We all need to take good care of ourselves. This is an absolute basic. We rely entirely on our bodies and our minds for a happy, healthy existence that will hopefully last years to come. But all too many of us neglect either one or both of these aspects of ourselves. This is easy to do. We often become wrapped up in just getting by. Heading on a work commute. Performing well in the workplace. Managing meals so we eat throughout the day. Looking after children, getting them to school, preparing their meals, getting them to their clubs and hobbies. Taking care of pets. Trying to keep up with social commitments with friends and family. It’s not all too surprising that we tend to get a little lost in the process. But what can you do to take good care of your body and mind successfully? The key is to implement small changes that will make a big difference. It may seem like an effort at first, but these changes will quickly become a habit and you will really benefit from them. Here are some areas to focus on that could really help you in the long run.
Mental Health
Let’s start out by talking about mental health. This tends to be the area that we neglect most, so we’ll highlight it first and foremost. In the past, mental health tended to be surrounded by taboo. It was something that people didn’t acknowledge or talk about. But nowadays, awareness of mental health conditions and their prevalence is on the rise thanks to scientific progression, medical progression, and societal progression. We are now being actively encouraged to consider our mental health and work on it in a professional manner. If you feel that you are struggling with your mental health, follow the steps below.
Consult Your Doctor
First and foremost, you need to reach out to a medical professional regarding your mental health. This will give them an opportunity to talk to you about the causes of your symptoms, potentially diagnosing an underlying mental health condition, or potentially attributing your symptoms to circumstantial elements of your life. They can then recommend a course of treatment, such as therapy or medication. You may even benefit from a combination of the two, which is most commonly recommended.
Make Lifestyle Changes
If your issues are lifestyle-related or circumstantial, it’s time to make some positive changes. You should work with your doctor or therapist to make sure that you’re making positive changes for the right reasons to ensure that you benefit in the long run. If you’re struggling because you’re routinely burning out in your workplace, you will need to establish boundaries with your work and may even need to consider switching professions. If you are struggling with body image, your therapist may recommend treatments such as fat transfer breast augmentation to help.
Know That There Is Support
It’s essential to be aware that you are never alone when you’re experiencing struggles with your mental health. The vast majority of us experience different degrees of mental health problems during our lives. It’s completely natural. The good news is that, because of this, there is plenty of support out there and it’s important for you to explore it if you are feeling overwhelmed or alone. There are plenty of mental health charities that can provide you with information, support, and guidance. There are support groups where you can discuss your experiences with others who are in a similar situation. There are helplines where you can benefit from the completely anonymous conversation and support. All you need to do is reach out and there’s a world of help and assistance out there. Making the first steps can be difficult, but will ultimately really help.
Diet
When’s the last time you considered your diet. The food that you put into your body is the fuel that it uses to thrive, so you need to make sure that you’re eating well to get the most out of life. A good diet will make all the difference when it comes to feeling well, fighting off illness, and preventing yourself from experiencing the health consequences of being underweight, obese, or lack of proper nutrition. Here are a few suggestions that will help you to forge the perfect diet for yourself.
Calories
Calories are not the enemy. Instead, they are just a unit of measurement that we use to find out how much energy is in any single food item that we eat. Each person will have a recommended daily calorie intake, which indicates how many calories you should be eating to fuel your body correctly without over-fuelling it and causing it to store excess fat away. Your recommended calorie count will rely on various factors, including age, sex, and activity levels. Here are the general recommendations you can try to stick to:
- Children aged 2 to 8 – 1000 to 1400 calories
- Girls aged 9 to 13 – 1400 to 1600 calories
- Boys aged 9 to 13 – 1600 to 2000 calories
- Active women aged 14 to 30 – 2400 calories
- Sedentary women aged 14 to 30 – 1800 to 2000 calories
- Active men aged 14 to 30 – 2800 to 3200 calories
- Sedentary men aged 14 to 30 – 2000 to 2600 calories
- Active adults over 30 – 2000 to 3000 calories
- Sedentary adults over 30 – 1600 to 2400 calories
If you need to put weight on or lose weight, your doctor will be able to recommend an alternative plan for you that will meet your goals.
Avoid Fad Diets
Sure, fad diets can be tempting. They offer us the world on a plate, claiming that weight loss can be fast, and easy and that you can eat well while dropping weight rapidly. But this isn’t true. The only healthy and sustainable way to lose weight is to stick to a healthy diet on a reduced calorie intake to put you into a slight calorie deficit. Fad diets simply cause problems with your health and well-being and you are unlikely to maintain the weight loss after finishing the diet and eating normal foods and meals again.
Cut Junk Food
All too many of us eat way too much junk food on a regular basis. This is understandable. Fast food, takeaways, ready meals, and other snacks are convenient and simple. You can grab them on the go and you don’t need to worry about food shopping, cooking, or cleaning up after. They can all be packed with excess saturated fats, sugars, and salts, which are bad for our bodies. On top of this, while being packed with calories, they are nutritionally devoid, meaning that they don’t give your body much good either. Cut out fast food wherever you can, eating it occasionally if necessary, but definitely not routinely.
Maintain a Healthy, Balanced Diet
As we touched on above, a healthy, balanced diet really is the way forward. This means eating all of your food groups in moderation. You shouldn’t be completely cutting any particular group out. Instead, you just need to eat healthy options in the right quantities. This can be not easy to implement at first, but you will get the hang of things soon enough. If you’re struggling to come up with a healthy, balanced diet, you can always consult a nutritionist who can come up with a meal plan for you.
Superfoods and Gut-Friendly Foods
Of course, within your healthy and balanced diet, you may want to try some superfoods and gut-friendly foods. These foods are packed with nutrients that can really benefit your body on a day-to-day basis. Some examples include:
- Blueberries – Blueberries are easy to get your hands on and are packed with plenty of vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals, and soluble fiber. Eat them alone, try them on porridge or muesli, have them in pancakes or incorporate them into your meals and snacks any other way for a great health kick.
- Green Tea – green tea has long been popular throughout the world, but it really has skyrocketed in popularity in Western culture recently. This bitter form of tea is packed with catechins and other bioactive compounds that prevent cell damage. It is generally consumed without milk, though you may add sugar or honey for sweetness.
- Kefir – if you’re looking for a drink that is good for your gut health, Kefir can come in useful. This is a fermented drink that has been popular in North Caucasus, Eastern Europe, and Russia for many years. You will benefit from plenty of probiotics in every serving, as each bottle houses up to 61 different strains of bacteria and yeasts.
- Kimchi – if you’re looking for food that will help your gut, try Kimchi, a Korean favorite. This is a dish made from fermented vegetables and spices, which provides you with plenty of probiotics. The dish consists of fermented napa cabbage, onion, radish, and garlic. Different levels of spice are added for extra taste!
As you can see, there are countless changes you can make to take care of your body and mind – we’re only just scratching the surface here! Take active measures to improve your life in general and you will really experience the benefits. Hopefully, some of the suggestions outlined above will really come in useful for you!