By Wajiha Ahmed Ali 

 

“Health is wealth” is the most understated phrase we’ve been listening to forever but how many of us have ever tried to ponder over it? I think none of us did. Ever since the world has gotten exposed to the pandemic covid19 everyone has started taking their health strenuously. As if we were waiting for the catastrophe to hit us hard to realize the importance of health. Keeping this in view, there is a need to know how to develop new, healthy habits during a pandemic.

Healthy habits don’t happen overnight. You have to change your whole mindset and lifestyle to inculcate healthy habits in it. It is observed widely that people who have altered their lifestyles and made healthy choices tend to be more active and energetic.

Dr. Lisa Marsch an expert in behavior change at Dartmouth College says, “The first step to changing your behavior is to create an awareness around what you do regularly. Look for patterns in your behavior and what triggers the unhealthy habits you want to change.”

By making sustainable healthy choices one can boost their vitality and quality of life.  It can also be bolstered to reduce the risks of many fatal but avoidable health issues and environmental assaults like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer. These days as we all know that the whole world is under the spell of the viral disease commonly known as coronavirus or covid19.

It is indeed one of the biggest health challenges that the world has faced since World War 2. It erupted from Wuhan, China, and then spread across the globe in no time. It has enforced every person to change their lifestyle and focus more on their health. In order to attain functional and balanced health, we should adopt general healthy strategies to give a strong boost to our immune system.

A healthy immune system plays a major role in the adversities of the covid19 virus. Immunity can be built by adopting a healthy balanced lifestyle which comprises a combination of a healthy diet and exercise. Our diet should be enriched in nutrients such as copper, folate, iron, selenium, zinc, and vitamins A, B6 and B12, C and D. Fresh fruits and vegetables are natural resources of vitamins and nutrients that are founded abundantly in this food group. It doesn’t mean that other food groups are less significant but a mindful combination of all these can make a healthy balanced diet.

Recently a British publication issued a statement in which they said ” simply put, you cannot ‘boost’ your immune system through diet, and no specific food or supplement will prevent you from catching covid19. Good hygiene practice remains the best mean of avoiding infection.”

Everyone is now focusing more on lifestyle modifications for a better quality of life. These days, everyone is struggling with anxiety and stress but is unable to control it. And in such kind of situation, there is a need to develop a new, healthy habit to make your days more productive. Considering this, there’s a need to adopt some healthy habits by taking baby steps, and then be consistent throughout the process.

Besides health, there is a need to indulge yourself in other activities for overall well-being, such as; reading, writing, learning a new language, online courses, enhancing your vocabulary, and so on. These activities can help you to live a productive life. Also, this can be a great help to reduce the level of stress during a pandemic.

Here’s a rundown of some healthy habits that everyone can adopt these days.

  • Maintenance of healthy weight (according to your height & age)
  • Indulgence in physical activities like sports, exercise, or a simple walk.
  • Cut down on sugary items and frizzy drinks.
  • Limiting all sorts of processed and fast food.
  • Substituting non-healthy options with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans.
  • Avoidance of injurious habits like consumption of alcohol and cigarettes.
  • Maintenance of personal hygiene.
  • Focus on personality development
  • Learn something new and explore yourself
  • Conduct a self-analysis

These tips are not only beneficial in corona times but also help prevent other chronic diseases and lifelong illnesses.

It is we who can make the changes toward a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Nobody will come and do it for us. We are responsible for our own health and well-being so embrace yourself today to muster the right choices in your life.

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