Welcome to your go-to resource for common questions about living a healthy, balanced life. Here, you’ll find expert insights and practical tips on topics like nutrition, fitness, mental well-being, and more. Be sure to check back often as we continue to add new questions and answers to support your wellness journey.
NUTRITION
Here’s what a healthy diet includes:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Whole grains
- Beans
- Lentils
- Nuts
- Seeds
The healthiest people in the world eat various combinations of these foods. They drink plenty of water, too. That’s it. No more confusion. Eat this way at least 80 percent of the time, and you’ll feel better, be healthier, and live longer.
Fortunately, a few simple changes can help you cut back on the amount of sodium you consume. Here are some things you can do:
- Eat more fresh fruits and veggies.
- Buy low-sodium foods and soups.
- Read food labels and track your sodium intake.
- Drink water instead of soft drinks.
- Use low-sodium salad dressings made with extra-virgin olive oil or vinegar.
- Cut back on eating fast food and packaged meals.
- Cook at home more often. Use herbs and spices instead of salt to season food.
- Go easy on the salt shaker
Choosing the right foods can help prevent heart disease. Eat more of these heart-healthy foods:
- Fruits and vegetables – At mealtime, fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables.
- Nuts & Seeds – contain healthy, unsaturated fat.
- Legumes – such as black beans, kidney beans, and peas, contain the highest amount of fiber of any food group.
- Whole Grains – contain bran, fiber, and other nutrients that help lower blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides(or fat) in the blood. This is good for heart health.
MOVEMENT
Here are 7 simple ways to boost motivation to exercise.
- Get a training partner. Research shows that people who train with a partner complete an average of 56% more workouts that people who train alone.
- Track your activity. Log your activity every day. It’s a great way to measure your progress over time and stay motivated.
- Use social media. A recent study showed that being part of a positive online group can help you be more active than trying to do it alone.
- Take a fitness class. You’ll have fun. You’ll make friends with people who have similar goals to help you stay motivated.
- Sign up for a challenge. It’s another great way to motivate yourself to exercise.
- Change your routine. Tired of the same workout routine. Change it. Change how long, how often, or how hard you do your current routine.
- Work with a coach or trainer. If you haven’t exercised in a while or you’re not sure where to start, work with a coach or trainer.
Walk at least 30 minutes a day, and you’ll be healthier and happier. If you don’t have 30 minutes in your schedule, take a few 10-minute walk breaks and you’ll still reap the benefits. Research shows that regular walking can help:
- Reduce blood pressure. If your blood pressure is 120/80 or higher, you’ve got some work to do. The good news is: Walking helps reduce blood pressure.
- Burn calories. Walking burns calories (about 200 to 300 per hour) and fat. This helps you lose weight.
- Lower cholesterol. Brisk walking is an effective way to lower cholesterol.
- Improve mood. Physical activity can improve your mood, reduce pain, and help you feel better.
Strength training exercises or physical activity can help:
- Prevent loss of strength and muscle mass.
- Improve bone health.
- Avoid injuries.
- Support brain function.
REST AND RELAXATION
Here are 5 things you can do:
- Create a bedtime routine. Create a routine that starts at least an hour before bedtime to help you fall asleep.
- Turn off electronics 1 to 2 hours before bed. Staring into a screen can keep your brain active when you’re trying to go to sleep.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed. Drinking coffee, energy drinks, and soda with caffeine might give you a boost of energy. But drink them too late in the day, and you’ll have trouble falling asleep later.
- Be active during the day. If you want to sleep better at night, get 30 minutes or more of physical activity each day.
- Manage stress in healthy ways. Avoid dealing with stressful situations before bed. Save those problems for another day.
If you feel tired all the time, you need to figure out why. Is it your lifestyle, genetics, stress, something else, or a combination of these factors? Once you figure out why you always feel drained, you can make changes to get your spark back. Here’s how:
- See your doctor
- Take a closer look at lifestyle habits
- Change behaviors to beat fatigue
Take a different approach to the first few minutes of your day. With just 10 minutes a day, you can change the way you think and feel to be happier, healthier, and more productive. Here’s how:
- Read
- Be active
- Meditate
- Be mindful
- Visualize
- Write
What do you get out of a morning routine like this? You get a framework to improve your health, break bad habits, and create healthier ones.
MENTAL WELL-BEING
Symptoms of depression can include:
- Feelings of anxiety, sadness, or hopelessness
- Poor sleep or insomnia
- Change in appetite (eating more or eating less)
- Change in weight
- Low energy or fatigue
- Increase in irritability or anger
- Loss of interest in activities you enjoy
- Self-medicating with food, substance abuse or
- other addictive habits
- Trouble concentrating or making decisions
- Body aches, headaches, muscle cramps, or digestive problems
- Thoughts of death or suicide
If you spend a lot of time on social media, it could have a negative impact on your mood, happiness and mental health.
If you’re a regular social media user, you might think all your friends are living the dream lifestyle. But it isn’t true. You’re only seeing the “highlight reel,” according to a recent study. Too much social media time is a recipe for feeling unhappy and depressed, says University of Houston researcher Dr. Mai-Ly Steers.
Besides counseling and medication, there’s at least one other way to treat depression and boost your mood: Exercise.
In a recent study, researchers looked at the connection between exercise and depression. They found that:
- No exercise increases the risk of developing depression by 44 percent, compared to people who exercise at least 1 hour per week.
- Regular exercise can help treat and prevent depression.
- Just one hour of physical activity a week(less than 10minutes a day) can improve mood and reduce depression
LIFESTYLE AND GENERAL WELLNESS
Here are 6 ways to protect your skin from the sun:
- Use sunscreen. Sunscreen can protect your skin from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
- Read the label. Pick up a bottle of sunscreen, and take a look at the label. You’ll see an SPF rating. The higher SPF rating, the more protection the sunscreen provides.
- Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before sun exposure.
- Limit time in the sun, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun’s rays are the strongest.
- Wear clothing to cover skin exposed to the sun. For example, long-sleeved shirt, pants, sunglasses, and a broad-brimmed hat.
- Reapply sunscreen at least every two hours. More often if you’re sweating or in and out of water in a pool, lake, or ocean.
Here are five ways to improve digestion.
- Eat healthy foods. This includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.These nutrient-dense foods support gut health and digestion.
- Drink more water. Aim for at least 64 ounces of water a day. Water helps your body digest food, absorb nutrients, and make bowel movements easier.
- Reduce stress. There’s a direct link between your gut and your brain. When you’re stressed out, your stomach can be, too.
- Avoid red meat. Better digestion isn’t the only reason to avoid red meat. It’s been linked to diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.
- Be more active. Being active helps improve gut bacteria used to digest food
Simple tests and a talk with your doctor once a year about your health and lifestyle can be good for your overall well-being. Here’s what you can expect during an annual doctor’s visit:
- Check blood pressure.
- Calculate Body Mass Index.
- Screen for certain types of cancer.
- Test your blood.
See your doctor once a year for a check-up. It’s a simple way to protect your health.