“Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone?” Chances are, most of us have heard the phrase from this popular song many times before, and have perhaps even lamented over it at some time or another.
There are so many things in life that we don’t fully appreciate until they’ve been taken away from us. Unfortunately, one of these things is often our good health.
Consider the widespread prevalence of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and lung diseases in our society. Otherwise known as the “Big Four,” representing the leading causes of preventable death and disability in Canada.
That’s right, preventable: the majority of Canadians have at least one risk factor for a chronic disease that is within their power to control. Lifestyle factors such as poor eating habits, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol, insufficient sleep, smoking, and stress are all things that if left unchecked, can have a huge impact on one’s risk of developing various illnesses, both mental and physical.
Many young people are of the mindset that disease is something that happens later in life. The reality is that now is the time to make lifestyle changes and form good habits. As students, it can be difficult for even the most health oriented of us to juggle the demands of midterms, assignments, extracurricular and social activities, all the while finding the time to exercise on a regular basis or to eat well-balanced meals.
Yet, diet and exercise are just two of the things that are absolutely critical to our well-being, both in the long term and in our day to day life.
Hippocrates once said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” In other words, our nutritional habits have a direct impact on our overall health, and what we eat can either act as medicine or poison.
Healthy eating is not about giving things up and depriving yourself of your favourite foods; rather, it is about mindfulness, balance and moderation. Strive to increase your consumption of fresh and minimally processed foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains such as oatmeal, quinoa and brown rice, and lower fat protein sources like legumes and fish. On the other hand, limit your intake of foods that are higher in calories, saturated fat, salt, or added sugar.
In the case of physical activity, scientific evidence has demonstrated that exercise can prevent the development of cardiovascular disease, various types of cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes and depression, just to name a few. In this regard, exercise truly has the potential to be a powerful form of medicine, as well.
The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines call for at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic activity per week. Aim to spread your activity out over several days of the week in order to get the most benefit.
Taking the stairs instead of the elevator and walking or biking to campus are just two examples. Here on campus we also have a wide range of recreational activities, fitness classes and facilities, as well as intramurals, available to us.
There are a multitude of resources on campus that can provide further information and services to offer support for our health and wellbeing, such as attending student-organized Academic Symposia, Student Health Services, the Wellness Centre, the Athletic Centre, and the Multi-Faith Resource Team.
In implementing healthier lifestyle habits, the key is to start with small and simple changes. Without a doubt, taking a preventative and proactive approach to your personal health and wellbeing is one of the most important things that you will ever do for yourself.