Leading a healthy life is a multidimensional endeavor for everyone. To truly improve the state of one’s health, a holistic approach is not only recommended, but necessary. This truth is especially poignant today, with staggering reports of obesity, squabbles among food companies and the government, and some food producers facing punishment for their use and distribution of harmful chemicals. Today, it is absolutely imperative that the savvy consumer employs a full spectrum of approaches to his or her health in the areas of environmental health, food safety, and physical fitness.
One of the most dangerous attitudes concerning health is complacence with one’s surroundings. The condition of the environment is verifiably crumbling every day due to human involvement. Therefore, being an active and vocal participant in encouraging legislation and overall concern for the state of the environment is directly conducive to maintaining a healthy surrounding. This can be through pushes for legislation, adherence to already existing standards and laws, proper sanitation, and waste disposal methods. All of these actions form the collective endeavor that is preservation, and all of them combined will make a positive difference in health.
Rapidly thickening competition has led to some less than reputable practices among the moguls of the food industry. Ever since the ever-popular introduction and eventual eradication of the chemical DDT, pesticides of all kinds have emerged as a practical defense against pests that eat crops. It is known today, however, that pesticides are harmful to humans and yield little or no compensatory benefit. Thus encouraging legislation to remove pesticides, which are manufactured chemicals, will inevitably increase overall health for consumers.
Fitness is respectfully distinguished from health, but nowhere near mutually exclusive. Understanding this, the Greeks aptly proposed the idea that they call the “triangle,” which emphasizes harmony between mind, body, and spirit. Regular exercise is solely attributed to lowering blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, decreasing the risk of heart attack and stroke, and many other improvements. Thus a truly all-encompassing approach to health includes healthy sanitation and environmental practices as well as regular exercise.
Chinese woman meditating photo taken from Beijing hotels website.
Although the aforementioned tips are but a few bricks in the wall that is a healthy lifestyle, they form much of the foundation. Truly, the two most important things in one’s effort to improve health are attitude and information. With these values in place, the thorns and thistles between the start and finish line are replaced by cheering supporters.
