The body we have now is the only one we are ever going to have for the rest of our lives. We must do what we can to make it the best it can be for us. However, we cannot just magically create the body we want. It takes hard work, effort, time, and combining the sections throughout this plan to develop the body we want. Desired physical health is great and fine, but health goes deeper than physiology. Emotional and social health complete the trifecta of a happier, healthier life. In this plan I have combined all three together; physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. By following a plan, one can truly change their life for the better. A change in lifestyle can be daunting and challenging, but in the long run, a healthier lifestyle only increases the chance of living a happier life.
What is a happy healthy life and relate to what we have talked about throughout the course? Talked about Happiness, psychiatric health, gender role development (affecting children young), prenatal testing, educating the student on alcohol and drug-related to healthier life by (educating on the latent effect of living a healthier life with multiple extensions such as diet, exercise, emotion and social health), Routine screenings, STDs.
Usually, when people decide to make a change in their lives they first start with their physical self. Individuals look at their diet choices and exercise routines, and what can be done to enhance their physical health. Personally, I am a vegetarian, so I must look at recipes and food choices to fit my diet. According to the Vegetarian Society a vegetarian is, "someone who lives on a diet of grains, pulses, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, fungi, algae, yeast and/or some other non-animal-based foods (e.g. salt) with, or without, dairy products, honey and/or eggs. A vegetarian does not eat foods that consist of or have been produced with the aid of products consisting of or created from, any part of the body of a living or dead animal. This includes meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, insects, by-products of slaughter or any food made with processing aids created from these" ("What is a vegetarian", n.d.). Sticking with the vegetarian diet, there are other sources in which one can get the amounted dietary regulated protein that is usually found in meat. Peas, beans, chickpeas, and nuts are only a handful of options that are good sources of protein for the non-meat-eating vegetarian.
This use of the vegetarian diet is also specifically good for me due to my family's history of heart disease. In a 2017 article from Harvard health Publishing, "In one of the largest studies — a combined analysis of data from five prospective studies involving more than 76,000 participants published several years ago — vegetarians were, on average, 25% less likely to die of heart disease." However, it is not only a vegetarian diet that can truly help with initiating and maintaining a healthier life. Reading labels is another way to make healthier decisions when it comes to what someone decides to consume. When looking at food labels, one could choose the food items with low saturated fats, sodium, and foods high in healthy fats. Reading food labels will truly help me in my journey of healthy eating due to the fact that I live in an apartment in which I have to cook for myself. Knowing what foods, I am putting into my body and creating overall healthy meals with good ingredients allows me to stick to my plan and make sure I am getting all of the needed nutrients while also following my vegetarian lifestyle. Another food decision someone could make is to decrease their consumption of processed foods. I have personally tried to add this decision to my everyday life. I am a college student who has classes and works every day, so eating out or grabbing foods that I could just microwave really quick in order to stick to my schedule becomes a challenge to my healthier happier life. By cutting back on quicker more processed foods and meals will aid in my journey. It took me a little while, but I have found that meal prepping at the beginning of the week allows for more time and quicker meals throughout the week as well as avoiding the over processed foods. While food does play a huge role in one's decision to change their lifestyle, physical activity such as exercise is an important part as well.
The use of exercise is a great way to stay in shape and even aid in one's fitness and lifestyle journey towards a happy, healthier life. Before starting this plan, I was very much of a homebody or a couch potato. I had worked out a few times but not consistently and definitely not consecutively. In the beginning, I tried to at least get to the gym two times a week which seems small but was a big change from what I would have originally done. I decided to do some research and found that exercises such as stretching, cardio, squats, and light weight lifting are incredible efforts one can make to enhance their life. Exercising took some getting used to but once I got the hang of things going to the gym was a lot less painful the workout seemed easier. This made me want to try something new and kick up my workout to another level. I decided to do some more research and found another form of exercise called HIIT. According to Pete McCall's 2014 ACE article on HIIT exercises, "one of the most common misperceptions about exercise that it is necessary to spend hours busting your butt and sweating buckets to obtain benefits like weight loss, muscle growth, and improved overall health and well-being. Instead of working longer, work smarter by using short intervals of extremely high-intensity exercise" such as HIIT exercises. One of the HIIT cycles I used consisted of, three rotation of three different workouts for twenty seconds with a ten-second break in between each workout. The first work out was called jab, cross, front which is when you stand in a boxing stance and basically to the punches listed above, this exercise is then repeated standing on both sides of the body with either the left or the right foot in front. The second workout was jumping jacks followed by a ten-second break then into the third workout of sumo squats (Orlov, 2018). This HIIT workout was quick, it took about ten minutes but was completely worth it and had me sore the day after. I truly feel that taking a step in a healthy direction with things such as exercising allow for one to burn calories, increase endurance, and overall boost one's physical health. A person's physical well-being is not the only aspect of one's life that can be improved during a lifestyle change in pursuit of a happier healthier life.
One's emotional health can play a big part in achieving a more overall healthier lifestyle. The emotional well-being of an individual can directly affect the mindset, stress level, and sleeping habits of an individual. When we think of emotional health, some people get scared or decided to overlook the issue of mental health due to the stigma around it. I am personally an individual who was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). This diagnosis puts a strain on my life and can cause increased stress which only enhances the symptoms of my GAD. Though with the use of multiple coping strategies I can maintain control over my disorder. Some strategies to control my disorder include Learning triggers, practicing acceptance, mindfulness, meditation, exercising, eating well, and talking to someone.
The latter strategy of talking to someone can be accomplished on a college campus which is swarming with people and consoles to talk to one just needs to know where to look for them. Luckily Neumann has a campus resource center which is open any time for people to come in and talk to an available counselor. Personally, I also like to plan out my school work and events and put them on a calendar ahead of time to increase my productivity and decrease my stress level. Stress can truly play a big role in one's emotional well-being as well as playing a role in the destruction of sleep. "According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), only 1 in 3 adults in the United States get the recommended seven hours of sleep at night. Although it can be difficult to sleep when we experience anxiety, creating a reliable nighttime routine can help us relax and prepare for quality sleep. Things like progressive relaxation, reading, and turning off electronics at least one hour before bed can help you prepare your mind and body for rest" (Meek, 2018). By decreasing one's stress, the ability and quality of one's sleep are likely to increase. As evidence shows, stress does play a huge role in the overall goal of living a happy healthy life. But stress and emotional health are only one part in which we must be willing to advance to proceed to our end goal of living healthier and happier.
Finally, one's social health is the final part which plays an interictal part in the success and improvement of one's overall health. The role of relationships also directly relates to the outcome and well-being of an individual. When it comes to relationships we must look into ourselves to figure out what we truly want in all of our relationships, may it be romantic, friendships, and professional relationships. In romantic relationships, I found that I must be open to the idea of new relationships, experiences, and people. Being happy in our romantic relationship can truly cause us happiness in our outside life. According to a Time article, "When we know how to heal [relationships] and keep them strong, they make us resilient. All these clichés about how love makes us stronger aren't just clichés; it's physiology. Connection with people who love and value us is our only safety net in life" (Treleaven, 2018). Though it is not just romantic relationships it is also friendships and professional relationships. When it comes to friendships, we must communicate by openly expressing our feelings and thoughts to our friends. Friendship is a two-way street in which we must realize that in order to have a good friend we must be a good friend and show respect. Respect also plays a big part in professional relationships as well. We must exhibit that same respect when addressing an individual of professional standard. Acting in a professional and respectful manner will allow for one to show their competent manner. According to a U.S. News article, "the mind and body must be in unison, in order to create a healthier and happier lifestyle. Use the "me first" attitude and make sure you're taking care of yourself before you can be the best wife, mother or coworker you can be" (Scritchfield, 2014). Overall, relationships allow people to express themselves in all ways and walks of life.
According to the World Health Organization from 1948, "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" ("Health Quotes", 2018). There are many things we can do to introduce and maintain a happy, healthy lifestyle. This plan allows me to take control of my health as well as provide a plan to stick to, to fulfill my goal. Being healthy and living a health-focused life allows for the other components of our lives to fall into place.