5 Rules for Healthy Body and Mind

NEW DELHI, (IANS) – The first thing we must recognize is that every system in our body is interconnected. So, our physical health affects our mental health, and our mental health affects our physical health, and both should work together.

Ensuring that nutrition is on point

That doesn’t mean that we keep on eating salads all the time, but it ensures we nourish our body with all the nutrients it needs from protein, carbohydrates, and fats to vitamins and minerals. While ensuring that our total caloric intake is in line with our body composition goals. While also ensuring that we have our favorite and staple foods in our diet. We should also remember that 50-60 percent of our body is made up of water and we need adequate water intake for optimal health, brain function, etc.

Next comes exercising and activity

Exercising at least 3-5 times/week is great for our physical and mental health. Any form of exercise which is safe for us, and we enjoy, is a great start for most of us. Coupling that up with staying active on a daily basis and walking more steps (8-10k steps) makes a perfect combination.

Next is sleep

Sleeping for 7.5+ hours every night is amazing for optimal fat loss, brain function, recovery from workouts, etc. Sleeping enough also improves our productivity and reduces cravings, hunger, reduces inflammation, and emotional reactivity.

Stress management and mindfulness

On the other spectrum, stress management is equally important, if stress is managed properly, it can help us perform better and achieve our goals. Remember, the quality of our thoughts dictates the quality of our life. So, we should be actively working on our minds, improving ourselves, and reducing our ‘mental’ vices. Meditating regularly and having a gratitude journaling routine is a game-changer for these.

Environment and routine management

Starting from food in the kitchen to our habits and people we follow on social media. Are we giving enough time to our self-growth and to the people who matter to us? It also extends to the kind of people we surround ourselves with. Some questions to ask ourselves: Do they inspire us? Do they support us and our goals? Do they help us improve? Does our routine make us healthier, improve us as humans or make us more productive? I would highly recommend having a morning and pre-sleep routine.