What is health means to you? What do you do to get the healthy living? Being healthy means you have to take care of your body – doing exercise regularly, having a good diet & know how to handle your emotions after all. But, how many of us did practicing healthy living? In this modern life, most of us prefer to take an easy ways to live – taking diet pills to avoid exercising, eating junk foods rather than taking raw & fresh foods, drink alcohol to handle stress & taking too much caffeine to stay alert. This might be the easier ways to staying alive, but it’s not the right ways to stay healthy.

To be healthy, doesn’t mean you have to push your body to do over then its limit. All you need to do is stay to your routine – get enough sleep, keep your diet healthy, balance exercise, handle your emotions & see your doctor frequently. Don’t make excuses that busy life makes you can’t put commitment in taking care of your health because there are so many ways to stay healthy – means what you should do and shouldn’t do in other way. Here are some tips to help you getting the life of your dream & tips which you should avoid from.

Health #1 Skin Care & Dermatologist

Love to be slim & sexy? What’s the easier ways? Having crazy diets? But do you know crash diets can cause a dull, dry skin tones so eat a diet high in fruit and vegetables, which is rich in antioxidant vitamins. Take care of your skin by using a mild cleanser morning and night or you’ll risk dryness which stimulates more facial oil production. How to find good moisturizers? A good moisturizer need not cost a fortune. Sorbolene cream is effective and affordable and can be watered down if too thick for oily skin. If you like outdoor activities, go outdoors before 10am or after 4pm when the sun is less harsh to protect your skin from UV rays. To reduce wrinkles and protect against skin cancer, wear a hat with a wide brim and a foundation with a sunscreen.

Having pimples problem sticky on your body? You can prevent on the body by wearing loose clothing in natural fibres and using an alcohol-based antibiotic lotion to treat any outbreaks. Never ever squeezing pimples because it can cause permanent scarring and introduce infection-causing bacteria – so don’t even think of doing it. Some ultraviolet sun rays can penetrate glass so if you spend a lot of time in your car gets the windscreen and windows treated skin. If you have sensitive skin, choose skin products without perfumes to help prevent hives or dermatitis in sensitive skin.

Health #2 Exercise & Body Fitness

How many times you go for exercise every week? Or how many times you go for a walk every day? To take care of your body and get healthy living, exercise is very important to eliminate toxin in your body. Most of us think that exercise is less important and very hard to do, however the fact is not that complicated. If you’ve been sedentary for a long time, ease into exercise for several weeks by walking around the block. If pushed for time, incorporate incidental exercise into your day; get off the bus a few stops earlier or walk to the shops to buy your newspaper. Injuries like shin splints and strains often result from over training – so don’t push your body too far for too long.

To avoid injury, always warm up before a workout and save intense stretches for the end. Overloading (adding more variety or pace to your usual routine) will stop your body from reaching a plateau where exercise no longer seems to be effective. Organize an exercise buddy to help motivate you and make staying fit social and fun. You can choose a workout you enjoy such as dance class or tennis lessons to avoid exercise becoming a chore. If you’re a smoker, quit smoking – you will be able to breathe more easily so exercise will feel less of a struggle. Spot reduction doesn’t work. To burn body fat do aerobic exercise (fat is only burned in the presence of oxygen so you’ll only be getting benefit if you could still talk during the workout). Maintain interest by trying a new spot or class or setting intensity or duration goals.

Health #3 Diet & Digestion

Most of us make mistake on how having a balance diet. They think by taking fewer foods or escape lunch or dinner time will make them slim. But the truth is they already reducing intake of nutrient into the body. The most important thing is never ever escape breakfast. Skipping meals can slow down your metabolic rate, causing you to gain weight more easily. Try to avoid fat diets that radically reduce calories and food variety. They don’t teach healthy habits and lead to binge eating. Use herbs and spices to flavor food and keep your salt intake down to less than 2g per day (as you get older this will reduce your risk of high blood pressure and stroke). Insoluble fibers in grains such as bran and wholemeal bread add bulk to bowel motions.

Soluble fibers such as oats, legumes, fruit and vegetables, make the rate of digestion steady so that energy levels are steady as well. Watch out for hidden saturated fats in ready-made sauces or takeaway foods such as Thai coconut dishes. Mono unsaturated fats such as olive and canola oil are healthier – reducing artery clogging LDL cholesterol. Remember to choose food with a variety of colors and textures to ensure a good range of vitamins and minerals.

Health #4 Handling Stress

Everyone in this world have their own problems and obstacles to face every day. It might be come from work, study, friendship money and much more. The varieties of matters give a lot of emotions to take care of which can lead to stress. If your stress comes from work, separate it on the way home by playing music in the car or doing a few laps around the park when you get off the train. Leave your office for lunch so that you actually relax and have a proper break. Delegate – to your partner, flatmate or colleagues - rather than burning or trying to do everything yourself. Don’t be – know where you can cut corners to save time and energy. Sometimes, take time out with friends or family members who can offer support and help change your focus.

Spend time to do daily meditation or relaxation – even 10 minutes before sleep will encourage better rest and you’ll wake up calmer the next day. When stressful things happen, remember you can control your reaction so try to think calm thoughts. Watch your language – instead of using self-talk that says, “I can’t cope”; admit, “This is hard but I know I’ll get through it”. Focus on the task at hand – worrying about all priorities at once will make you more stressed and less productive. Ask yourself – will the world end or will someone die if I don’t do this today? If the answer is “No”, the task can always be dealt by tomorrow.

Health Mistakes

Mistake #1 Sometimes you take care most of your health until sometimes you didn’t realize somehow you already make mistakes which can cause into health problems. Not taking your medication with water is one of big mistake. Taking your pills with just any drink can affect how the drug works in your body. For example, milk coats the stomach and reduces the absorption rates of antibiotics. Water is always your safest bet.

Mistake #2 Jogging on streets. Avoid running during high traffic times because pollution can decrease your lung capacity by up to 20 percent. Long term exposure can result in respiratory problems, asthma and emphysema.

Mistake #3 Not having health insurance. Start by getting a policy that covers catastrophic illness and accidents. This will protect you and your money if something were to occur.

Mistake #4 Not washing hands long enough. It’s not about soap, rather its timing. Wash your hands for at least 15 seconds to ensure that you cleanse off bacteria from toilet flush handles.

Mistake #5 Crossing your legs at the knee. It may look polite and sexy, but it can constrict blood flow to the leg that’s crossed which may lead to varicose veins. Next time you sit, try and keep feet flat on the ground and your weight evenly distributed.