Keeping your health in check is crucial to a healthy and happy life. If you aren’t sure what you should do or where you should focus, consider this your guide. You’ll learn about what your health matters and how to take the first practical steps to make it a priority. It’s reassuring to know that it involves logical components. These include staying in tune with your body through allergy and intolerance testing and understanding the role of your family’s medical history. Let’s look at how to take those first steps toward a healthy future.
Make your health a priority
Before we dive in, let’s take a moment to understand why you should focus on your health. What makes it more critical than other main goals in life? The one thing prioritising your health will do that those other things can not is to help you stay feeling like yourself.
Even if you have career troubles or a change in the family situation, feeling like yourself can help you get through to easier sailing again. Your health helps you create a strong and happy future where you are in charge of your own life.
The other main benefit of keeping yourself in good health is that it can help you deal with any potential family history concerns. While being healthy can’t stop family history conditions from setting in, they can help keep you strong for as long as possible.
Important steps to optimise your health
Now that the “why” of health is taken care of let’s go into the “how” of it. Regardless of your lifestyle or potential family history, there are a few ways to optimise your health for your present and future self.
Make good food choices
As often as possible, eat healthy food and proper portions. A healthy diet can prevent or even treat some conditions in their early stages, including heart disease and strokes. Maintaining a healthy, varied diet can help you lose weight and lower your cholesterol. Both of these help promote a better starting point for age-related health conditions.
Keep up with daily exercise
There is a misperception that you have to do hard physical workouts 5-7 days a week to be in good shape. While cardiovascular workouts are good for you, daily exercise is, too. For example, walking, taking flights of stairs, etc., are suitable for your body long-term.
Keeping up with physical chores is good. So is going for a walk in the morning, afternoon, or evening for at least 20 minutes. These can help you burn calories and build muscle. Both of those are great for optimising your health. The other advantage is that it greatly benefits mental and emotional health.
Listen to your body
Next, get more in tune with your body. What makes it work at its best? What does your body struggle with? This can take on a few forms. One example is determining if you are an early bird or a night owl. Working in tune with your body helps you make the most out of your energy.
Another is how your diet impacts your overall energy level. Many people have mild food allergies and intolerances and don’t even realise how it impacts their daily lives. In this situation, allergy and intolerance testing gives you a clear idea of what you’re working with.
Allergies and food intolerances can make healthy eating hard
If you are restricted in your diet, whether you have known allergies or intolerances or not, you will have a more challenging time eating a healthy and varied diet. Getting your diet sorted out with precise data explaining what’s working and what’s not helps you create a menu that will optimise your health.
Allergies are becoming more common
This is a growing problem. Around the world, allergies (especially food allergies) are becoming increasingly common. Many GPs will recommend allergy testing several times throughout life (infancy, childhood, and adulthood) since they can develop without warning and to previously “fine” foods. Antibiotic allergies are also becoming popular since they are used more than ever. The healthier you are, the less likely you’ll be overexposed to antibiotics.
Food intolerances are tricky to self-diagnose
Allergies are typically diagnosed easily, but food intolerances are another matter entirely. They can be diagnosed without allergy and intolerance testing, but it takes time, patience, and guesswork -- even if you’re doing everything right. Food intolerances can impact your health profile if you misdiagnose them, which is very common.
Your GP is your friend
Many put off seeing their GP, but these professionals are great allies -- if you tag them in. Follow their advice and check-ups, and ensure our doctor knows what is happening. If you notice a change in your health, book an appointment with them so you can have professional experience there to detect a potentially more serious underlying issue.
Optimising your health doesn’t need to mean tablets, supplements, or complicated regimes for diet and exercise. It’s just about understanding what your body needs to be at its strongest, best, and healthiest.
For quick results, peace of mind, or clarity on a situation, try one of our health tests here.