The best medicine a person can have to help offset the impacts of illness is preventative medicine. With Medicare costs on the rise, taking steps to being Proactive when it comes to Health rather than reactive isn’t just smart for your overall wellness, but also your wallet.
Taking a proactive approach to your health rather than a reactive one will help prevent illness and disease, keeping your immune system strong, healthy, and functional. Here are five ways that you can practice proactive health and improve your quality of life.
Get Your Micronutrients
If you’ve looked at ways to track your food consumption in the last few years, you’re probably familiar with looking at your macronutrients: fat, carbohydrates, and protein. Micronutrients are compounds that your body needs in smaller doses, such as vitamins and minerals that help your body function.
The best way to get enough micronutrients is to eat a diverse diet that’s full of different colored fruits and vegetables. If you struggle with this, then taking a vitamin supplement is the second best option. Vitamins that come in powder or liquid form are more easily absorbed than hard vitamins with a waxy coating.
Break up With Diet Fads
To be proactive with your health, stop believing everything you hear about diets. There’s no quick fix to improve years of wrongdoing. Give your body what it needs, rather than what’s being touted as a miracle cure.
Drinking apple cider vinegar every day isn’t going to offset the fast food you eat multiple times a week. Starving yourself might make you skinnier, but certainly won’t make you healthier. Look at working with a nutrition coach or taking steps on your own to manage your portion sizes and ensure you’re eating what your body needs to survive.
Go to Your Checkups
An annual checkup may seem like an extra expense and waste of time, but in reality, it’s a smart, proactive approach to managing one’s health. There are many diseases – cancer being a big one – that don’t show symptoms until the disease has progressed substantially.
By taking the time to schedule an annual checkup, you increase the chances of catching things early so that you can eradicate them with minimal effort. This is especially important as you get older, as many diseases increase in prevalence with age.
Get More Sleep
Getting more sleep is sometimes easier said than done, especially if you work shift work or have a history of insomnia. However, sleep deprivation is closely linked with a number of hormonal imbalances and decreased immunity. There are many people who never get so much as a cold until they’ve missed a night of sleep, then it’s all over.
Start by creating an environment that promotes sleep with a bedtime routine. Get away from screens an hour before bedtime and expose yourself only to soft lighting. Your bedroom should be kept cool, dark, and comfortable for the best results possible. If a fan or white noise machine will help you, invest in one.
Get Moving
You’ve likely already heard all of the amazing ways that exercise can improve your health and wellness. However, starting a workout regimen can be overwhelming for those who have a history of poor health or lack the motivation to get moving.
Again, it’s important not to feed into the different channels telling you what to do with an all or nothing approach. If you enjoy walks and yoga, commit to engaging in those activities a couple of times a week. If learning how to salsa dance appeals more than lifting weights, start taking classes. The important thing is starting a routine; you can perfect it later.
You’re only given one body to live in, so it’s up to you to take care of it. Taking a proactive approach to your health and wellness will improve your longevity and quality of life.
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