What did you care about the most when you were in your 20’s? Was it the way you looked, the clothes you wore, or the places and people you hung out with? I’m 23 years old and I am not someone who cares about health much. I go out for parties when I feel like and drink and smoke occasionally. Living alone is another thing that affects one’s health, as you are never eating on time and are also not getting all the nutrients that you need, which makes you feel tired and fall sick often.
Keeping healthy, especially in your 20’s, is extremely important as these years are the stepping stones of your life out into the 30’s and 40’s. Being your formative years you have to take the most care when you are in your 20’s and inculcate healthy habits which will pay off in the long run and keep you in the pink of health and make you stay away from the doctor.
While most 20-year-olds don’t worry much about their health(including me, going to work towards it from today onwards though), studies show the lifestyle and health decisions we make during our third decade of life have a dramatic effect on how well we age.
Staying healthy in your 20’s is heavily associated with a lower risk for heart disease in middle age, according to research from Northwestern University. That study showed that most people who adopted five healthy habits in their 20’s – a lean body mass index, moderate alcohol consumption, no smoking, a healthy diet and regular physical activity – stayed healthy well into middle age.
But isn’t it especially difficult for a young adult to focus on health? Young people often spend long hours at work, which can make it tough to exercise and eat well. They face job pressure, romantic challenges, money problems, and family stress, don’t forget educational demands. Who has time to think about long-term health?
So we came up with a few simple habits to keep healthy and help you kick the bucket a lot later than all the others out there,smoking and drug use have been left out on purpose as that is a personal choice.
Here are the simple strategies you should follow if you are a 20 something and are looking to get on the path to better health:
Weigh yourself often:
It is always better to buy a bathroom scale and keep it close by and weigh yourself once every two days if not every day. This helps keep a check on your weight and you will get a sense on when you put on weight and why and will help cut back on that substance or food and help you control your weight. Small changes in weight can be rectified easily and faster. Isn’t it easy to lose a few kilos than maybe 15 kilos? So weigh yourself often and keep your weight and health in check. Shop for weighing machine online with Healthkart.
Learn to Cook:
Cooking is something everyone should know and should be taught to every kid as he is growing up. Cooking is more important than Math don’t you think? as food sustains you and gives you the energy to work, can you do the same thing with Math will it sustain or keep you alive? Well, I don’t think so! So cooking is extremely important and needs to be taught in schools as well. Even you can’t cook an exquisite meal like a chef, learn the basics maybe, how to make an omelet, french toast, pulao, tea, and coffee are the basics and I’m sure you can sustain on this. And there is YouTube anyway, if you know the basics you can watch those videos and make whatever you like/want. Alternative order healthy food from swiggy.
Cut back on sugar:
It is suggested that youngsters try and avoid excessive simple sugar by eliminating the most common sources of consumption: 1) sugared soft drinks 2) breakfast cereals with added sugar and 3) adding table sugar to foods. Excessive sugar intake is linked to obesity and diabetes, both of which contribute to heart disease. Sugar represents “empty calories” with none of the important nutrients needed in a balanced diet. Conversely, the traditional dietary villains, fat, particularly saturated fat, and salt, are not as harmful with the available scientific evidence not clearly linking them to heart disease.
Live an active life:
This is one of the most important habits that one needs to include in their lives and also impart to others. It is true that in our hectic schedules we never find time to hit the gym or exercise and just sit at our desks for hours. So try and make time, even if it is just 20 to 30 mins in a day and take those precious minutes to either have a brisk walk or cycle. If you stay close to your workplace you could maybe also walk to or from work.
Eat your veggies:
I know we hated veggies as kids and some of us still hate them. But you can’t take away the fact that they are extremely healthy for you and help you stay fit and fabulous. Start slow on the veggies if you hate them, but you will grow into them and like them, just like that shirt that your mom bought and you hated at the start but you wear it all the time now. Eat plenty of plant foods, go easy on junk foods, and stay active. The trick is to enjoy your meals, but not to eat too much or too often.
Practice portion control:
Never ban entire food group but practice portion control whenever you have a meal. Portion control doesn’t mean tiny portions of all foods it is quite the opposite. It’s okay to eat larger portions of healthy foods like vegetables and fruit. Have you ever seen anyone get fat from eating carrots or bananas? Choose smaller portions of unhealthy foods such as sweets, alcohol, and processed foods. A serving of protein like chicken or fish should be the size of your palm. (Think 1-2 palms of protein.) A serving of starch, preferably a whole grain such as brown rice or quinoa should be the size of your fist. So if you practice portion control you will automatically eat healthily and stay fit.
Find a job you love:
Work life in your 20’s can be very stressful and affect your midlife mental health. People who are less happy in their jobs are more likely to report depression, stress, and sleep problems and have lower overall mental health scores. The best advice for 20-year-olds, when it comes to finding a job would be finding a job they feel passionate about. This passion will keep them motivated, help them find meaning in life, and increase expectations about their future. That, in turn, will make them more engaged in life and healthier behaviors, which will have long-term benefits for their well-being.
Exercise after a party:
We go to parties all the time and drink and snack at such parties and this takes places mostly on weekends. If you are one of those who engages in a lot of drinking and snacking, ensure you exercise a lot to compensate for all those extra calories from Friday to Sunday that come with extra drinking and eating. A study found that on Friday through Sunday young adults consumed about 115 more calories than on other days, mainly from fat and alcohol. So after you hit those parties on weekends, make sure you start off the week exercising and continue to do so.
Staying healthy makes us happy and keep our mind and body in the best shape. For, He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.