Know Where You Stand
The first step towards attaining a healthy lifestyle is knowing where you stand in terms of your health. This is possible only through the right metrics, which can give you an accurate and reliable report card of your health. A common mistake made by most people is relying on a single set of metrics or only one type of test to assess their health.
Take the case of weight management, a critical element of good health. Typically, the most common barometer used for measuring ideal body weight is the Body Mass Index (BMI.) However, more and more healthcare professionals are now incorporating metrics which determine where and how much fat does the body hold and similar tests such as waist-to-height ratio or glycemic index (GI).
By conducting multiple tests, you can get a more reliable picture of your health.
Understand Signals from the Body and Mind
Most people are not aware that our body gives out early warning signals, much before major illnesses are diagnosed. The way we are designed by nature, if there’s any problem with our health, our body brings it to our notice automatically.
For instance, lack of proper sleep is a sign of stress-related disorders. Or if the color of urine is dark yellow, it’s a sign that the person is not drinking enough fluids. Irregular movement of bowels is also an indication of ill health.
To avoid major illnesses, you need to be alert to the signs sent by your body and mind.
Set the Right parameters for Your Health Goals
Once you’ve identified the various tests for assessing different aspects of your health, you need to set the right parameters, in consultation with experts, to monitor your progress. For example, your BMI may be in the 18.5 to 24.9 range, indicating healthy weight. However your weight-to-height ratio of > 50% is equally an indicator of you being at a high risk to weight-related diseases.
Therefore, it is important to set the right parameters, in consultation with experts, for monitoring your health.
Safeguard your Health
Another excellent way of safeguarding your health is through annual, full body checkups. However, in a country like India, where preventive healthcare is still at a nascent stage, many people ignore the potential benefits of annual health checkups.
One of the biggest advantage of a comprehensive health checkup is timely knowledge. If there are any unhealthy signs in the reports, you can immediately take corrective steps, and not wait until things get serious. Diabetes and high blood pressure – both high-risk ailments if not identified on time – are two of the most chronic illnesses identified by health checkups.
Staying fit in the long run
Staying fit in the long run is possible if you keep your body and mind humming for years to come. For this, you need to eat right, stay fit, stress less, sleep well and listen to your body. With focus on nutrition and exercise, you can make a lot of healthy physical changes. Don't forget that a positive attitude is also really important to staying fit and beautifully healthy.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, achieving a healthy lifestyle is well within your control if you start the journey early with clear goals in mind and the realisation that it is your greatest wealth. An excellent health will enable you live a long life, have high levels of energy and vitality and more importantly live happily and peacefully, every moment. This we believe, will be your best return on your Investment.