Good health is good : take into account some points even you are still young or what establishes a firm bodily wellness

We usually do not value what is commonplace for us. But we begin to value it when we lose it, because only then do we realize the importance of the lost thing. All this applies to health.

Is it worth writing another article about health?

It is worth it. Repetition is the mother of learning. We, people, are always in a hurry, forgetting about simple but important little things for us. We, people, need to be reminded of this. Let this article be that “reminder” among many others.

I will try to write this material as simply as possible for my writing skills. Although, I warn you right away, it will be difficult for me (doctors are always prone to all sorts of terms). I also want to suggest that you, dear reader, look at this issue a little more broadly.

What is the situation with the health of the population around the world or about the fact that many diseases of the elderly have become “younger”?

Unfortunately, many chronic diseases are now becoming a real social problem, especially in developed countries. That is, some chronic diseases are the leading causes of death; they greatly worsen the quality of life; they even place a heavy burden on the economies of their countries, and the most unfortunate thing is that some chronic diseases have become “younger”, that is, they appear even in young people.

Let’s list those chronic diseases that were typical for the elderly, but have now become “younger”.

1. Atherosclerosis,
2. Hypertension,
3. Osteoarthritis,
4. Type 2 diabetes,
5. Cataracts,
6. Parkinson’s disease,
7. Alzheimer’s disease,
8. Osteoporosis.

Just 30 years ago, these pathologies were usually found in people over 60 years old. But more than 70 years ago, these ailments were rare even for the elderly.

Such observations may lead to the following thoughts: “Society is developing, becoming more civilized. This means that society should be healthier and more advanced. If chronic diseases are becoming more common now and they are starting to affect even the young, then this means that we, people, are going down some wrong path, isn’t it?”

And what can be considered good health?

Here I would like to give my own, simple, everyday definition:

Good health is when a person does not complain about his mental and physical condition and can perform his daily activities without regard for health.

Let’s list the components of good health:

1. Proper nutrition,
2. Sufficient physical activity,
3. Well-organized psyche,
4. Work and rest regime,
5. Taking the necessary procedures,
6. Environment (living environment).

In the meantime, let’s look at what can contribute to the disease. Let’s call them the serious word “factors” of diseases. We will further rely on these points during the presentation.

1. Lack of nutrients (nutrients) useful to the body,
2. Excessive intake of natural nutrients,
3. Accumulation of waste products (metabolites),
4. The effect of toxins on the body,
5. Introduction of pathogenic microorganisms,
6. Change in internal processes.

In more detail.

1. Proper nutrition. Nutrition has 3 main roles: to deliver building material; to provide energy fuel; to help adapt to environmental conditions.
   If you eat the wrong food, then you may have factor 1 (see above): lack of nutrients. For example, white bread is poor in vitamins, minerals. And we, people, oh how we love all kinds of hamburgers, cheeseburgers. Or factor 2: a lot of white bread and sweets fill our blood with a large amount of glucose. And where does the body put the extra glucose? Of course, into fat. Hence obesity. Factor 4: our food, unfortunately, is full of all sorts of chemicals: pesticides, dyes, enhancers, stabilizers, etc. And all this can accumulate in the body for many years. Factor 5: pathogenic microbes can get inside us with food. And how do we eat? In passing, in a hurry, in a bad mood. Our emotional state significantly affects the digestive processes. If we are very upset, then we secrete little gastric juice. And if there is little gastric juice, then the food is poorly digested. And if we chew food poorly, then this imposes an additional burden on our stomach. All this greatly wears out the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract. Food is generally the most important part of our lives. Even Hippocrates emphasized the importance of nutrition for health.
2. Sufficient physical activity. We live in the era of smartphones. People have begun to “live” more inside their phones. And in general, they have begun to move very little. Our muscles have many roles. This is not only a motor organ, but according to recent discoveries, it is also an endocrine organ: muscles secrete active substances during movement (they are also called myokines), which have a positive effect on our body. So, for your information: now scientists have become aware of more than 100 myokines. Now, what endocrine organ can boast of such a number of hormones? Hypodynamia, for example, can contribute to the development of such diseases: osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, atherosclerosis, back pain and others. Also, with age, a person’s muscle mass decreases (this is the so-called sarcopenia). Sarcopenia causes instabilities in different parts of the body: usually the legs, the spine. It is not surprising that older people often suffer from back and joint pain.
3. A well-organized psyche. Many psychologists write that modern life is full of stress. Yes, we can agree with this. But here it is better to emphasize the following: it is not what you encounter that is important, but how you react to it. The main thing is what kind of thinking a person has. Is it calm, positive and balanced or restless, anxious. What does a poorly organized psyche give? To unstable and excessive emotions. And this in turn leads to the release of stress hormones (among them are: adrenaline, norepinephrine, cortisol). And frequent and prolonged release of these hormones can adversely affect the condition of the vascular wall, hence this can contribute to the appearance of atherosclerotic plaques. And frequent nervous tension leads to spasms in the arteries, hence this can lead to increased blood pressure. And also long-term anxiety can lead to the development of neuroses. Neurosis is an unpleasant thing: you seem to be healthy in body, but your head cannot work as before. Also, frequent nervous tension leads to long-term muscle spasm. And long-term muscle spasm along with physical inactivity leads to degenerative changes in the muscles themselves. This is the so-called fibrosis of muscle tissue. That is, factor 6 clearly manifests itself here: a change in internal processes.
4. Work and rest regime. I think, dear reader, everything is clear to you here too. If you work all the time, then your body will not have time to rest. If you sleep little, then your brain will not have time to recover during the night and gain the necessary strength. And also, if you fall asleep at very late hours, then a substance such as melatonin is weakly produced in the brain. In addition, if you go to bed very late, special structures in the brain do not start their cleansing processes (these structures are also called the glymphatic system: an analogue of the lymphatic system, which was discovered in 2012). Here, factors 1 (insufficient restoration of energy reserves in the brain, as well as neurotransmitters; lack of energy in the body) and 6 (change in internal processes: if you sleep poorly, then your head will also work poorly) can manifest themselves.
5. Taking the necessary procedures. There is a good folk wisdom: “the sun, air and water are our best friends.” We, people, cannot live without the sun. Sunlight, falling on our skin, helps to synthesize vitamin D. Also, biologists claim that we must receive light radiation, since certain light waves help our internal processes. They can also be conditionally called “vitamins of the sun.” Sauna also has a beneficial effect on us. During thermal procedures, the body produces so-called shock proteins that improve tissue regeneration, and immunity is strengthened.
6. The environment (living conditions). We, people, can place ourselves in such conditions when we expose ourselves to unfavorable things. This can be constant noise, car fumes, chemical emissions from the pipes of factories and plants. We often use household chemicals, which are quite toxic for our skin. Well, it’s good when we surround ourselves with them. Here factor 4 comes into play.

As you can see, maintaining good health is easy on the one hand, and difficult on the other. And yet, disease prevention is always better, easier and more convenient than their treatment.

Be healthy!

Here are some valuable resources that cover used materials:

• McMillen Health explains physical health basics and ways to improve physical health1.
  
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) offers a Physical Wellness Toolkit with habits to reduce stress, lower disease risk, and boost energy2.
  
• The NHS Live Well site provides advice on healthy living including diet, exercise, quitting smoking, and alcohol moderation3.
  
• VIVO Clinic’s Health Basics Guide covers essential health topics like nutrition, hydration, fitness, and rest for a balanced life4.
  
• The Merck Manuals Consumer Version has extensive information on healthy living, diet, exercise, sleep, illness prevention, injury avoidance, and mental health57.
  
• Purdue Global lists 25 top health and wellness blogs for fitness, nutrition, mental health, and lifestyle tips, including Harvard Health Blog and Mayo Clinic Connect6.
  
• Rush University shares 10 simple ways to improve your health, emphasizing stress reduction through exercise and meditation8.
  
• Aetna highlights the four pillars of health: nutrition, exercise, relaxation, and sleep, with practical tips for each9.
  
• Riverview Health discusses six basics for a healthy body, focusing on muscular strength, flexibility, and balance10.
  

Citations:

1. https://www.mcmillenhealth.org/tamtalks/physical-health
2. https://www.nih.gov/health-information/physical-wellness-toolkit
3. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/
4. https://vivoclinic.com/health-basics-guide/
5. https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/healthy-living
6. https://www.purdueglobal.edu/blog/student-life/valuable-health-wellness-blogs/
7. https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/healthy-living
8. https://www.rush.edu/news/10-simple-ways-improve-your-health
9. https://www.aetna.com/health-guide/ways-achieve-total-body-health.html
10. https://riverview.org/blog/wellness-2/6-basics-for-a-healthy-body/