5 Beneficial Habits For Better Health and Life

Today, not many people are implementing intermittent fasting. And, yet it is one of the most valuable habits for better health. Who would have thought that eating fewer times in a day could offer many health benefits?

Probably, one of the reasons many people forgot, ignore, or not even aware of intermittent fasting due to the abundance of foods. For instance, in urban areas, or cities,  you will find many kiosks offering meals, including fast foods and restaurants.

Unfortunately, the abundance of foods does not mean all of the foods you can buy support your health and well-being. Hence, it is critical to consider food choices and make sure only to eat foods conducive to health.

Intermittent fasting is an ancient practice. Even ancient philosophers like Plutarch have done fasting.

For people who want to lose weight, doing regular intermittent fasting makes sense. While it makes sense eating less will make a person lose weight when it comes to intermittent fasting, there is more to it.

Intermittent fasting boosts metabolic rate. If you’re not aware, a better metabolism means it is easier to lose and maintain the ideal weight.

In one study, intermittent fasting has helped people lose between 3% to 8% of their weight between 3 to 24 weeks of doing it. Additionally, the subjects also lost between 4% to 7% of their waist sizes.

It means that intermittent fasting has helped burn belly fats, which is harmful and toxic to a person’s health, causing many diseases, notably metabolic disorders like diabetes, hypertension, sexual health, and many others.

In other studies, intermittent fasting has helped reduce inflammation in the body. It also helps reduce oxidative damage. These benefits are worth noting as inflammation and oxidative damage is starting points for numerous diseases.

Isn’t it nice to know that a simple as eating less, restricting calorie intake can make a huge difference? And, yet not many people are doing it but depend mostly on medications that come with many side effects.

Intermittent fasting also boosts the body’s immunity. The immune system is the body’s last defense against viral infection and getting rid of free radicals that can cause diseases, too. 

In one study, it only takes three days of fasting to experience a boost in immunity. Surprisingly, in another study, researchers found that intermittent fasting was able to regenerate the pancreas of diabetic patients. 

To men who want to boost their testosterone level, intermittent fasting can also help in achieving it. It even helps in improving concentration, healthier gut health, liver health, lowers blood pressure, and perhaps there is, even more, we are not aware yet.

The great thing about it is that you need only to know how to do intermittent fasting and develop it as one of your habits for better health. Once it becomes a habit, it will give you a domino effect of a wide range of health benefits.

Some call it resistance training. Regardless of names, it is one of the best habits for better health. Weight lifting is not just for bodybuilders.

Everyone can benefit from lifting weights, especially older adults who are prone to age-related muscle deterioration, including sarcopenia. Lifting weights can help preserve muscles on older adults, and high-intensity resistance training may even make seniors build muscles.

As an average adult, weight lifting is a mood booster. Hence, it is an excellent complement to eat mood-boosting foods while doing resistance or strength training.

There are not many health experts recommend weight lifting to boost mood and mental health. Furthermore, weight lifting is an excellent way to build muscles. It is the reason bodybuilders lift more weights and train longer to achieve lean and well-sculpted muscles.

Interestingly, a UCLA study says that having more muscle mass reduces a person’s risk of dying prematurely.

In other words, the greater your muscle mass, the lower your risk of death. Thus, rather than worrying about weight or body mass index, we should be trying to maximize and maintain muscle mass.

DR. ARUN KARLAMANGLA, STUDY CO-AUTHOR AND PROFESSOR IN THE GERIATRICS DIVISION, GEFFEN SCHOOL

Running is not for athletes and those planning to run on a marathon. It is an excellent form of natural exercise or movement. Just like walking, running offers many health benefits, including longevity.

Unfortunately, many people today forgot this natural form of exercise or movement. The prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle makes running an elite sport for athletes only.

Running is one of the many natural movements, and humans are built to perform it regularly and naturally. In case you forgotten, humans evolved to run long distances for gathering foods, hunting distances, and even escape from dangers.

Today, science is rediscovering the many health benefits of running mentally and physically. If you’re into the habit of walking, particularly brisk walking, you might as well run. It is not necessary to run like an athlete running in a marathon, but simply combine running with walking.

If you can’t run outdoors, you may have access to a treadmill, which you can do your running workouts indoors. It does not to be done for long hours. Running for a few minutes along with walking, let you reap the health benefits.

In one study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers found that 5 to 10 minutes of running per day at low-speed equivalent to jogging reduces the risks of death from all causes and cardiovascular disease.

Running, even 5 to 10 min/day and at slow speeds <6 miles/h, is associated with markedly reduced risks of death from all causes and cardiovascular disease. This study may motivate healthy but sedentary individuals to begin and continue running for substantial and attainable mortality benefits.

DUCK-CHUL LEE, RUSSELL R. PATE, CARL J. LAVIE, XUEMEI SUI, TIMOTHY S. CHURCH, STEVEN N. BLAIR; J AM COLL CARDIOL. 2014 AUG, 64 (5) 472-481.

Spending more time in nature is one of the natural and effective ways to keep stress under control. If taking a vacation is one of your plans, allocate time in which you can spend with yourself or with others in nature.

The best places to spend time and simply unwind are parks with trees or forests where you can walk barefoot as a form of grounding, which on its own, grounding offers many health benefits.

Another excellent place to spend with nature is on beaches. Walking on the sand barefoot is another form of grounding with amazing results. Plus, the sound of waves on the shore adds a more relaxing feature, which is excellent for mental health.

In a Japanese study, researchers found that spending time in the forest as a form of therapy has a positive impact on cardiovascular health.

Our findings indicated that physical activities in the forest environment can have positive effects on cardiovascular responses, which supports the fact that forest-related activity can be effective for facilitating homeostasis. 

In Finland, a study also showed similar benefits that spending time in nature, even with just short-term visits, has a stress-relieving effect.

Oddly enough, you may be reading this on Facebook or Twitter. It is funny, isn’t it? But are you aware of the addictive effect of social media?

Social media addiction is real. Unfortunately, many people are not aware that they are hooked on it, especially Facebook.

The Independent UK, an online news website, reports a Danish study that finds people who stopped using Facebook are happier.

Facebook distorts our perception of reality and of what other people’s lives really look like. We take in to account how we’re doing in life through comparisons to everyone else, and since most people only post positive things on Facebook, that gives us a very biassed perception of reality.

MEIK WIKING, HAPPINESS RESEARCH INSTITUTE CEO TOLD THE LOCAL (DANISH NEWS)

In another study, researchers linked Facebook usage to symptoms of depression. Mai-Ly Steers, the author of the study told Forbes;

It doesn’t mean Facebook causes depression, but that depressed feelings and lots of time on Facebook and comparing oneself to others tend to go hand in hand.

With all these, you might as well say that it is impossible to quit or avoid Facebook altogether. Well, you may be right. it is difficult to quit Facebook especially if you’re doing business with it.

However, what you can do is be conscious at all times the things you do on Facebook. Infinitely scrolling the news feed without clear goals of what you are looking for is a bad idea.

You may come across messages with hidden subliminal messages that are unnoticeable to the naked eyes, which eventually affect you mentally in the long run.

Of course, you may not be able to resist reading and engaging in posts that convey a comparison of yourself to others. It is exactly what the studies have found that could potentially lead to depressive symptoms.

Social media is a great tool for communications and business. But you must use it consciously and responsibly. Make sure you are using it to your advantage and not let it use you.

Be in control and not let Facebook controls your behaviors and feelings.