33 Healthy Lifestyle Tips

1. Daily exercise is one of the most important healthy lifestyle tips. Exercise on a daily basis for at least 30 minutes per day. Brisk walk, aerobics, or just any kind of bodily movement can do wonders for your health.
2. You should sleep 6 to 8 hours per day. This will help your body to replenish itself and gives your body time to rebuild its cells. Lack of sleep make you feel tired and affect your eating habits. Adequate sleep is essential for your overall health and well-being.
3. Eat a well-balanced diet. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Avoid foods that are processed and reduce your intake of foods that are high in fat, sodium and sugar.
4. Maintaining a healthy weight will help you look better and reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
5. Have a positive outlook. People who are positive tend to have better health and success in life then those who are negative thinkers.
6. Maintain a balanced lifestyle. There should be a balance between your work time and your leisure time. Remind yourself, “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.”
7. Stop smoking. It is harmful to your health. It can cause heart disease, lungs cancer, and premature aging.
8. Meditation can help reduce stress, because it helps quiet your mind. Even if you just meditate 15 minutes per day, the result will amaze you.
9. Reduce your intake of alcohol. It is best if you could avoid it, but if you cannot, make sure that you only consume alcohol in moderation (a glass of wine or a can of beer per day).
10. Surround yourself with friends and family members who are supportive. A research by Australian scientist suggested that people who have friends that they can count on to be there for them, live longer. (As reported by the BBC news http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4094632.stm)
11. Manage stress by doing meditation, breathing exercises, listening to music, etc. Stress, left not managed, can lead to tension and pain in your body and threaten your health and well-being.
12. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water daily to help you with the digestion of food, absorption of nutrients, and the elimination of toxins from your body.
13. Take daily vitamins, mineral and herbal supplements to maintain your overall health or deal with your specific health problems.
14. Find things to laugh about on a daily basis. Laughter releases endorphins, boost your immune system, increases blood flow and relaxes your body.
15. Spending 5 to 10 minutes per day to practice deep breathing can improve your overall health. Deep breathing reduces stress, relaxes your muscles, improve your oxygen intake and delivery to all your organs and stimulate your lymphatic system.
16. Avoid your exposure to toxins like pesticides, molds, fungus and heavy metals like lead, mercury, aluminum, etc.
17. Eat complex carbohydrates and avoid simple carbohydrates like white bread, sugar, white rice, etc.
18. Eat organically grown fruits and vegetables, if possible, to avoid getting exposed to pesticides.
19. Life is too short so you should follow your bliss. People who are happy and have a fulfilled life tend to be healthier and live longer.
20. Avoid people who talk about illnesses.
21. Get outside and spend your time in the open air daily, if possible. Exposing yourself to fresh air and sunshine on a daily basis is beneficial to your health.
22. Be appreciative of your life, your health and whatever you have. Gratitude is good for your soul as well as your health.
23. Choose happiness and health. Make it your dominant intention to focus on things that make your life healthy and happy.
24. See yourself healthy and happy in your mind’s eyes.
25. Forgive yourself and others. Bearing grudges is bad for your health and well-being.
26. Remind yourself that it is natural for you to be healthy. Health is your natural state, not sickness.
27. Have a raw food diet day, a day where eat only unprocessed and uncooked foods, once or twice a month. This way you give your body a break from all the food additives and preservatives. Make sure that you consume only organic foods.
28. Try alternative medicine like acupuncture, aromatherapy, reflexology, etc.
29. Practice yoga. It’s good for both your body and mind.
30. Fasting once in a while is a good way to detox your body and gives your digestive system some time off.
31. Do not worry. Worry will not help you solve your problem and it is not good for your health. Worry is the main causes of many physical ailments that send people to hospitals. Remember that most of the things that you worry about will probably never happen anyway. “Let us be of good cheer, remembering that the misfortunes hardest to bear are those which will never happen. ~James Russel Lowell”
32. Expect to be healthy and do not expect to be sick.
33. Accept yourself, your capability and your shortcomings.

International Travel: Tips for Staying Healthy

Before you go

• Plan ahead. If you need any immunizations or vaccinations, see your doctor at least 6 weeks before you leave. Some vaccines don't reach the highest protection until about 6 weeks after you get the shots.
• Have medical and dental check-ups before your trip, to be aware of problems and to find out about medicines you might need to take with you.
• Be prepared. Find out what your health insurance will pay for if you see a doctor while you're in another country. Carry enough of your regular medicines in their original containers, along with extra prescriptions for them. Also bring your eyewear prescriptions. Wear a medical information bracelet if needed. Take a first-aid kit (see suggestions below).

Vaccines you might need

Your doctor will review the plans for your trip and decide whether you need any vaccines. The vaccines you got when you were a child also may need to be updated if you are not fully protected. Vaccines that you may need include the following:

• Hepatitis A or hepatitis A immune globulin
• Hepatitis B
• Influenza (the flu)
• Japanese encephalitis
• Measles-mumps-rubella
• Meningococcal meningitis
• Pneumococcal
• Polio
• Rabies
• Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids
• Typhoid fever
• Varicella (chickenpox)
• Yellow fever

While you're traveling

• Eat carefully if you're going to a country with an increased risk of traveler's diarrhea. Steaming-hot, well-cooked food is usually safest. Avoid eating foods from street vendors, unpasteurized dairy products and raw or uncooked seafood. Peel fruits yourself. Drink water from commercially-sealed bottles or drink carbonated beverages. Avoid ice. Use bottled water when you brush your teeth.
• If you're going to a country with an increased risk of mosquito-borne disease, protect yourself against insects. Insect repellents that contain DEET work the best. Wear permethrin-coated clothing and use bed nets while you sleep.
• If you're going to a country with a risk of malaria, your doctor may prescribe preventive medicine for malaria. Remember to start taking your malaria medicine before you leave on your trip, take it during your travels and keep taking it for 4 weeks after you get home.
• Avoid swimming and other water activities in freshwater lakes and streams. Schistosomiasis (also called bilharziasis) is a disease you might be exposed to in some African streams and lakes.
• Try to avoid taking overcrowded transportation. Try not to ride in vehicles without safety belts. Wear a helmet if you'll be riding a motorcycle. Try to avoid driving at night or in unfamiliar areas without local help and directions.