Wellness – Taking the steps to maximise your health

The practice of safe and healthy lifestyle will reduce the Ministry of Health and Medical Services burden of preventing and eliminating diseases.

It may not be possible to avoid disease completely, but doing as much as we can to develop resilience and prepare the body and mind to deal with problems as they arise is a step we can all take.

During his tour to villages and settlements in the Northern Division, Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete emphasised that people should be mindful of their health and work together towards healthy lifestyle behaviours.

Wrong choices, he adds is something that will lead to our ill health, which are avoidable.

A study confirmed how a person managed stress would affect health. People who smoke, drink, or take drugs to forget their problems are likely to have more health problems later than someone who combats stress through a healthy diet and exercise. Dr Waqainabete highlighted that proper hygiene and sanitation should remain a priority and every individual should need to understand the benefits of practising as such.

Diseases such as typhoid and diarrhoea are the direct effect of the bad health practices and often people don’t realise this until they fall sick.

Villagers should work together to address such issues, which will make them stronger and be able to contain the spread of diseases.

Doctors says that the best way to maintain health is to preserve it through a healthful lifestyle, rather than waiting until we are sick to put things right.

This state of enhanced wellbeing, one says is referred to as wellness. Wellness promotes an active awareness of and participation in health, as an individual and in the community. Maintaining wellness and optimal health is a lifelong, daily commitment. Steps that can help us maximise our health include:

A balanced, nutritious diet, sourced as naturally as possible;

Regular exercising;

Screening for diseases that may present a risk; Learning to manage stress;

Engaging in activities that provide purpose and connection to others;

Maintaining a positive outlook and appreciating what you have; and

Defining a value system, and putting it into action. Peak health will be different for each person and how you achieve wellness may be different from how someone else does.

Cultural issues can affect health. The traditions and customs of a society and a family’s response to them can have a good or bad impact on health.

What is the best thing to do to stay healthy?

Path to improved health:

Eat healthy. What you eat is closely linked to your health;

Get regular exercise. Exercise can help prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and colon cancer; Lose weight if you’re overweight;

Protect your skin;

Don’t smoke or use tobacco; and

Limit how much alcohol you drink.