People often say, “You are what you eat.” A more appropriate phrase would be, “You are how you live.” Many people like to attribute just one or two factors that determine their health, such as genetics, diet and exercise.
However, our health is much more complex than that. A plethora of variables and social determinants affect our quality life. These variables need to be taken into account when deciding if the way we’re living is aiding or hurting our health.
It is always better to not get sick in the first place than to get sick at all. You can only do that by knowing what truly affects your health.
Where You Work
In the end, work is much more than just a paycheck. Stress from work can have detrimental effects on your health when left unchecked. Feeling tension over your workload, work relationships or just finding work itself can lead to a lack of sleep and exhaustion.
When working for a company that involves the use of heavy machinery, it can be especially dangerous when operating on very little or no hours of sleep. Besides bodily injury, you could also risk the development of heart disease, high blood pressure, and even diabetes.
Having a job is important, but so is your health. Keep that in mind when you’re looking for work and evaluate whether your current occupation is truly worth it.
Where You Live
The area you live in also has a lot to do with your health. Areas without access to amenities like parks and rec centers usually have higher rates of obesity since there are fewer outlets for physical exercise. Housing plays a part in your health as well.
If your living space is exposed to pests, leaks, and lack of air flow, you could get a nasty case of allergies. Or worse, develop asthma.
Having a safe environment to call your home will decrease the risks that stress and other variables could pose if you lived somewhere you felt less than safe in. So remember to take location and housing into account when moving to a new area.
What You Eat
Although you may not entirely be what you eat, diet is still an instrumental part of your health. It’s important to start young when it comes to eating a healthy array of foods, but it’s never too late to start.
A diet that is lackluster in nutrients does not do you any favors in the long run. Not only does eating more nutritiously improve learning and overall mental function, it combats any of the debilitating ailments that come with any nutrient deficiency. If you haven’t been eating healthy already, now’s the time.
How to Prevent
The best way to fight a disease is to prevent it before it even starts. This is where doctors and nurses can most effectively save lives with preventative services. When you get vaccinated and are screened for cancer, cholesterol, blood pressure and mental health, you are not only giving your body the extra oomph that it needs to stay strong, you’ll also be adding years to your life.
Getting preventive healthcare will reveal if there are any warning signs of a disease or if you have an early stage of an illness. During these times, there will be many things you can do to bring down your risk and help you live a long and fulfilling life.
Your health doesn’t start with just one aspect of your life. It is all-encompassing and involves many things you might not have thought of at first. What you decide to put on your plate is just as important as where you go to work. Also, don’t forget about the impact of where you live as well as the house you live in. As long as you keep these components in mind, your preventive health screenings will return with better and better results. Health ultimately begins with you, but just as importantly, it involves what’s around you too.
[…] know that lifestyle has an important impact on health. But the reality is that lifestyle is determined less by individual choices and more by the inertia […]