habits

The 7 Habits of Healthy People

Habits = a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.

Healthy = in a good physical or mental condition.

There are a good deal more than 7 healthy habits. This short post distils them down to the 7 I feel matter the most.

  1. They move – healthy people enjoy moving. They are happier and, paradoxically, tend to have more energy than sedentary people.

  2. They eat real food – although many people disagree on what constitutes a healthy diet, one thing we can agree on is highly processed junk or fake food does not support your health.

  3. They sleep well – in order to be at your best, rest and recovery is key. This happens best when you're in bed getting high quality sleep.

  4. They drink alcohol in moderation – enjoying alcohol in moderation is socially supportive and can (according to some studies) be healthier than being teetotal.

  5. They enjoy being outdoors – wildlife and nature form a fundamental part of our development as children. Maintaining this exposure as adults is vital.

  6. They have supportive families – when a crisis hits, a supportive family will be able to offer assistance and aid in all areas of life.

  7. They enjoy a challenge – challenges provide opportunities for us to test ourselves and demonstrate our abilities. They may also highlight weakness, allowing us to learn and grow stronger.

 

Leproult R & Van Cauter E. 2010, Role of Sleep and Sleep Loss in Hormonal Release and Metabolism, vol 17, pp 11–21

Gardner, B & Wardle 2011 ‘The Role of Health Behaviour’ in A Steptoe (ed) Health Psychology Lee, I-Min, et al (2012)

‘Effect of physical inactivity on major non-communicable diseases worldwide: an analysis of burden of disease and life expectancy’, The Lancet, 380, 9838, pp 219-229