CELEBRATE REPUBLIC DAY WITH A FITTER HEALTHIER SELF

Having spent an entire life making different choices, one at the end wants to be happy and the core of it is health.

The human body is designed to support the activities we perform in our lifetime, be it playing sports at school in childhood or handling responsibilities at home and work in the adult life and maintaining the body is the only thing one should focus on as they continue to grow and become busy in life.

Each year, on 26th January, Indians celebrates their rights being in a republic and democratic nation, this year, on the 71st republic day; why not take an initiative to ensure that we as citizens become healthier to support our nation's growth?

If one is in search of key points that will help to built and maintain a body that stays healthy in the long run, the quest ends here as the list mentioned below is cumulative of all the effortless steps one can take to ensure they live a better quality of life. From diet to other lifestyle habits, there are various aspects that lead to a healthy body and mind including:

1. Eat mostly unprocessed foods: What happens when we eat processed foods which the supermarkets are filled is that it leads to increased risk of a wide variety of health problems that can lead to heart disease or an early grave, such as obesity, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, cancer and depression as they contain a high amount of sugar. This republic day in India, the citizens should try to include a high number of unprocessed foods consisting of vegetables, fruit, lean meats like chicken and ground turkey, and grains to avoid processed foods altogether.

2. Walk when possible: Today, most of the people have a lifestyle that leads them to sit for long hours in front of the screens whether it is related to entertainment or work which ultimately lead to health problems. Walking can be a useful part of improving health here as just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance. So even if one has a small break at work or has something's within walking distance, they can make the effort to travel by foot instead of by car. This republic day in India, a small step one can take if there has time to spare, park farther than they normally would increase the step count.

3. Drink less often: According to WHO, Indians consumed 2.4 litres of alcohol in 2005, which increased to 4.3 litres in 2010 and scaled up to 5.7 litres in 2016. From moodiness, lower inhibitions upset the cycle of restorative sleep to increased symptoms of depression, alcohol consumption and its effects are never positive for health. What starts as a coping mechanism can ultimately lead to substance abuse. While stopping alcohol consumption is not easy, limiting heavy binge drinking to once a week is a better option for the liver as well as the wallet, too.

4. Bring lunch to work: It is very easy to indulge in the fast and junk food when one does not have an option but to consume what their outside. Bringing in the lunch at work helps one to consume less fat, salt, sugar and energy, along with controlled portion size and money savings as they are in control of what and how much they eat. Packing a salad or sandwich or last night's leftovers will allow one to save money and cut back on calories. Prepping the meals in advance can be a powerful trick which can go a long way.

5. Take vacations: Burnouts are a common problem that happens when people's life revolves around their work. Being an entrepreneur or an employee, there should a time when they take a break to ensure stress reduction, heart disease prevention, improved productivity and better sleep. Taking a vacation can allow one to de-stress and lower stress and anxiety in the life. Taking a break from busy city life and exploring the world is a great option to re-energise and focus on building a better world.

6. Stay away from negativity: Well, one is an average of 5 people they surround themselves with. It is essential to regulate who one allows being a part of their life. Staying positive is something one has to deliberately focus on in this world where there are challenges and hurdles at every part. Be it negative people or negative thoughts, one is in control of they seek and what they feel and once one achieve this, they can see things turn around for the better.

7. End toxic relationships and friendships: As mentioned above, mental health is an essential part of being healthier overall hence, staying positive and optimistic is essential to see the best out of the worst situations in life and grow at the end of each day. People who are bringing one down should be cut off first and foremost.

8. Take time away from technology: Technology is something that has connected people around the world but as much as the internet and technology have brought the ease in the life, it has also become a root cause to a plethora of problems including depression, weight gain and an overall unfit lifestyle. Detoxing from the technology and screen is today essential with a daily digital break is essential and benefitting.

LIVE THE LIFE ONE DESIRES

It is never worth thinking or spending the energy on people and their opinions, being true to one is the key to be followed while people attract people who they genuinely like and value them for who they are. Enjoy every day and take small steps to ensure one lives a healthier lifestyle and become fit this republic day.