Having a healthy lifestyle means living a balanced life, and finding joy in your physical, intellectual, and spiritual wellbeing, without neglecting one for the other. That prescription, we admit, is a lot easier to give than it is to follow, but it's well worth taking up the challenge and ditching those bad habits.
Breaking bad habits
Many of us have developed a host of unhealthy habits that are useful for coping with the stresses of everyday life. Even if we want to change, we often revert to these familiar ways during times of crisis.
Part of living a healthy life means breaking free from bad habits. And that takes time. Give the new habits you're trying to acquire at least two or three weeks before expecting to see some improvement. Better still; try to practice your new, healthy habits for 90 days. If you do, you'll be living a much healthier and more satisfying life.
Don't let smoke get in your eyes
First and most important: if you're a smoker, give up now. It's the fastest and easiest way to improve your health. No doubt you're already familiar with all the anti-smoking arguments, so we won't trot them out again here. But consider this: would the billion-pound, politically powerful tobacco companies allow health warnings on cigarette packages if there was even the remotest possibility that smoking doesn't kill you? Not a chance. Studies show that the sooner you quit, the longer you'll live.
Eat well to stay well
Poor nutrition, especially a diet high in saturated fat – dairy products, red meat, junk food – leads to cardiovascular disease, the number one killer of men. Eating foods rich in saturated fat results in increased blood levels of cholesterol – a fatty liquid which begins to build up on the walls of arteries, eventually clogging them like a drain full of grease.
Too much fat will have a looking like the Michelin man, eventually sapping your energy and causing more health problems. Have a good look at your current diet.
Are there too many fatty foods?
Do you tend to eat large quantities of junk food?
Are fruit and vegetables low down on the list of foods you eat?
A nutritious diet is based on generous amounts of filling, energy-rich food such as pasta, bread, and rice, and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. For protein, choose lean meat, fish, pulses (such as haricot and pinto beans), and low fat dairy products. Avoid butter, and stick to moderate amounts of low fat versions of milk, ice cream, yogurt, and cheese. Limit your oil intake by choosing monounsaturated oils, such as olive oil, and low fat, oil based products such as margarine.
Don't forget plain old water – we're two-thirds water after all. We lose water constantly through swearing, urinating, and breathing, so we need to replenish the supply or risk dehydration. Make sure you always drink when you're thirsty, since thirst monitors the body's need for more fluids. Doctors recommend drinking at least six to eight 225ml (8oz) glasses of water a day. Keep a big glass or bottle of mineral water nearby during the day and sip from it. You'll be surprised how much you drink.
Exercise for longer life
Exercise helps you live longer, relieves stress, staves off diseases such as colds and flu – and it can even put a spark in your sex life. All you have to do is find 30 minutes three times a week to do some form of aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling.
Before you start a fitness program, especially if it has been years since you saw the inside of a gym, make sure you consult your GP.
Protect yourself from the sun
Skin cancer is most easily avoided with sunscreen and common sense. If possible, stay out of the sun from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M when cancer-causing ultraviolet (UV) rays are strongest. If you have to be outdoors, be sure to wear sunscreen and a hat. Never use a sun bed – the UV light might give you a tan to die for.
Drink in moderation
A little bit of booze can be a good thing. Moderate drinking protects against heart disease. But imbibing more than about two glasses of beer or wine a day will have the opposite effect on your health. Heavy drinking over a long period of time can do a great deal of harm to your physical, mental, professional, domestic, and social well being. Keep your drinking within safe limits and stick to them.
Grill the doctor
Heart disease and cancer are the top two killer of men, and the chances of you contracting either can be greatly reduced with good, preventive medical care. Yet for many men, going to the doctor is about as appealing as having a tooth pulled without anesthetic. Who hasn't trembled at the prospect of a rectal examination or on hearing those five feared words: "turn tour head and cough", while having a cold hand cupped around your testicles?
You need to feel comfortable with your doctor, so choosing the best one for your needs is important. Ask friends for recommendations. A good GP will take time to explain the cause of your illness in a way that helps you understand the reason for the treatment, if the next patient before doing so, try another doctor and keep looking until you find one who you like.
Know your body
Many of us give our bodies about as much thought as we do about what we had for lunch last week. Which is to say, little or none. This attitude creates a tendency to ignore the distress signals the body sends out. So we seek medical help only when the pain makers a hot poker in the eye seem like blessed relief, or when the wound or ailment has become so ghastly that women faint and children run away at the sight of it.
If you feel pain or for prolonged periods of time or develop unfamiliar lumps, sores. Or aches that don't disappear in a few days see your GP. Even when you're feeling fine, take a moment or two to examine yourself every month. Check your testicles for lumps. Look over your moles, too, for changes in size and color. Anything unusual warrants a call to the doctor to determine whether a surgery visit is necessary.
Also make sure that you and your GP know your family's medical history. That knowledge will help you and your doctor determine if there are any symptoms you need to monitor more carefully.
Get your sleep
Don't scrimp on sleep. Studies show nearly half of all men sleep fewer than the eight hours a night that most people need. If you fall asleep easily during the day – you can put your head down and be out for the count – you need more sleep. If for some reason you can't get more sleep at night, then try taking short naps during the day. Even as little as 30 minutes will help to refresh you and reverse a deficit.
Roll with life's punches
Finally, don't neglect your mental health. Learn to relax. Find a few minutes every day for yourself in a quiet place to read or reflect on the day's events. Take up a hobby which you've always wanted to do and can enjoy alone or with others.
Take yourself less seriously and learn to laugh at life's absurdities. Humor is a great antidote to the pressures and seriousness of much of our lives. And don't be afraid to be yourself. Studies show that people who are more unconventional and less traditional – "rebels who march to the beat of their own drum" – tend to be healthier.