On days when you don’t feel like doing hectic exercises, you can still protect your heart and stay healthy by adopting the simple habits discussed in this guide.
Staying healthy requires adopting healthy habits. Exercising alone will not change things; you need to watch what you eat or drink and ensure that your body gets the right treatment from time to time.
The required habits vary from person to person, depending on your daily activities and medical conditions. This guide is good for people with diabetes, heart conditions, and obesity. We have recommended 13 straightforward habits you can cultivate from the comfort of your couch.
Drink Ginger Tea
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Ginger is often used as a spice in food, but it is also a dietary supplement in folk medicine. Ginger as a traditional medicine dates back to 475 BCE in Japan and China. Confucius was a staunch believer in the medicinal benefits of ginger. He ate ginger with every meal.
There are many ways to add ginger to your meals, but ginger tea is an effective way of getting the best nutrients from ginger. Gingerol, the active ingredient in ginger, is an antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress (a medical condition that stems from storing too many free radicals in the human system). Studies show ginger helps reduce sugar levels in diabetic patients, enhances weight loss, and treats chronic indigestion. However, avoid the overuse of ginger as it can cause bleeding, hypoglycemia, and serious health issues. Limit it to 3 to 4 grams per day.
Eat Plenty of Fruits
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Fruits provide the body with vitamins (such as vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate), antioxidants, and minerals (like Zinc, magnesium, and phosphorus). They are also good for diabetic patients; they are low in calories but voluminous, satisfying hunger without raising blood sugar levels.
By eliminating too many carbs and fats from your system, your blood pressure and cholesterol will be reduced significantly. Fruits are often recommended for patients battling obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Replace Sugary Drinks with Healthy Drinks
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According to research conducted by Meng Wang et al., Drinking sugary sweetened beverages increases the chance of developing type 2 diabetes by 30%. Alternatives to SSBs include unsweetened coffee, tea, sugar-free lemonade, and green smoothie.
Sugary drinks cause sugar spikes in the blood, increasing the blood pressure of people with diabetes. They have little or no nutritional value to your body.
Quit Smoking
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Smoking does a lot of harm to the human body. It causes cancer, lung damage, diabetes, and infertility in men. There is no healthy way to smoke. It does not matter if you use a cigar or e-cigarette; as long as the smoke makes it to your lungs, your health is at risk.
The warning message, “Smokers are liable to die young,” has lost its meaning because it was never intended to deter people from smoking; it was created to absolve the tobacco corporations of the death of loyal customers. Save yourself because the government won’t save you.
Reduce the Intake of Alcohol
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Drinking alcohol is not overly bad, but being addicted to it is bad for your health. The health benefits of alcohol include the enhancement of insulin sensitivity and the enhancement of blood clothing. On the other hand, the abuse of alcohol can cause heart disease, stroke, reduced immunity, and liver disease.
Too much alcohol damages the myocardium (aka heart muscles), weakening the heart’s ability to pump blood properly. At first, the heart rhythm is altered. Longer exposure to alcohol can result in chronic cardiovascular diseases like stroke.
Sleep Well
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Just like exercising, sleeping is great for the body. A night of good sleep is not judged only by the duration of time you sleep. According to Dr Marishka Brown, healthy sleep must have three features: time spent, sleep quality, and consistency. Per Dr Marishka’s requirements, a good night’s sleep must be consistent, sufficient, and refreshing. Not having enough sleep can lead to depression, heart disease, high blood pressure, brain damage, and death, amongst many other diseases.
You need rest to repair your body tissue, refuel your energy, refresh your mind, and maintain body physiology.
Limit Processed Carbs
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Processed carbohydrates contain basic carbohydrates but lack the nutrients and fiber required for a healthy diet. Examples include our everyday snacks, pizza, pasta, fast food, frozen food, and chips.
The problem with processed carbs is that they break down almost instantly and deposit a load of sugars into the circulatory system, shooting the blood sugar level and increasing the blood pressure. Consistent consumption of processed carbs can lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Snack on Nuts and Seeds
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People who avoid nuts and seeds because they have “fats” are misinformed. You need to know two major types of fats: saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats cause heart disease, while unsaturated fats are healthy for your body. Nuts and seeds contain good fats.
Besides fats, nuts and seeds provide proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Protein, unlike carbohydrates, does not shoot up your blood sugar levels. Taking 15 to 20 grams of nuts and seeds daily is great for your body. Examples of nutritious nuts and seeds are almonds, flaxseeds, cashews, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and Macadamia nuts.
Cook with Olive Oil
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When you can, olive oil is a healthier choice, especially for people suffering from heart disease. Olive oil mainly contains monounsaturated fatty acids—as we mentioned earlier, unsaturated fatty acids are healthier than saturated ones.
Olive oil retains most of its nutrients because it was manufactured using the cold-pressed extraction method, which is carried out at low temperatures.
The major disadvantage of using olive oil for cooking is that it has a lower smoke point, which makes it unsuitable for high-heat cooking. Also, people who are used to the taste of other types of oil might find the olive oil less appealing.
Eat Fatty Fish
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According to the American Heart Association recommendation, fatty fish is a healthy source of nutrients that can be eaten two times a week. Each meal should contain at least three ounces of fatty fish. Examples of fatty fish are mackerel, anchovies, salmon, mussels, and oysters, among many others.
Fatty fish, like olive oil, contain healthy fats. In addition to healthy fats, fatty fish contain protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Stretch Your Body to Reduce Blood Sugar
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You can burn calories while sitting on your couch; exercising does not end at the gym or outdoors. A study by Arnold G. Nelson et al. thoroughly examined the impact of passive stretching exercises on 22 adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The researchers found out that 20 to 40 minutes per day of stretching helps reduce blood sugar.
To stretch, tilt one ear towards your shoulder and tilt the other in the opposite direction. You can also stretch your arms above your head and hold the stretch for one minute.
Eat Healthy
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You cannot be healthy if you don’t eat good foods. We are what we eat, and the food we eat can determine our mood. The impact of food on our feelings is not just connected to its sweetness but also to its quality or richness.
Healthy food includes a balanced diet and a combination of nutrients that make the human body function properly. These nutrients include carbohydrates, fats, protein, minerals, vitamins, fiber, and water.
When you eat processed foods, your sugar levels are raised, and your mood fluctuates. You can protect your mental health by stopping the intake of processed foods like Coke, Fanta, and bread.
Take Multivitamins
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Multivitamins are medicinal supplements enriched with vitamins, minerals, and additional nutrients. Although multivitamins contain vitamins and minerals, they cannot replace a balanced diet. The abuse of multivitamins can lead to serious illnesses such as kidney issues, immunosuppression, and acanthosis.
Multivitamins should not be taken without the counsel of a medical practitioner. They are usually administered to people with vitamin deficiencies, seniors, and those suffering from chronic diseases.