Useful tips to improve your health

 The human body is a very fascinating creation, as you delve into the anatomy of the human body you begin to understand how complex the body really is.
There are many factors of our lives that impact our behaviour, this includes how we talk, walk and even breathe.  In addition to being a product of our environment, it is vital that we understand that, we are heavily affected by our food choices, lifestyle and the amount of sleep we get. 

What we eat can not only affect our physically appearance but can also affect how we feel, “diet plays a role in mental health, as well as in chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Too much coffee, for example (or too much of any stimulant), can increase your anxiety; too much consumption of highly processed foods is associated with depressive symptoms. (1)

There are many factors within our lifestyle that can impact our livelihood, some of these factors include; diet, sleep, exercise, recreation, sex, substance misuse, study, medication and modern technology.

It is vital that we have a good balance of these factors to ensure our bodies run as efficiently as possible. Each of these factors have a direct link to each other for example a lack of physical activity leads to reduced mobility which could lead to other health problems such as anxiety and depression.

When engaging in physical activity your body releases endorphins which is a ‘feel good hormone’ that is “released by the pituitary gland and hypothalamus in the brain. As natural hormones, they can alleviate pain, lower stress, improve mood, and enhance your sense of well-being. The body releases endorphins when you do pleasurable activities such as eating, exercise, and sex, etc.” (2) 

 Another important factor of our lifestyle is the quality of our sleep. To ensure good health it is important that we have a good quality of sleep to enable our bodies regulate themselves. During our sleep our bodies repair muscles, manage hormones, sort memories and grow bones. Our sleep can be segmented into four stages which all have their individual benefits. 

Healthy living is achieved through a balanced lifestyle, this means having suffice rest, nutrition and regular exercise. On the contrary it is extremely helpful that we do our fair part to try and limit our intake of sugar, alcohol and unhealthy foods.  

Regardless of what your medical condition is, these small tips can make a big impact onb improving your health.

(1) Bates, D. (2022) How your food choices affect your mental well-being, Psychology Today. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/mental-health-nerd/202211/how-your-food-choices-affect-your-mental-well-being#:~:text=There%20is%20mounting%20scientific%20evidence,is%20associated%20with%20depressive%20symptoms. (Accessed: 07 February 2024). 

(2) Supasitthumrong, T. (2023) Endorphins - the ‘feel good’ chemicals for well-being., MedPark Hospital. Available at: https://www.medparkhospital.com/en-US/lifestyles/endorphins#:~:text=pain%2Drelieving%20drug.-,Endorphins%20are%20neurotransmitters%20released%20by%20the%20pituitary%20gland%20and%20hypothalamus,exercise%2C%20and%20sex%2C%20etc. (Accessed: 07 February 2024). 

(3) Lockett, E. (2023) The stages of sleep: What happens during each, Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/stages-of-sleep (Accessed: 07 February 2024).