3 Things You Should Be Doing Everyday

Although the worlds of medical science and healthcare can sometimes feel overwhelmingly complex, we’re going to share three very simple things anyone can do each day to ensure physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

1. Walk in Nature

“Urbanization has many benefits, but it also is associated with increased levels of mental illness, including depression. It has been suggested that decreased nature experience may help to explain the link between urbanization and mental illness.”

You’ve surely heard that walking is a great way to regulate your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. It improves circulation, strengthens your heart, and lowers your risk of osteoporosis.

Moderate walking also:

Reduces the risk of breast and colon cancer, and it appears to lower the risk for cancers of the prostate, lung, and uterine lining, advises the National Cancer Institute.
Improves cognition, memory and may even help prevent further deterioration among elderly people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.

There’s a huge difference between pounding that indoor treadmill and walking outside in nature, according to studies at Stanford University. Participants who took a 90-minute walk through a quiet, tree-lined path reported lower levels of brooding over problems and showed reduced neural activity in an area of the brain linked to risk for mental illness (subgenual prefrontal cortex) compared with those who walked alongside a loud and chaotic multi-lane highway.

Bottom line: A quick 30-minute daily walk in solitude and silence through your nearest park or forest provides numerous health benefits, makes your brain more fit and resilient, and offers an immediate attitude adjustment and quieting of negative mind chatter.

2. Drink Your Water

You know how important hydration is for keeping your muscles healthy and cramp-free in the heat, but did you know that staying well-hydrated means your heart doesn’t have to work as hard? Water is vital for every one of your body’s functions and essential to every cell, tissue, and organ.

Dehydration occurs in all types of weather, and this serious condition can cause problems ranging from a mild headache to life-threatening illnesses such as heat stroke. Your daily fluid needs are dependent upon several factors including weather, age, activity levels, and overall health condition, but the easiest way to stay hydrated is to watch the color of your urine. If it’s pale, you’re drinking enough. If it’s dark, you need more fluids.

Clean, pure water is the best thing to drink to stay hydrated. Including an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet also increases your water intake. Sports drinks with electrolytes can be useful for active children and athletes who perform vigorous exercise in very hot weather but watch the added sugars and calories.

Remember: Beverages containing caffeine and alcohol act as diuretics, causing you to lose more fluids.

3. Get Your Zzzzzzzs

Do you know that even just one night spent tossing and turning takes a toll on your immune system and your insulin resistance? Not only are you fuzzy-headed the day after a bad night, your risk of catching a cold also increases dramatically along with your propensity to store fat.

Without sufficient deep sleep time to rebuild and replace your body’s cells, you run an increased risk for degenerative diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. Lack of sleep is even associated with several forms of cancer, including prostate, colorectal, and breast, reports the Cancer Treatment Centers of America. The lowered melatonin production and inflammation that result from a bad night’s sleep give you less antioxidant protection against cellular damage.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers insufficient sleep “a public health problem.” While the CDC suggests American adults need seven to eight hours a night, one out of every five of us logs less than six hours of sleep a day.

Practice good sleep hygiene by:

Adhering to a consistent sleep and wake time every day.
Keeping alarm clocks and other electrical devices at least three feet from your head.
Maintaining the temperature in your bedroom between 60 to 68 degrees F.
Using blackout curtains, foam earplugs, and an eye mask if you are especially sensitive to light and noise.
Getting out of bed after 20 minutes of restlessness and doing something else until you feel sleepy.

Would you like to partner with a physician who will help you implement simple and effective ways to ensure your health? Revere Health’s Family Medicine providers are passionate about preventative care, and our mission is to build long-term, caring relationships with our patients and their families. We handle a variety of medical needs for patients of all ages in a broad range of disciplines including internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and geriatrics.