Five Healthy Habits to Adapt

Hydration

Water intake is an essential for the survival and development of life. Between 50% and 80% of the human body is made up of water. Human body relies on water for many functions such as regulating body temperature, absorbing nutrients, protecting organs and tissue, making hormones and neurotransmitters, moistening eyes, nose and mouth, lubricating joints to help you move, transporting oxygen to all parts of the body and supporting cell growth and reproduction. 

The signs of dehydration include bad breath, dry or flushed skin, muscle cramps, Fever, chills, food cravings especially for sweets and headaches. Habits of consuming more fruits and vegetables and avoiding alcohol, excessive caffeine will also help in staying hydrated. Avoiding excessive exercises will also help to preserve the hydrated status. To calculate your minimal daily water consumption, multiply your weight (kgs) by 0.033. For example: 65kg multiply by 0.033 = 2.14L water.

Adequate Sun exposure

The sun loads your body with beneficial vitamins and hormones. When the sun hits your skin, your brain is triggered to release a hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is associated with boosting your mood and helping you feel calm and focused. Vitamin D is also critical for your immune system, and with consistent exposure to sunlight, you can help strengthen it. A healthy immune system can help reduce the risk of illness, infections, some cancers, and mortality after surgery. Vitamin D helps your body maintain calcium and prevents brittle, thin, or misshapen bones. Sunshine regulates your circadian rhythm by telling your body when to increase and decrease your melatonin levels. So, the more daylight exposure you can get, the better your body will produce melatonin when it’s time to go to sleep. 

To calculate your sun exposure, it usually depends on your skin type. For example: very light skin type who gets sunburn within 10 minutes, can get sun exposure for about 10 minutes every day whereas dark brown or black skin who gets sunburn within 60 minutes, can get sun exposure for about 60 minutes every day.

Adequate sleep

Sleep is a vital function which supports mental and physical health, creativity, intellectual performance, safety, and longevity. Babies require as much as 17 hours of restful sleep per day while adults generally require 7 to 9 hours. People typically view sleep as a time of inactivity for the body, but that isn’t the case. As you sleep, your body is working behind the scenes to detoxify your brain, repair your heart and blood vessels, keep your immune system healthy and balance your hormones. While you sleep, your brain diligently flushes out toxins which accumulate throughout the day, including proteins that are linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Blood pressure and heart rate decrease, thereby providing necessary rest to the vascular system, the tube-like vessels in your body which carry vital fluids to your organs.

Quality sleep, on a continuing basis, also helps one avoid diabetes and weight gain. insomnia can lead to depression and anxiety while quality sleep can enhance a person’s well-being. Ongoing sleep deprivation creates mental fog resulting in poor concentration, slower thought processes and memory impairment. You need quality sleep to keep your mind alert for dealing with life’s challenges.

Exercising

Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Exercise prevents health problems, builds strength, boosts energy, and can help you reduce stress. It can also help you maintain a healthy body weight and curb your appetite. Everyone can experience the health benefits of physical activity regardless of age, abilities, ethnicity, shape, or size do not matter. Exercise helps to control your weight and preventing obesity. It also strengthens your heart and improves your circulation. The increased blood flow raises the oxygen levels in your body. This helps lower your risk of heart diseases such as high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, and heart attack. It helps to manage your blood sugar and insulin levels. 

Exercise can lower your blood sugar level and help your insulin work better. Improve your mental health and mood. During exercise, your body releases chemicals that can improve your mood and make you feel more relaxed. This can help you deal with stress and reduce your risk of depression. Exercise stimulates your body to release proteins and other chemicals that improve the structure and function of your brain. Strengthen your bones and muscles. Regular exercise can help kids and teens build strong bones.

Chiropractic Care

Chiropractors focus on the intimate relationship between the nervous system and spine, and hold true the biomechanical and structural derangement of the spine can affect the nervous system. For many conditions, chiropractic treatment can restore the structural integrity of the spine, reduce pressure on the sensitive neurological tissue, and consequently improve the health of the individual. The goal of chiropractic is to re-establish normal spinal mobility, which in turn alleviates the irritation to the spinal nerve and/or re-establishes altered reflexes. 

Chiropractic care also plays an important role in correcting the joint misalignment which occurs due to structural shift. These structural shifts can be either due to sitting or standing for prolonged period, repetitive movements, lifting heavy materials etc. These activities may lead to structural instability, muscle strain, ligament weakness and nerve interference. Chiropractors aim is to locate, analyse and correct those joint dysfunction or misalignments which helps to restore the normal function of the spine. Regular adjusting helps to increase the movement in the joint, reducing the tension in the surrounding muscles and conserve the body energy as the muscles are getting used more efficiently. Many people who receive chiropractic care find they have more energy, sleep better, have greater concentration and focus, are more productive, and have a greater ability to resist disease.