Ready to hit the road to a healthier way of life so you can apply for life insurance cover, and not get turned down? Then consider these steps as you get started on your journey. The main areas to address when taking those important first steps toward living a healthier lifestyle are diet, exercise, sleep, getting rid of unhealthy habits, and setting aside time for yourself. Other health-related goals such as weight management can be achieved as you are addressing the five main areas on the road to creating a healthier you.
1. Eat a balanced nutritious diet - Variety is the key to a healthy diet. Including lots of different whole grains, fruits and vegetables in your meals and snacks will go a long way toward better health. If you're a meat and potatoes lover, make sure you choose leaner cuts of meat or even fish or chicken. Cook with less oil and add smaller amounts of butter or margarine as you prepare your meals. Lastly, cut back on sugary foods that make no real nutritional contribution to your diet.
2. Exercise regularly - You don't have to go for an all-out training program to begin to get more exercise. Just get moving. Examine your day and walk whenever you can. Take to the stairs. Add a brisk walk at lunch or after work. Get the bike out, dust it off and go have some fun. If a regimented program is more to your liking, go for it.
3. Get plenty of rest - It is generally recommended that at least seven and a half hours of sound sleep are needed each night. In the 2003 paper, "Proposal for a National Australia Sleep Health Agenda," The Boston Consulting Group notes, "Almost 90 per cent of Australians suffer from a sleep disorder at some time or times in their lives, with 30 per cent suffering a severe sleep disorder." Some factors that may affect healthy sleep habits are irregular bedtimes, lack of daily exercise and eating or drinking just before going to bed.
4. Eliminate unhealthy habits - Smoking, excess alcohol and recreational drug use—all have significant negative impacts on your health and well-being. Getting rid of these unhealthy lifestyle choices will be a big step in your quest for a healthier you.
5. Take time for yourself - Outside of your new exercise regime and taking better care of yourself through a healthy diet and getting more sleep, you have to set aside time just for yourself. This doesn’t mean for you and the kids or for you and your husband, this is strictly alone time. This will help relieve stress and take care of your emotional well-being. Just relax and watch a movie, keep a journal, draw or paint. Anything you can think of that you will enjoy and is relaxing, means you’ve got the right idea. Even small changes to diet, exercise and sleep habits and the elimination of unhealthy bad habits can return big benefits to your health, how you feel when you wake up each morning to face the world, and when you go to fill out your life insurance application.
