Happiness does not only come from impressive work achievements and a harmonious family that brings tranquility to the heart. Maintaining good mental and physical health is also another source of happiness that can be achieved by adopting a healthy lifestyle. But what exactly does a healthy lifestyle entail? Is it sufficient to consume vegetables, fruits, drink water, and get enough rest? A healthy lifestyle actually encompasses and combines various aspects of life, including dietary patterns, exercise, mental health, relationships with others, and so on. This is what makes each person have different concepts and implementations of a healthy lifestyle.
Interestingly, awareness of a healthy lifestyle has improved significantly, as evidenced by the increasing number of influencers on Instagram and YouTube who actively promote healthy living through daily habits. Instead of emphasizing extreme diets that many people believe can burn fat quickly and make the body thinner, many argue and provide evidence and scientific references that such diets are not beneficial for physical and mental health.
A good diet is one that suits each person's individual physical condition, depending on their body's proportions and needs, so it cannot be generalized. Forcing oneself to follow an unsuitable diet and eating pattern can lead to stress, which is detrimental to mental health and can even weaken the immune system. This opinion is supported by studies that suggest that the human body is like a machine that requires a balanced intake of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, water, and various other essential substances. Removing one of these components without proper consideration will only invite illness.
Well, to avoid making mistakes in implementing a healthy lifestyle according to your body's needs, here is a general guide on what needs to be done to ensure not only the physical health is maintained but also the mental and overall well-being.
Calculate Daily Caloric Needs
Maintaining body health can be achieved by keeping track of your diet, where the number of calories consumed should align with your specific needs: age, gender, and daily activities. The purpose of calculating caloric needs is to prevent an accumulation of calories that may later turn into excess blood sugar.
Calculating caloric needs has become easier nowadays, thanks to the availability of online calorie calculators that only require information such as body weight in kilograms, gender, age, type of activity, and body mass index. Once you obtain the calculation results, the next step is to plan your meals, considering the calorie content of each portion, to avoid excessive intake.
Plan Meals According to Needs
Knowing your daily caloric intake is pointless if you don't follow up by planning meals according to your needs. Generally, the food combination should include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, and water. However, when it comes to quantity or portion size, you need accurate calculations, which can be obtained through the assistance of diet applications that are now easily available and can be installed on your phone. This way, whenever you want to plan your diet menu, you can calculate the portion for each type of food in advance.
In addition to using the application, the "Isi Piringku" method from the Ministry of Health can also be tried to measure meal portions. In the explanation, you can estimate the amount or grams per type, for example, to reach around 700 calories per plate consisting of rice, protein, vegetables, and fruit.
Exercise According to Needs and Abilities
If you want to exercise, you can do it according to your needs. Consulting with an expert may be necessary to determine whether your body needs muscle-building exercises or fat-burning exercises based on your body's health needs or body goals. Alternatively, if you want to do it yourself, you need to conduct a self-analysis based on calculations of muscle mass and fat using health apps or available online calculators.
For the overweight category, regular morning walks for 20-30 minutes each day can be done to avoid the risk of injuries or sprains. On the other hand, those who want to gain weight can do weightlifting exercises to increase muscle mass in the body. For those who have a busy schedule from morning until evening, exercises like HIIT or High-Intensity Interval Training for 15-20 minutes in the morning or evening can help improve overall body health and increase stamina.
It is important to emphasize that exercise should be enjoyable and not be perceived as a burden, as this can eventually cause stress to the body and mind.
Take Care of Your Mental Health
As mentioned earlier, a healthy lifestyle encompasses many things beyond just food, including mental health. Taking care of your mental health can be done in many ways, such as socializing with friends who provide positive vibes, spreading good energy that brings calmness and joy to the heart.
Furthermore, when you're on a diet or following a meal plan, don't be too hard on yourself as it will only lead to stress. Occasionally, reward yourself by consuming foods you enjoy, even if they have high calories. Lastly, never forget to always be grateful for even the smallest blessings received today, as gratitude is a source of inner peace.
The true meaning of a healthy lifestyle embraces all the important aspects of life, both physical and psychological. By maintaining a balance between the two, not only will you achieve good health, but also long-lasting happiness.
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