UK Wellness Articles

Getting the Health Habit

We all know people who seem to get one bout of illness after another. Just as they're getting over one thing along comes something else. But then we also know people who are constantly full of beans, full of energy and on the go all the time; people who never seem to succumb to much illness at all. What are the key differences between these "North and South Poles" of health? A key difference is in their behaviours and lifestyle choices.

On the "North Pole" (the frequently ill) the thinking is that this is something that just happens. In other words, health problems are to do with fate. "I come down with whatever's going around the office", they say. "I catch whatever my children pick up at school." These individuals - and they represent most of us - don't realise that what leads to illness is behaviour, action, and choice. For example, in the large proportion of UK adults who are either overweight or obese, is this fate? Or something else?

On the South Pole side, people who are rarely ever ill are usually very clear about what's going on. These individuals have trained themselves to take control of their health and well-being by making active choices. These healthy behaviour choices result in: a stronger immune system,
lower serum cholesterol, lower blood pressure, improved cardiovascular health, weight loss, more restful sleep, and a positive mental attitude.

Healthy behaviour has been shown to reduce blood glucose (good news for diabetics) and the incidence of life-changing disorders such as strokes. What are these action steps? Everybody knows them, even "North Pole" people do. Healthy behaviour includes: regular vigorous exercise (the Dept.of Health's CMO report "At Least Five a Week" advises that "increasing levels of physical activity helps to reduce coronary heart disease and obesity, hypertension, depression and anxiety ... and can protect against chronic disease and improve quality of life." Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables (the Dept of Health recommends at least five portions per day) Eat a balanced diet including high quality protein, complex carbohydrates, and mono- and polyunsaturated fats.
Make sure to get the rest that you need (seven hours of sleep per night is the recommended average).

Healthy behaviour does require discipline and effort. In the 21st Century, good health does not come for free. To be healthy and well, we need to do the planning, make our schedules, and put in the time. Of course, there's a very big return, not only adding years to life, but also adding life to years. It's much more fun to have good health. We all know how not-fun it is when we're ill.How good would it be to have a healthy height/weight ratio, normal levels of blood glucose, and a normal-for-age blood pressure? It would be very beneficial.

Your local chiropractor can be an important part of your plan for good family health, and  is an expert in all aspects of healthy behaviour. We will be glad to help you design plans and programs that will work for your needs and those of your family.

References: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4080994