Creating Healthy Habits in Today's Fast-Paced World

Daniela Hrizo, 3/30/24

Healthy Eating Habits

Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the craziness of the world: it can feel like there’s just an endless list of to-do’s every day. Many times, our food isn’t necessarily high on that list. Even then, with fast food and processed goods being so highly advertised nowadays, it’s easy and convenient for them to take up most of our diet. Unfortunately, those products do not have the necessary nutrients and components to keep our bodies healthy and strong. With all of this in mind, it can be hard to sustain healthy eating habits, but it is imperative nonetheless. 

Importance of Healthy Eating 

It is unanimously agreed that we should eat healthy, but why? To keep it simple, our body completely depends on what we eat for energy, nutrients, etc. Because of this, we need to ensure that what we eat allows our bodies to carry out all of the functions necessary to go about our daily lives. Healthy eating has a lot of specific benefits too. As stated by the CDC, healthy eating in adults:

• May help you live longer

• Keeps skin, teeth, and eyes healthy

• Supports muscles

• Boosts immunity

• Strengthens bones

• Lowers risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers

• Supports healthy pregnancies and breastfeeding

• Helps the digestive system function

• Helps achieve and maintain a healthy weight

In children, eating healthy also supports brain development and healthy growth.

What is “Healthy?”

Everyone says “I want to eat healthy,” but what is really considered “healthy?” According to the National Library of Medicine, “A healthy diet is one in which macronutrients are consumed in appropriate proportions to support energetic and physiologic needs without excess intake while also providing sufficient micronutrients and hydration to meet the physiologic needs of the body [10].” Let’s break that down: eating healthy means eating food that gives us the nutrients our body needs for energy, hydration, and more. In their definition, they use the words “macronutrients” and “micronutrients.” Macronutrients are foods that we need in large quantities and are usually measured in grams, whereas micronutrients are foods that we need in small quantities and are usually measured in micrograms or milligrams, as mentioned by Mayo Clinic. Macronutrients include carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Eating foods such as bread, pasta, and meat can fulfill your daily intake of these nutrients. Micronutrients include minerals, vitamins, and water. These types of nutrients are very high in fruits and vegetables such as citrus fruits and leafy greens (i.e. spinach). Incorporating a mix of all of these foods is essential to a healthy diet.

Things to Avoid

One of the key things to remember about the National Library of Medicine’s definition of healthy eating is to eat in “appropriate portions.” For example, some foods may have a very high amount of nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, and sodium. While we still need these things to function, too much can lead to gaining weight or even certain diseases like hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, and more. Typically, these foods are very processed and/or from fast food companies like McDonald’s. It is highly recommended to limit these kinds of products, and if you do eat them, do so in moderation.

Keep in Mind

Variety is necessary: It is imperative to eat a wide range of foods to fulfill all of our nutrient needs. Fruits and vegetables are usually the staple food groups when we think about nutrients, but we actually need all of the food groups for a well-rounded diet and strong body: fruit, vegetable, protein, grain, and dairy. Learn more about this at choosemyplate.gov.

Exercising Habits

Now, as mentioned previously, healthy eating habits are crucial in our daily lives. To further boost your health and keep your body strong, pair it with exercise! Fitness is another key factor in our overall health. Unfortunately, throughout the world, we are seeing a startling trend of sedentary lifestyles. If someone leads a sedentary lifestyle, it means that they have a significant lack of physical activity in their life - far less than what they need to stay healthy. With the rise of technology, efficient transportation, and many more inventions that have developed our society, lots of people don’t get the physical activity they need anymore. Even the World Health Organization estimates that “60 to 85% of people in the world—from both developed and developing countries—lead sedentary lifestyles, making it one of the more serious yet insufficiently addressed public health problems of our time.”

Effects of Sedentary Lifestyles

Sedentary lifestyles are becoming a large issue and are leading to lots of detrimental health effects. “Sedentary lifestyles increase all causes of mortality, double the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity, and increase the risks of colon cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, lipid disorders, depression, and anxiety,” the WHO warns. With this in mind, it is imperative to consider our fitness in our daily lives.

Benefits of Exercise

Exercise is crucial for our bodies and has several benefits listed by the CDC:

• Improve weight management

• Reduce health risks for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, infectious diseases (i.e. COVID-19, flu, pneumonia), and some cancers

• Strengthen bones and muscles

• Improve ability to do daily activities

• Prevent falls

• Increase chances of living longer

• Manage chronic health conditions & disabilities

Not only does exercise help you progress through your daily life, it also decreases your susceptibility to diseases and helps to manage conditions, thus making a dramatic impact in the long run!

Types of Exercise

There are 4 main types of exercise: aerobics, strength training, stretching, and balance exercises.

Aerobics

Aerobics include exercises that speed up respiratory rate and heart rate thus increasing endurance and improving bodily functions. These exercises reduce your risk for several diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Some aerobic exercises are running, jogging, swimming, cycling, and dancing.

Strength Training

Strength training helps build muscle mass, which is crucial as we age. It also helps with bone growth and improves posture. Some exercises include squats, push-ups, and lunges.

Stretching

Stretching helps to keep the body flexible. The main benefit of stretching is to minimize injury since our muscles lengthen and our range of motion improves as we stretch. There are several variations of stretches for calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, back, and more. However, it is very important to not stretch your body to a painful extent as it is ineffective and harmful.

Balance

Balance exercises help prevent falls and make us feel more steady on our feet. Doing yoga can help improve your balance. Learn more about this information and sample exercises from Harvard Health.

How Much?

It is highly suggested that we find a little bit of time every day to exercise. The CDC recommends, “Each week adults need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and 2 days of muscle strengthening activity.” That may sound like a lot, but if you split that up throughout the week, you only need to exercise for around 20-25 minutes each day with some strength exercises every couple days. Just keep in mind that “moderate-intensity physical activity” includes walking briskly, bicycling lightly, etc. If you would like to do vigorous physical activity (i.e. jogging/running), you only need to do 75 minutes each week (half the time!).

Conclusion

Healthy eating and exercising habits are essential for our bodies daily and even improve overall health in the long run. With countless benefits, it is obvious that taking up these healthy habits is the right way to go. Plus, when applied together, the effects are jaw-dropping! The National Library of Medicine even mentions “a healthy diet and regular exercise are essential for optimal health across a lifespan. The interaction between diet and exercise may have significant implications for health outcomes, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular and cancer diseases [18,19]. They improve mental health and well-being as well as maintaining physical function and independence at an older age [22,24,27].” Building these habits will change your life. Your body will thank you later!