Tools to Help You Stay Healthy

Life sure can get hectic at times. Things like work, school, kids, pets, friends, family, and hobbies can fill up our days with little time left for ourselves. The primary area of our lives that most often gets neglected is our health.

Besides the occasional visit to the doctor’s office when we are sick, many people rarely even make it for a regular check-up. It is vital that we take proper measures to ensure we stay as healthy as possible in order to lead an extra-long and happy life.

One issue that many often run into is not fully understanding or having the proper tools to maintain a healthy lifestyle or begin a healthy routine. There are many options available whatever area of health you feel is the most important or what you feel you need to work on personally. Some determining factors that you should consider before getting started could include:

  • Your schedule
  • Your health priorities
  • What you may have time for in terms of complexity
  • Your budget

1. Skin

Skincare is an area of health that many people often neglect. It just so happens to be one of the areas that we should focus on extensively. Without proper care, serious issues can arise if our outermost layer is not taken care of with fidelity. Not to mention the fact that our skin is the largest organ in/on our body! Conditions that can result from neglecting your skin include:

  • Blotchiness
  • Acne
  • Dark spots
  • Dry, flaky skin
  • Wrinkles
  • Rashes

A daily skincare regime should involve some basics that should only take about 5-10 minutes of your time. Proper cleansing, toning, and moisturizing is an extra start. Treating yourself to masks, massages, or even a gua sha tool are excellent additions as well.

2. Hair

Your hair is also another feature that should be treated kindly. Your hair is the first thing that most people notice. Neglecting your hair can result in long-term damage that could potentially be irreversible.

Though the majority of people do wash their hair regularly, it sometimes just isn’t enough. There are factors to consider with caring for your hair. Hair types, thus their care, are as individual as the person who grows them. Among those types are: 

  • Oily
  • Dry
  • Thin
  • Thick
  • Curly
  • Straight

Keeping those things in mind, improper hair care has dire consequences. Conditions such as thinning hair, hair loss, dandruff, folliculitis, which is an infection of the hair follicle, and ingrown hairs. The following is an example of a routine that will keep your locks at their healthiest:

  • Wash and condition hair regularly (depending on hair type)
  • Detangle hair to prevent tangles and matting
  • Avoid too much heat or use a heat protectant when styling
  • An occasional, enriched hair mask is a best practice
  • Avoid using cleansers with unnecessary chemicals such as harmful sulfates

3. Vitamins/Medicine/Diet

It does not take the most disciplined individual to maintain a healthy body. This area should always be a top priority when it comes to your health. There are many elements required to achieve this. The most important probably consist of eating a healthy diet, enrichment by way of vitamins, and taking the proper medications if you become ill or injured.

When it comes to your diet, there are many choices available based on a variety of needs. Poor diets can result in a host of issues that could easily be prevented. Some of these issues include:

  • Weight gain
  • Weight lose
  • Diabetes
  • Heart disease
  • Poor skin, hair, and teeth
  • High cholesterol
  • Digestive issues

There are many tools that can assist you with making the best food choices possible. Options include phone apps, support groups, accessing the FDA’s internet site, or even just making an appointment with your doctor if you are experiencing difficulty or have any questions. 

A balanced diet containing foods from each of the food groups, vitamins, such as the B-complex located in Matter, and proper medication when sick can be huge in determining how high the quality of your life is. Companies are even discovering healthier ways to deliver medications, including clean pain medicine.

If you are diagnosed with any health complications, there are also tools to help there too. Home health monitoring systems, such as blood pressure cuffs and Diathrive glucose meters are extremely popular.

4. Exercise

Exercise is yet another crucial component to staying healthy. The average person should exercise for at least a minimum of 30 minutes per day. A lot of people generally associate exercising with a boring, old trip to the gym, but it does not have to be that way. There are many activities that can provide the necessary physical activity to get and remain healthy. Activities include:

  • Bicycling
  • Sports
  • Hiking
  • Home gym activities
  • Dancing
  • Swimming

If all else fails, walk it out. Technology has advanced us into the age of phone apps, smartwatches, and other devices that count steps, remind us to get up and move around. You could also try fitness groups for an extra layer of added support.

5. Sleep

Sleep is necessary for our overall health. It is crucial to unplug, get comfortable, and engage in an extended sleep period each night. It is highly recommended that adults get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. If not, it could lead to something referred to as sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation is the situation or condition of suffering from a lack of sleep. Sleep deprivation can cause undesirable effects on our health including weight gain, depression, enhanced risk of heart disease and diabetes, as well as a weakened immune system.

But alas, if you have trouble sleeping there are also tools available at your disposal in this area as well. These tools include:

  • White noise machines
  • A basic fan
  • Reading before bed
  • Healthy teas
  • Medication

Sleep is just as important as a healthy diet and regular exercise.

6. Teeth

Were you ever nagged as a child to make sure to brush your teeth? That is because tooth and gum help is essential to our health. It is also one of the most neglected areas of our daily routines. It isn’t that people do not brush their teeth. It is usually because they are not doing it entirely correctly. Simply brushing them in the morning or at bedtime is not enough. 

Poor oral hygiene can lead to a variety of health problems that most people just do not know about. These health problems include:

  • gingivitis/periodontal disease
  • Heart disease
  • Diabetes complications
  • Respiratory disorders

A typical oral hygiene routine looks similar to this:

  • Brush teeth twice daily
  • Floss at least once a day
  • Use mouth rinse with fluoride

Health is not determined by just one part of our bodies. It encompasses us in totality. Developing a healthy routine can be a challenge with our busy lifestyles, but it’s not impossible. There are many tools available to help us along this journey.

Technology and science have made it very easy to maintain regimens for our skin, hair, bodies, diets, and all that makes us unique. All it really takes is stopping for a moment and realizing that the healthier we are, the longer we will live. This will make all we do in life just a little sweeter.