Roadmap to Health and Vitality

Part 6:  Habits and Lifestyle – and their Effect on Health

The last significant area that influences our health and vitality is our lifestyle.  Years of bad habits can, and will, adversely affect the way our body functions and fights off diseases.

Do you Sleep Enough?

First, the importance of adequate quality sleep is essential in keeping our mind and body in optimal shape.  Body maintenance and recovery takes place during sleep and that’s when our “youth” hormones, like HGH and testosterone are pumped into our bloodstream.  We require at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep to be sufficiently rested, for our endocrine system to be balanced and operating at optimal capacity.  Many of us get much less sleep on a consistent basis which prevents our bodies to fully recover and recharge, and it needs to work harder to maintain physical and psychological functions.  The absence of full recovery and the need to work harder accelerates aging and makes our body more susceptible to illness due to a compromised immune system.    A lack of sleep will quickly cause irritability, mood and behavior problems and slowed cognitive functions.  A chronic lack of sleep can contribute to weight gain, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, lethargy, depression, and eventually it will result in an immune system deficiency.

Chronic Stress and Anxiety

Second, it is imperative that we manage our stress and anxiety levels in order to protect our health.  Stress has a profound effect in all areas of our lives especially our physical well being.  Chronic stress plays an active role in causing hormonal imbalance, cardiovascular and mood disorders, and compromises our immune system. Sometimes it seems that there is nothing we can do about our stress level.  There will always be bills to pay, errands to run, career, school and family responsibilities to take care of.  But we have a lot more control than it may seem, in fact, the realization that we have control is the basis of stress management.  Managing stress is about taking charge and creating a balanced life with plenty of rest and relaxation time.   A positive, optimistic mental attitude is essential in helping us deal with stressors in our lives.  Meditation, prayer and journaling have been proven extremely effective in relieving the effects of stress.  Being proactive and prepared for events that cause anxiety also greatly influences our responses in many situations.  The saying “laughter is the best medicine” has a scientific basis.  Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones and increases the levels of health-enhancing hormones, like endorphins.  It also increases anti-body producing cells and lessens the effects of stress on the immune system.  The author of the article titled “Strangely Charming: The Science of Laughter” claims that scientists recently documented an important relationship between laughter and cardiovascular health.  According to a study, laughing stimulates the release of beta endorphins in the brain, which help relax and dilate blood vessels.  Since two of our top killers, heart attack and stroke, are often caused by blood clots, laughter can potentially save lives (Cackler).  Besides a positive and proactive attitude, having a strong social support system is also very helpful in managing stress.

Self Image

Finally, having a healthy self-image also positively affects our health and vitality.  People with a strong sense of self-worth tend to live healthier lives by being optimistic and by taking better care of their physical, mental and emotional health.  Many people had less than optimal upbringing which can negatively influence their self esteem, and their lifestyle choices.  Childhood abuse, neglect and over-indulgence can, and many times do, result in psychological difficulties that could affect a person’s entire life.  Self destructive behaviors, such as alcohol and  drug abuse, smoking, over-eating and other forms of self-sabotage are common for those suffering from a negative self-image.  These damaging behaviors have profound and detrimental effect on their health and quality of life.  Changing the way we think about ourselves, our life and our place in the world can boost self-esteem and increase emotional well being.  Cognitive behavioral therapy, which is based on the idea that our thoughts create our feelings and behavior, is designed to help us identify negative thinking patterns and replace them with more positive and realistic ones.  A strong self-esteem, self-confidence and feeling good about ourselves are essential factors in making healthy and wise lifestyle choices and keeping us healthier and happier.

Our Genes and Beyond

It could be argued that, there are many other factors beyond our control that play key roles in determining our longevity, health and quality of our lives.  I agree.  Possibly the most significant factors is inherited diseases or genetic disorders that are passed on from generation to generation.  Some of these diseases are congenital, we were born with them, some of them can show up later on in our lives.  Research clearly shows that most chronic illnesses, like heart disease, diabetes or cancer tend to run in families and have a high heredity rate.  We may be genetically predisposed to contract a disease our parents or grandparents had but we don’t have to resign to the notion that it will eventually cause our demise.  Being proactive, living a healthy life and getting good medical care could greatly reduce our chances of succumbing to the illness, or at the very least it would prolong our lives and increase its quality.  The situation is very different for those born with a debilitating disease or condition.  It is heart-breaking to see children and adults suffer from various incurable conditions and abnormalities, like cystic fibrosis, spina bifida and a long list of others.   The courage and determination of those so afflicted is awe-inspiring, like the story of Nick Vujicic.  Nick was born with a disease called tetra amelia.  He has no arms or legs.  He didn’t just suffer from the obvious hardships of his condition, he also had to face cruel bullying of his peers.  He even attempted suicide at a young age.  Eventually he mastered the daily tasks of life, like writing, brushing his hair and teeth, and today he is an author and motivational speaker with a contagious zest for life.  Similar is the case of Justin Yoder, whose father is a personal acquaintance of mine.  He was born with spina bifida but he didn’t let his disability slow him down.  He was the first disabled child to drive a soapbox in the All American Soapbox Derby and even had a Disney Channel Original Movie made about him titled “Miracle in Lane 2.”  Today he is a college student and he is an inspiration to many.  These, and countless other people with a genetic disadvantage have taken control of their illnesses and are living a fulfilled life in spite of their disabilities.  Their courage and determination is an example to follow.

Bringing it all Together

In conclusion, the key to our health, happiness and longevity is in our hands.  We are the ones who are responsible for creating an environment for our bodies and minds to thrive in.  By providing our cells with the essential nutrients, by being physically active, and by having a health-promoting lifestyle we ensure that our lives are lived to their fullest potential.  I envision a society where people turn from looking mainly on the outside for solutions to their health, and other problems, a culture where people stop complaining and making excuses and start taking personal responsibility and control of both their physical and mental well being.  Then, and only then we would successfully reduce premature deaths caused by various diseases, obesity, tobacco and alcohol abuse.  As a nation, we would free up billions of dollars we spend annually on fighting these potentially preventable diseases, and last, but certainly not the least, our country would have many more healthy, happy and balanced people.