When you think of your health you might think you are in pretty good shape, and you may well be but have you thought about your lifestyle and how it may be impacting your health? It may not be obvious but some of the decisions you make on a day-to-day basis can have long-term effects on your health and well-being. Read on to learn some lifestyle factors that impact your health.
Your Body’s State
One lifestyle factor that impacts your health is the state of your body. It is involved in everything you do. This is why it’s important to know about your personal health and health history. The more you know, the better placed you are to make an informed decision on the choices you live by.
Many tests can accurately tell the state of your body and the genetics that can impact your health. For instance, urine toxicology tests, genetic tests, and pharmacogenetics (the study of how your genes affect your body’s response to medicines and how safe and effective a drug could be for you) can be extremely useful.
MedComp Sciences, championed by Brad Schaeffer are advocates for a proactive approach to healthcare and choosing lifestyle factors to complement your health and wellbeing. For example, you may have a family history of poor heart health, if you know this you can actively choose to lead a life that strengthens and protects your heart health. Also, pharmacogenetic testing can allow you to work with your healthcare providers to develop a plan for their continued health.
Lack of Exercise
So many people live sedentary lifestyles. They commute back and forth to work, sit for eight hours at work, and then spend the evening pottering about in their homes, going out for meals, or perhaps recreational activities. Doing this day in and day out does not leave much time for exercise. People who are not active increase the risk of serious illnesses such as heart disease or diabetes. Fortunately, there are numerous things to do if you have a sedentary job in order to stay healthy.
You should also try to stay active most days out of the week and undertake regular exercise. Physical fitness is one of the most important lifestyle factors that affect your health. It helps improve the condition of your heart, brain, muscles, bones, digestive tract, and immune system. Besides, exercising regularly helps improve your mood and mental well-being.
Poor Diet
Another lifestyle factor that impacts your health is having a poor diet. The foods you eat impact your health. Unhealthy foods are those that are low in nutrients, high in calories, salt, vegetable processed oils, processed sugars, and sweeteners. Eating too many of these types of foods can adversely affect your health.
These poor diets can increase the risk of obesity, chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and even some cancers. While you don’t have to avoid these types of foods altogether, it is certainly recommended that you limit their consumption.
When aiming to keep your body thriving, you should consume a healthy balanced diet. This includes all the major micronutrients and food groups, such as protein, fat, and healthy carbohydrates. Additionally, you should know how many calories you should be eating so you don’t over or undereat, and supplement appropriately.
Stress
A major lifestyle factor that impacts your health is stress. Sadly this factor is a part of life for just about everyone. If you are suffering from considerable stress, the adverse effects on your lifestyle can be crippling. Stress can affect your mind and mental well-being, can lead to anxiety, and adversely impact your mood. Stress can also affect how you sleep and in turn how you function day-to-day. But the effects of stress go beyond your mental well-being as it can also have a strong effect on the body. High-stress levels and their consequences can lead to higher cholesterol, blood pressure, or heart disease.
Since stress is part of life, the differentiating factor to staying healthy is being able to manage it in an adequate way. Taking action to reduce your stress levels will improve not only your mental well-being but your physical well-being too.
When it comes to your daily living, are you making the best decisions to prioritize your health? It’s important to analyze your choices so you identify the lifestyle factors that impact your health. Implement positive choices day to day so you feel and look better while keeping your body young and free from disease.
To a Fitter Healthier You,
The Fitness Wellness Mentor
