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Wednesday, June 12, 2013

How to Have a Balanced Health Triangle

Imagine an equilateral triangle with three sides. One stands for physical, one for mental, and one for social. These make up the health triangle. In order to have a balanced health triangle, you must be not only physically fit, but mentally and socially healthy as well. If you are not physically fit, for example, that affects the mental side as well, because you may not be happy about your weight. If you are not socially well, that side of the health triangle gets smaller.

Health, as defined by WHO, is physical, mental and social well being, not merely by the absence of sickness.This means that you may not be sick, but you may not be healthy. Being healthy means you are fit physically, mentally, and socially. Physical health is how your body works and feels inside and outside. Mental health is how you feel; your emotions. Social health is how you interact and get along with others. This article will tell you how to balance out your health triangle.

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Steps

Physical

    1
    Eat healthy foods.
  
    Eat healthy foods. Healthy eating is the first step towards being physically fit, and it's a very important one as well. Eating healthy will not only make you look and feel great, but it also gives a lower chance of getting cancer, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and controls stress. Eating healthy isn't starving yourself or refusing to eat, say, chocolate, but the key is to eat smaller portions. Share your big lunch with family or friends. Look at the serving size at items before you eat. Use a smaller plate to not force yourself to fill it. Don't eat in front of the TV because you will be so focused on the show that you won't pay attention to if you are still hungry.
        Eat vitamins A, B, C, D, and K. These vitamins are important because they lead to healthy bones, skin, muscles, nerves, and a healthy immune system. Foods rich in Vitamin A are fish, carrots, milk, cheese, and spinach. Get Vitamin B by eating yogurt, broccoli, potatoes, crab, and clams. Bell peppers, strawberries, papaya and kiwi are all rich in Vitamin C. For Vitamin D eat salmon and sardines. For Vitamin E consume chicken, turkey, almonds, and walnuts. Get more Vitamin K by eating chickpeas, asparagus, broccoli,and cauliflower.
        Get your minerals. Minerals help for bone growth, control blood sugar levels, prevent cavities, help with muscles and your heart, and more, so it's important to get your minerals. Some include Calcium, Iron, Fiber, Sodium, Potassium, and Zinc. Eat red meats, salted nuts, sweet potatoes, yogurt, beans, beef, eggs, peas, milk, and cereal to get these minerals.
        Eat breakfast every day. You've probably heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it is. Breakfast has many benefits. Studies show that eating a healthy breakfast improves concentration, lowers cholesterol, gives you more vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, and gives more strength for physical activity.For protein, have some eggs. Make oatmeal, fruit salad, or have some cottage cheese. Drink a cup of skim milk or orange juice. Making a fruit, yogurt, and granola parfait is another excellent choice.
    2
    Drink plenty of water.
   
    Drink plenty of water. If you don't have enough water, you may get dehydrated that can make you very tired, even in mild cases. Doctors generally recommend that you drink 8 or 9 cups of water a day. Drink more water, however, if it is a hot or dry day. So how do you get 8 cups of water every day? There are many ways.
        When having juice, fill half the glass with water
        Instead of eating junk food, drink a glass of water
        Drink a glass of water after waking up, after lunch, and before sleeping
        Make a bet with a friend to see who can drink more water in the day
        Drink water out of a measuring cup to keep track of the amount you are drinking
    3
    Go out and shoot some hoops!
   
    Exercise. Exercise is extremely important if you want to stay in shape, so find time to do it. You should get around 30 minutes of exercise a day, or an hour if you can. But don't feel the need to do it all at once. Exercise once for 10 minutes, take a break, then exercise for 20 minutes, or break it up however you'd like. Or, try to exercise 2 times a week doing some sort of strength training exercise. Exercise can be fun, too. Play on the trampoline, go swimming, jump rope, take a walk with friends, go bowling, biking, dance, go ice skating, rollerblading, and more! Play your favorite sport, such as soccer or softball, or do some gymnastics. Running around and playing with friends is another fun way to exercise. Don't make getting fit a bore, it can be enjoyable!
        Join a local fitness club or gym. If there is a yoga or sports club at school, give it a try. You may like it! If you want to have a fitness club but there are none around, make one! Gather some friends and exercise a different way each day.
    4
    Get enough sleep.
  
    Get enough sleep. If you don't get enough sleep, you may have an increased risk in heart problems, diabetes, obesity, depression, and lack of paying attention and remembering information. So how much sleep do you need? Newborns(0 to 2 months) should get 12 to 18 hours of sleep. Infants (3 to 11 months) should get 14 to 15 hours each night. Toddlers (ages 1 to 3) need 12 to 14 hours of sleep. Children ages between 3 to 5 should get 11 to 13 hours. Children ages 5 to 12 need 10 or 11 hours of nightly sleep. Teens (ages 10-17) should get 8.5 to 9.25 hours of sleep. Adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
        If you have trouble falling asleep, try reading a book, putting on soft music, taking a hot bath, or putting the TV at a low volume. Some of these help more than others, so see what helps for you. Adjust to a comfortable position, put on a night light or fan if you'd like, turn off the lights, and close your eyes. Make sure you are in a comfortable bed.
        If you are having trouble sleeping at night, contact your doctor. It may be because you are sleeping in the day, so you wouldn't be tired at night.
        Also, if you work long daily hours, or late into the night, you may want to try a power nap. Simply 25-30 minutes can be enough to help restore your energy.
    5
    Remember to be clean.
  
    Keep clean. Keeping clean is another step to being healthy. If you are clean physically, you will look and feel great, which is part of the mental side of the health triangle as well. Apply a good deodorant before putting on clothes. Always dress in washed, fresh, and clean clothes as well. If necessary, clean and cut your fingernails and toenails. Shave your armpits/legs/face when needed (be careful not to cut yourself). Never shave dry. Below are more things you should do to keep yourself clean. Do these every day.
        Take daily showers. You should take a shower or bath every day, but only wash your hair every other day. Washing your hair every day can weaken and damage your hair. Use a good body wash and apply it to your body with a poof, washcloth, or your hands. Use shampoo and a de-tangling conditioner for washing your hair.
        Comb your hair. Comb your hair every morning and after showering to get rid of tangles and to keep your hair clean. Don't brush your hair if it is wet; use a comb instead.
        Wash your hands. Wash your hands after using the bathroom, before cooking, before eating, after touching animals, and anytime when your hands get dirty, such as gardening. Wash your hands with soap and warm water for a minute and don't rush!
        Brush your teeth. Brush your teeth with toothpaste for two minutes every morning and night. Your dentist may want you to brush after every meal or 3 times a day, so always follow their directions.
        Floss. After brushing your teeth, take the time to floss between all of your teeth to remove food particles. You only need to floss once a day, but floss if you have something stuck in your teeth.
        Take care of your skin. Put sunscreen on (15 SPF or higher) when outside for a long time, even if it's cloudy. Splash your face every morning with lukewarm water (never hot or cold).

Mental

    1
    We all need time to think, relax, and be alone.

    Find relaxing time to yourself. Everyone is always busy, which can cause stress. It isn't healthy to always have long-term stress; you'll feel upset, angered, maybe rushed or annoyed. You should take part in a relaxing activity every day, even if you don't feel very stressed. Try to have relaxing time for an hour each day, two if you can. Know that relaxation is a process, and if you rush it, it won't work. Don't even think about relaxing. The activity should be done, though, in a relaxing manner, not for the purpose of completing a task. Also, what may be relaxing to one person may not be for another. Below are some things that you may find relaxing.
        You may like to relax by taking a walk, swimming, doing yoga, dancing, knitting, cooking, gardening, singing, or reading. Find at least one activity that will help you relax.
    2
    Try a new hobby, such as biking.
   
    Enjoy your free time. It's great to have balanced, enjoyable activities rather than doing nothing. Try to find a positive, creative, fun way to spend your free time. Discover new things online, at a club, or from a friend's idea. Stuck on what to do? Try cooking, fishing, swimming, playing an instrument, painting, dancing, singing, ice skating, playing another sport, reading, and/or writing. campusflava has many great how-to articles for finding a new hobby, you may just find your passion from an article! Give the activity a few tries and don't give up. If you think it's fun, keep doing it!
        A great idea is to get a pet. Pets actually have health benefits. Studies have shown that those who own pets live longer than those who do not.Pets are also loving companions that will always be by your side.
    3
    You have to be motivated to get things done.
  
    Practice self-discipline.
    4
    Planting a tree is a great decision to help the environment.
   
    Make good decisions.
    5
    Be confident.
  
    6
  
    Smile.
    7
    Set goals for yourself.
  
    8
    Don't be afraid to ask for help.
   
    Express your feelings. There are some things that we just have to let out of our systems, which is a great way to relieve stress. Whether it's writing in a journal, a poem, a song, or telling somebody how you feel, you need to express your emotions. If you need help, ask someone. Tell a trusted adult, such as a guidance counselor, a teacher, siblings, parents, other family members, or very close friends. Even if you aren't sad, it's great to show how you feel.[18]
        While talking to someone is the best way to express your feelings, you may not always want to tell somebody, and that's ok. There are other ways to let out your feelings. Draw or write, or get some exercise.


Things You'll Need

    Toothbrush
    Toothpaste
    Healthy foods
    Shampoo
    Conditioner
    Body wash
    Deodorant
    Floss
    Sunscreen
    A relaxing activity


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