Lifestyle Assessment for Better Health - Essay Example

Lifestyle Assessment for Better Health" Affiliation: Assessment A. Diet I am not a very big observer of diet and can be said to be one of those people in my family that has a sweet tooth. I like dessert better than any other meal because of the sugary food. I am aware that diet is very important for good health and especially is I am to maintain the correctly recommended body mass index (BMI) (Roth, 2010). This is however not easy and the only way to ensure my diet is healthy is to avoid eating a lot of food and especially dessert. I have however been ensuring that I take in a lot of water and this has done wonders not only in my digestive system but my skin as well which was starting to sag. B. Exercise Most of my family members and especially the maternal family are workout fanatics and I am forced to take that path as well every so often. The exercises are regular and they are all rounded from the cardio exercises to the muscles exercises among other forms of exercises. I wake up daily at 5 am in order to run around our neighborhood as that is the only exercise I can be able to carry out during the weekdays. However on weekends, there is a mandatory gym exercise for a minimum of two hours to carry out other forms of exercises. This has helped me with the reduction of fat and gaining of muscles as well as ensuring that I am fit and hence stable health wise (Ouvry, 2003). C. Job and personal stress management Other than being a student, I am a part time server at a fast food restaurant. This job is very stressful especially during the evening rush hour shift which I work for two hours daily after school. This job stress, little pay combined with my school work and peer pressure is too much on me. I sometimes find myself depressed and experiencing burnouts to an extent I cannot concentrate in school or even work. With the numerous suggestions made on how to cope with stress especially in this course, I have learnt how to manage my stress through exercising such as kick boxing and yoga as well as avoiding stress eating (Kottler and Chen, 2012). I try to get plenty of rest once I get home from work and this has meant less television and it is really working. D. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease The risk factors for cardiovascular disease include obesity and lack of exercises. I have had an experience with family members having cardiovascular disease and this is the reason my maternal family started exercising. My aunt was an avid eater of fast foods and was seen snacking on fatty foods throughout the day. She gained a lot of weight in a short period of time. This combined with the lack of exercise and the stress from her work led her to be diagnosed with coronary thrombosis. She was told she was at risk for continued heart attacks unless she changed her lifestyle. My grandmother forced everyone to start engaging in regular exercising and eating healthy and to date no other member has been diagnosed with the cardiovascular disease (Lacobellis, 2009). E. Risk factors for cancer, diabetes and other illnesses Diabetes is becoming a killer disease in our nation and this is attributed to the growing number of people relying on snacks and fast food and little or no exercise. Cancer on the other hand even though it is hereditary is contributed by the lack of healthy lifestyle as people continue eating processed food more than the fresh foods and mostly fruits and vegetables. People who eat unhealthy and do not exercise and are higher than their BMI and considered obese are at risk of getting these diseases among other health-related diseases (Masur, Thevenod and Zanker, 2008). The others at risk are the family members of people with these diseases and who should be much keener on their health lifestyle. F. Family history and social support Since my family history shows that there is risk for cardiovascular diseases as well as cancer, the family members especially the parents have taken it upon themselves to be going for regular checkups together with their children. This is on addition to the family exercises and healthy eating methods and diets. In order to show support for each other, during the regular family gatherings, doctors and other health experts are sometimes invited to talk to us about the importance of maintaining healthy lifestyle including providing us with the guidance of dos and don’ts. These have brought our family much closer than before as we even continue supporting the members diagnosed with cancer. The family support extends to even splitting of the medical bills for the sick family members. G. Self-Esteem, sense of control and other psychological issues In order to maintain healthy lifestyle self-control is very essential. In my case for example, I love sweet food and snack but I know they are unhealthy and might lead me to be diagnosed with diseases mentioned above as I am at risk. I therefore exercise a lot of control in the presence of sugary foods and take only a little even without supervision from my parents. With self-control, one can then boost their self-esteem as one is in control of their body and mind. A high self-esteem leads to more control as well as provides the necessary confidence needed to solve the psychological issues one is undergoing. An example is that my self-esteem which has continued to be improved as I continue taking control has led me to start believing that I can be able to cope with any stressful situation I encounter in my life. Recommendations for Personal Lifestyle Changes Changing one’s personal lifestyle requires self-will and not being forced or coerced into doing so. This change is also a step by step process that may take longer but eventually works. The changing of the lifestyle starts with accepting all the wrong things and the unhealthy lifestyle one is leading. This should be followed by changing diet, coping with stress and anger management as well as embracing healthy life choices and sticking to them. If this change is hard, get someone you can trust to help you through it that can push you and correct you when you seem to be slipping to the old habits. Exercise self-control and maintain it (Gogus, 2011). References Gogus, U. (2011). A Fundamental Guide for a Healthy Lifestyle and Nutrition. New York: AuthorHouse. Kottler, J. and Chen, D. (2012). Stress Management and Prevention: Applications to Daily Life. New Jersey: Routledge. Lacobellis, G. (2009). Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Masur, K., Thevenod, F. and Zanker, K. (2008). Diabetes and Cancer: Epidemiological Evidence and Molecular Links. Washington DC: Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers. Ouvry, M. (2003). Exercising Muscles and Minds: Outdoor Play and the Early Years Curriculum. New York: NCB. Roth, R. (2010). Nutrition & Diet Therapy. New York: Cengage Learning. Read More