Introduction
In order to enjoy life and stay productive, one needs to stay as healthy as much they can. While unforeseen circumstances and some factors beyond our control determine our health situation, it is evident that we can greatly improve and maintain good health by living an appropriate lifestyle that promotes good health. This lifestyle is reflected in our eating, exercise and sleep patterns among other habits. (Lally etal, 2009) When it comes to my eating habits, I eat anything easy to make like microwave food and no vegetables, no precise meal times, eating in front of TV, lots of coke and no healthy food. These practices are obviously not good for my body and general health.
Reason for eating
We do not just eat so that we do not feel hungry but rather, we eat to stay alive and healthy. A variety of foods has nutrients that serve to meet the body’s diverse nutrient requirements. That is why we need to eat a balanced diet at every meal. This meal includes all nutrients required by the body. We have energy giving foods like potatoes called carbohydrates. These should form the bulk of our meals especially for physically active persons.
Another major nutrient required by the body is proteins obtained from meat, fish and milk among other foods. The major purpose of this nutrient is in bodybuilding and repair of worn out tissues. Vitamins and mineral salts are found mostly in fruits and vegetables. These help in absorption of nutrients and in promoting someone’s general health. Another important component that should be taken is cellulose that helps in digestion and in cleaning our digestive system. (Lally etal, 2009)
My current eating pattern
Eating anything that is easy to make without considering its nutritional value puts my health at a risk of nutritional deficiency. Most of this consists of junk foods that could lead to overweight diseases like obesity and heart diseases. I do not take vitamins and minerals that have been found to prevent diseases like cancer due to their ability that boosts our immune systems. These are mostly found in vegetables and fruits. To make it worse, using the microwave for most of my meals means that I frequently overheat and recycle my meals killing important nutrients. (Butler, & Hope, 1995)
Our digestive systems are trained by our eating habits to secrete digestive chemicals, which can destroy our tissues and lead to diseases like ulcers when they do not act on foods. That is why we need to develop frequent mealtime habits. Moreover, drinking lots of coke instead of water means that we are overworking our kidneys and other body organs that remove chemicals from our body systems without providing them with an important agent to clear this chemicals-water. Digestion is a process that starts in the mouth. This emphasizes the need for proper chewing which is likely to be compromised when eating in front of television. (Lally etal, 2009)
The following habits would help me to improve my eating habits and health. I take plenty of water and fresh non-chemical fruit juice instead of lots of coke. My meals should also include plenty of fruits like mangoes, apples and oranges. Instead of just taking anything that is easy to make, I would also consider the nutrients obtained with an aim of getting a balanced diet. Since I am a busy person, drinking several glasses of milk for example would provide my body with vitamins, proteins and mineral salts with an added advantage of saving time. I can also add raw vegetables and carrots to my meals. Another option would be to use a juicer and blender to make vegetable and carrot juice. The bulk of my meals would consist of varieties including potatoes, beans, fish and meat. (Lally etal, 2009)
It would be important for me to ensure that I get time just to eat and do nothing else like watching television. I would ensure that I chew my foods thoroughly for proper digestion. Meal times would be fixed at certain time intervals that are not very far between. These practices would help me to improve my health in ways described above. (Butler, & Hope, 1995)
My current exercising pattern
When it comes to body exercise, I only walk twice a week for 30 min and nothing else. This is obviously not enough physical exercise that my body requires. For me to improve my exercise habits, I would first need to appreciate the importance of physical exercise in promoting my health and wellbeing. While every day activities take the bulk of my time as I work to improve other areas of my wellbeing, my health is the greatest asset I have and without it, my life would only become miserable, unbearable and come to an end. Creating enough but little time for physical exercise would therefore be the best option for me to take due to my busy schedule. A great advantage that physical exercise would give me is plenty of energy and ability to concentrate and achieve a lot enhancing my productivity. (Lally etal, 2009)
Exercising my body eliminates chemical waste materials in my body through sweat cleaning my system in the process. My muscles and tissues are also boosted increasing my physical and mental abilities. Research has shown that physical exercise is a good antidote to stress and depressive feelings. Extra fat including cellulose that is the cause of most heart conditions is eliminated during physical exercise. Physical exercise has also been shown to improve the body’s capacity to absorb nutrients. (Butler, & Hope, 1995)
A good physical exercise that I would settle upon and one, which can easily be accommodated in my tight schedule, would be biking for at least one hour daily. Among other advantages, this exercise involves nearly all parts of my body. Besides, I would have the advantage of cycling to work in the mornings or evenings depending on where I had parked my car the previous day. I can drive to work and cycle home for me to cycle to work on the morning of the following day. (Lally etal, 2009)
What I need to do to improve
Currently, I sleep for four to six hours a day mostly in front of television. This is another area of my habits whereby I need to improve for proper health. Research done on the time required by our bodies for sleep has shown that we need at least four hours a day of proper sleep. This means that I need to maintain a consistent time of at least six-hour’s sleep per day. To get the most from my sleep, I would avoid sleeping in front of television. I would instead sleep on a firm mattress and avoid drinking coke or coffee, which has been shown to reduce sleep. Going to bed with a storybook would do me more help than sleeping in front of television. (Butler, & Hope, 1995)
Conclusion
We currently live in a very busy world where we are likely to over work ourselves without getting time for ourselves. The tendency to neglect our health through poor habits is therefore very unhealthy. This happens despite the reality that good health is the key to good living and productivity. This calls for every one to try as much as they can in their capacity to promote their health by incorporating appropriate healthy habits in their lifestyles.
References List
Butler, G, & Hope, T. (1995). Managing Your Mind: The mental fitness guide. Oxford Paperbacks.
Lally P, van Jaarsveld CHM, Potts H, Wardle J (2009). “How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world.” European Journal of Social Psychology, Early View. Web.