Taking care of the basics
B
eing healthy starts well before you ever
get sick and need a doctor. Preventative
health care can go a long way toward
keeping your immune system strong and
helping you physically and mentally cope better
with stress.
Eating right
Everyone knows to eat a balanced diet, but
it’s still one of the most important factors in good
health. Eating lots of fruits, vegetables and whole
grains, while avoiding too many rich and heavy
foods, can help you have more energy and feel
better. A healthy diet can also help stave off con-
ditions like diabetes, heart disease and obesity or
help you in controlling those conditions.
exercises like walking, yoga and pilates.
Sleeping enough
The CDC suggests seven to nine hours of sleep
a night for adults. Simply being in bed for that
long isn’t suffi cient, though; you need good quality
sleep at night. If you’re waking up after eight hours
of sleep and still feeling tired, waking up multiple
times a night or if you snore or gasp for air while
you sleep, you’re probably not getting enough deep
sleep. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time
every day and cultivate other good sleep habits,
including reducing screen time right before bed;
having a quiet, dark room; keeping screens out of
the bedroom; and not eating large meals or drink-
ing caffeine right before you go to bed.
Exercising
Getting regular health care
Regular exercise can also help you feel better
overall, in addition to managing long-term health
conditions such as diabetes. Your joints last lon-
ger and hurt less if you’re exercising regularly,
plus getting outside and working up a sweat is
good for your mental health. Find physical activ-
ity that you enjoy and can do regularly. This can
be high-intensity exercises like running, hiking,
kickboxing or weightlifting, or low-intensity
See your doctor for an annual physical to get
your blood pressure and cholesterol checked and
get any tests you may need (such as for mam-
mograms and pap smears for women and pros-
tate exams for men). Make sure you’re up to date
on vaccines, and take this chance to talk over any
concerns or ask questions. You should see a den-
tist twice a year and see an eye doctor regularly
as well.
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26 / FAMILY HEALTH GUIDE 2019