3 things you need to do to start your day on a healthy note

It is important to start your day on a healthy note and also end it on a healthy note. Beauty icon Shahnaz Husain shares some tips.

Most of us spend our days trying to meet the demands of work and realize our goals and ambitions. There is no doubt that physical and mental well-being contributes towards success. A person, who is physically fit and in good health, has energy and stamina, performance levels are high and there is the ability to cope with stress. The way you feel first thing in the morning is a good indication of your lifestyle and level of fitness. It has been seen that a lifestyle, which is close to nature, is also a lifestyle, which can increase our level of physical fitness and well-being. A natural lifestyle means living in harmony with nature. We have seen that the further we go away from nature, the more we suffer. Our modern-day lifestyle can take us further away from good health, because it goes against the natural cycle of our body. Let us have a look at our modern lifestyle.

SLEEPING LATE AND ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS

We go to sleep late, so getting up early becomes a real problem.

• Inadequate sleep leaves us with feelings of fatigue and lethargy.
• Already behind schedule, we somehow manage to get through the morning chores and sacrifice those very activities, which are necessary for good health.
• We find no time to exercise, or to have breakfast in a relaxed manner.
• We somehow gulp down a cup of coffee and rush to work, battling through traffic and also dealing with stress and anxiety.

WORK PRESSURE AND NUTRITION

We meet the hectic demands of work, have endless cups of tea or coffee and somehow manage to grab a bite of lunch, perhaps consisting of a hamburger, or a samosa and coffee, or aerated drinks. Such foods are most inadequate in terms of nutrition.

UNHEALTHY END TO THE DAY

After work, we face rush-hour traffic again, meet the demands of the family. Then there is socializing. People drop in, or you are invited out to dinner. While eating out, dinner is served late; you eat rich, spicy food and heavy desserts. By the time you get home, it is late and you are exhausted. You somehow manage to get to bed on a heavy meal, to catch up on some sleep. The next day, this whole cycle begins again. This kind of a lifestyle actually works against us. It means, we really need to pay attention to the different aspects, like diet, exercise, sleep and relaxation.

SOME POINTERS FOR A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

The above-mentioned points are not meant to make you healthy. Living a life such as the one mentioned above is sure to lead you down the path of stress and health problems. Which is why you need to make a change to your lifestyle.

Take advantage of the morning

Set aside some time for daily exercise and relaxation. Both are necessary. You can do this by going to sleep and waking up half an hour early. Start your day with 10 minutes of stretching exercises or a brisk walk. Then do deep breathing exercises for 5 minutes, followed by meditation for 15 minutes. This means you need to set aside about half an hour.

Exercise has tremendous benefits

It gives you strength, energy and stamina. It helps to reduce mental stress and promote a sense of well being. It also helps in getting deep restful sleep. Meditation is another useful way of coping with stress. Today, the western world is following the ways advocated by our ancient heritage, like yoga and meditation.

Have an early dinner

Eat dinner about 2 to 3 hours before you go to sleep. Go for a walk after dinner. A walk actually has a calming effect and reduces stress. Spend time with your family, watching television or playing games. Developing a loving calm home life can really help to take away the stresses and strains. Go to bed early as often as you can. Catching up on sleep refreshes and revives.

(The article is contributed by Shahnaz Husain, a Padma Shri Award recipient and pioneer of the Ayurvedic beauty movement and the head of a global network of franchise ventures and 375 formulations)