With the rapid development of society and the economy, people’s living standards are improving quickly. Meanwhile, people are increasingly concerned about their health problems because of the fast pace of life and work stress. In a modern lifestyle, most people have no time to prepare a healthy diet on their working days, and they often choose fast food like hamburgers to fill their stomachs. Besides, they also have no time to do a lot of exercises or sleep enough. Over time, this kind of unhealthy lifestyle can lead to severe adverse effects on their health, such as chronic diseases: heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and so on. Therefore, a healthy lifestyle plays a significant role in daily life, and it can cure disease and promote wellness through a balance diet, regular exercise, smoking cessation, and adequate rest.
First, a balance diet is a fundamental of good health, and it can help people avoid or cure disease. Eating a balanced diet means choosing a wide variety of foods from all the food groups because the human body needs comprehensive nutrients to maintain the function correctly. To get the proper nutrients from a good diet, people need to eat fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, lean proteins, and so on. As getting enough nutrients, people can prevent and resist the invasion of disease. For example, someone who gets a cold or fever can recovery without any medicines when his body is strong enough. A balance diet not only can have the power to help cure ailments but also can treat some chronic illnesses. In the article “Nutrient-dense, plant-rich dietary intervention effective at reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors for worksites: a pilot study,” researchers state that the dietary pattern of dense nutrition and rich plant can prevent and improve chronic disease conditions, such as for cardiovascular disease. In this study, researchers choose 35 participants with specific requirements who are willing to change their current lifestyle; researchers provide them a particular diet, including various vegetables, legumes, beans, nuts, fruits, seeds, and whole grains, limiting the supply of refined food; after six weeks, researchers analyze the results of measures from these participants and discover this dietary pattern effectively reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. This result indicates that people can change eating habits a little bit, and they will get a better health over time.
Second, having regular exercise provide tremendous benefits that can improve the human’s overall wellbeing. Proper physical activities can promote blood circulation and metabolism, activate the vitality of human cells, and strengthen bones and muscles; it will boost human immunity that can lower the risk of many diseases such as heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and some cancers; moreover, exercise can help people to improve the quality of sleep and mental health (“Benefits of exercise”). There are various types of physical activities, including aerobic, muscle-strengthening, bone-strengthening, and stretching, which can enhance the physical condition and release stress. Someone may choose suitable sports according to their preferences, like yoga, has become a prevalent type of exercise. Anupama Kizhakkeveettil, a professor and the program director of Ayurvedic medicine at Southern California University of Health Sciences in Whittier, California, suggests that yoga is a feasible way to enhance the quality of people with chronic disease. Chronic disease, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, and chronic pulmonary disease, has become the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, which “cause 68% of the world’s deaths and are common in both developed and undeveloped countries”. People suffer from various symptoms of chronic diseases, and their quality of life is considerably cut down. Yoga, as a physical and mental practice, is a practical approach to prevent illness among healthy people and a treatment regime for chronic disease. Although medical care can take care of people in some cases, lifestyle changes like regular exercise will be more critical.
Third, there is a general awareness that smoking is harmful, so quitting smoking is an informed decision. Smoking is an addictive behavior that many people form an uncontainable reliance on cigarettes, which contain a great deal of noxious chemical substances. It can cause many dangerous diseases such as heart attacks, asthma, bronchitis, or lung cancer. In the book Smoking: Health Effects, Psychological Aspects and Cessation, the author claims that smoking is a major cause of pulmonary and cardiovascular disease, and quitting smoking can increase the risk of these diseases. Plenty of evidence shows huge benefits of smoking cessation, including improvements in lung function, reductions in smoking-related respiratory symptoms, and cutbacks in risk for myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular death.
Fourth, getting at least eight hours of sleep is vital to anyone’s health. People who get a good sleep can perform better in a day with an excellent memory and a happy mood. Many effects of sleep deprivation can result in negative consequences because the human body needs to recover its energy at night. At the same time, the immune system, metabolic system, and detoxification system of the human body will be fully adjusted during sleep. According to Matthew Walker, a professor at Harvard University, “Routinely sleeping less than six or seven hours a night demolishes your immune system and more than doubles your risk of cancer”. Subsequently, this evidence demonstrates that a great sleeping habit will be a reliable guarantee for a healthy body, and lack of sleep can make many harmful impacts on a person’s mental and physical health.