By Shivan Mahadeo
Have you ever been interested in how to promote longevity and live a healthy lifestyle? This blog is exactly what you have been looking for. From physical to mental health, we have you covered. Simply drinking more water or going for a brisk walk can make a considerable difference in your life. You do not need to be an expert in the field of health. However, you should know at least the basics which are broken down in this very blog you are reading.! You can even learn some coping techniques that are proven by clinical psychologists in keeping your mind sharp as a pencil! So, without further due, let's dive in!
How Does Staying Active Benefit YOU as a Student?
There are many forms of exercise from going to the gym to dancing with your partner on a weekend. It is important to exercise regularly to improve the oxygen circulation in your bloodstream. According to healthline.com. Prolonged sitting and sedentary behavior have been linked to an increased chance of heart disease, weight gain, and early death. Getting outdoors is a great way to battle against any season depression such as vitamin C and D deficiency. Even on brisk days, sunlight supports eye health and helps reduce feelings of worry or sadness. Regular or daily exercise can have health benefits such as boosting your mood, giving you more energy, eventually, building muscles, strong protective bones, losing or maintaining weight, and improve sleep quality. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that 150-300 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise is substantiated to stay in shape. This topic is important to me because I used to work for an individual who worked in open-heart surgery. I was not allowed to bring energy drinks or coffee. This can lead to physical and neurologic dependencies and what we are really doing is making substitutes for having a vitamin deficiency. I have noticed that most people who undergo surgical stint operation is because they lack good diet and exercising.
Managing Anxiety
I am sure you know the “Anxiety” song by multi-talented artist Doechii. Anxiety is prevalent in university environments, and one way of combating the negative effects is to practice meditation. This can be beneficial for times when feeling overwhelmed. A 2014 meta-analysis found that,1300 adults reported low level of anxiety through meditation. It can help with self-awareness and lengthens attention span. Yoga and Pilates can boost clarity and cognitive ability. The Calm App has a lot of natural soundscapes to reduce stress and anxiety, enhance mood, and allow for greater patience and emotional flexibility. Over time psychological markers like your cortisol and heart rate can affect the body in numerous ways. A 2017 review of 45 different studies suggest that meditation can help to decrease psychological markers. It may assist with symptoms like irritable bowel syndrome, PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and fibromyalgia.
Remember to DRINK WATER!
Did you know our bodies are about 75 percent water? Water is as essential as food; water and nourishment are the keys to your body and mind by improving concentration, digestion, energy deprivation, and improves heart health. Health studies have shown that anywhere between 8 to 13 cups a day is optimal for staying hydrated. To receive the most benefits from drinking water, stay clear of tap water and drink alkaline water. When your blood is tested you can see a difference in your red blood cells with alkaline water versus tap and bottles water. Up to 83% tap water has been found to contain microplastics, as well as heavy metals which produce brain fog.
Avoiding Bad Foods and Bad Addictive Habits
You want to avoid foods that are high in trans-fat which contributes to high LDL (bad cholesterol) and low HDL (good) cholesterol. High trans-fats are linked to heart disease and trans-fat typically originates from partially hydrogenated oils. The U.S. FDA has banned this in 2021 but particles can still be found in some foods today. It’s important to understand the 3G’s: glycogen, glucose, and glucagon. They are relative to how your body uses its main source of energy form carbohydrates. Glucose comes from food you eat and blood glucose (blood sugar) is the primary sugar found in your blood. This sugar is a vital source of energy and provides nutrients to your body’s organs, muscles, and nervous system. Glucose is especially important because it's the primary source of energy for your brain. Your brains constant requirement for glucose is why the current recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for carbohydrates for all adults is at least 130 grams per day. Glycogen comes from carbohydrates (a macronutrient), but it is not technically a carbohydrate. It is stored in your liver and skeletal muscle, but since your total muscle mass is greater than that of your liver, about three-quarters of your body’s total glycogen is stored in your muscles. During exercise, your liver begins breaking down muscle glycogen to be used for a metabolic fuel for your muscles. Our muscles cannot fully depend on glucose. Thus, your body stores three-quarters in all your skeletal muscles so they have consistent energy, especially during exercise.
DECREASE your screen time
Reducing screen time can improve sleep quality and lessen morning irritability and fatigue. A wonderful way of controlling and managing your screen time is to use your Android or Apple native app timer. Certain apple and android phones have an integrated app timer in their settings menu. Some phones like the Google Pixel even have a ‘focus mode’ where you can select which apps are distracting and reduce or block the use of said apps. A recent course of mine did a survey on how many apps someone has on their phone and the average was over 200 for the sample size of our class. According to Stanford university study, during an average week of in person classes, screen use is made up of 50.2% of a student’s waking hours. During the pandemic this grew to a shocking 77.6%. A survey was conducted, university students spend 3-4 hours, with majority falling between 3-4 hours a day, and some students even reporting 12 hours a day.
I hope this blog helps you to make informed decisions for your health. I would like the readers to understand how their body is functioning, especially in a high stress environment. This includes everything from understanding how your body functions to recognizing what may lead to post traumatic or chronic issues. While each individual has a unique health profile, I hope every reader now has at least a foundation on where they could start their health journey. Many key takeaways can be immediately applied to your life now! Remember, health is wealth!
Shiva is an aspiring law student with a passion for supporting children in the criminal justice system. He is also a dedicated Lands member and serves as a student academic integrity representative. His experience includes roles as a student senator and chief financial officer of the Student Senate Caucus.