

It goes without saying that good health is a surety for an optimal and productive life on earth. To help you achieve this feat, here are the magic words.

1. Adhere religiously to the “golden rule”- breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. Your dinner shouldn’t be heavy if your desire to achieve good health.
2. Don’t trade your night sleep- the importance of shut eye cannot be overstretched. Apart from enhancing your mental productivity and strengthening your immune system, a good night’s sleep keeps chronic diseases away from you by checking your weight. According to a certain study by a group of scientists at Uppsala University in Sweden, sleep deprivation could increase ones levels of ghrelin- the hunger hormone- and decrease the level of leptin- the satiety hormone. The result is overfeeding which would drastically increase one’s body weight.
3. Avoid exposing yourself to lead, fuels, solvents and other harmful chemicals. Your chances of developing kidney failure would increase if you do.
4. Guard against urinary infections- to achieve this, it is important you consume enough water or fluid to increase voiding (at least 4-5times a day). Voiding immediately after sex and wiping from front to back after using the loo minimizes contamination of the vagina and urethra.
5. Eat healthy- unhealthy diet could increase your chances of developing diseases like diabetes, certain cancers, HBP or obesity and this would ultimately kill your dream of a good health. Eat spicy foods like garlic, ginger and cayenne peppers because they are believed to increase your blood circulation, thus impacting positively on the proper functioning of your heart, kidney and liver. Cut down your consumption of saturated fats and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
6. If you are a tuberculosis patient avoid tanned, canned and preserved foods, sugar, pie and bread because they would make you lose strength and vigour more than you can ever imagine.
7. Get up and go for a walk, a jug or a run. Engage in physical activities and when you do, remember to always give your muscles some days to repair themselves. So, in your fitness schedule, include regular recovery days and on these days, only stretch.
8. Eat pineapple or pawpaw after a workout. They are loaded with the enzyme bromelain, and papain respectively- which helps relieves joint pain and speed up your post workout recovery.
9. Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight is no prize. It would only increase your chances of developing diseases. Stick to a balanced diet, low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables. If you are having problem with managing your weight check this fitness blog.
10. Before buying any canned or packaged food or drink check the labels for its expiry date and its content. These would help you to make a balanced choice and save yourself the trip to the doctor’s domain.

P.S- for any medical condition, please do not self medicate. Quickly see a medical doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment. Also, make sure you follow his prescriptions and recommendations to the latter. If you do otherwise, you might just be beckoning on trouble with huge capital letters.

Your addition or contribution to these 10 tips is highly encouraged.

photo credit: www.maryland.va.gov