GENERAL INSURANCE BLOG

Over the past year, the importance of living a healthy lifestyle free of diseases and morbidities has become exigent. People have begun to understand that healthy practices improve longevity and help tackle threatening diseases more effectively. Let’s take a look at four different steps you can take towards a healthy lifestyle for yourself and your family:

1. A Healthy Diet –

The first and perhaps the most important step towards a healthier lifestyle is to improve your diet. When our diet is significantly centered around junk and processed food, the intake of unhealthy fats and excess carbohydrates increases, leading to heart problems and problems such as high blood pressure and obesity. A well-balanced diet that includes appropriate proportions of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber can significantly reduce these risks. Include vegetables and fruits in your diets as often as possible, ideally every day, alongside pulses and grains. Even with these ingredients, you can have delicious meals all three times of the day that are also healthy for your body. Indian cuisine contains mainly these ingredients and offers immense variety as you go from the north to the south, alongside great nutritional value.

2. Exercise –

If you exercise about an hour every day, the impact of physical activity on your body will be visible and evident in about six to eight weeks. Exercise does more than just keep you in shape. It stimulates your body and, if you are involved in a vocation that requires sitting all day, then it provides the essential elements of physical work. Exercise also reinvigorates the flow of blood in your body and keeps the heart healthy by improving circulation. This improved circulation further helps reduce the risk of heart diseases. Regular exercise is also known to lower blood pressure as well as triglyceride levels. If you do not wish to exercise, simply taking a brisk walk every day can also help you maintain a healthy body weight and reduce body fat. It also strengthens your bones and improves blood circulation throughout the body.

3. Get Apt Sleep –

Sleep doesn’t just provide rest but also helps your body recover from a hard day’s work by repairing your muscle fibers. If you exercise regularly, the exercise results will be much more evident if you get an appropriate amount of sleep during the day. Sleeping for about eight hours a day also reduces the chance of depression and several other problems associated with mental health. It boosts your immune system and improves your cognitive abilities through better memory assimilation and retention.

4. Find Solace –

Along with physical health, mental health is something that cannot be neglected. One way to ensure a sound state of mind before starting your day, carve out 10 minutes and sit for meditation; check-in with yourself. Many yoga asanas provide similar benefits as meditation. If you find it difficult to meditate, you can always find solace in prayer. These practices help put your mind at ease. When you start your day with a calm, well-rested mind, it ensures a good day not only for yourself but also for those around you. And no doubt, being in a sound state of mind certainly has a positive impact on your physical health as well.

Adopting these steps can help you on your journey to living a healthy lifestyle and improve the quality of your life significantly. One practical way to tackle any unforeseen health issues is to buy Health Insurance Online . Insurance acts as an essential safety net to ensure that you don’t have to bear a large financial burden in an unexpected disease.

Oral health is not only important to keep cavity and gum disease at bay, but it also plays an important role in keeping you fit. With the mouth being the entrance to what you eat and drink, there is a strong correlation between your oral hygiene and overall health. Gum issues and tooth decay can cause pain, tooth loss, and reduced appetite and might affect your self-confidence if not treated on time. This can further lead to undernourishment and speech issues, causing strain on your personal and professional life.

It’s never too late to start taking care of your teeth. Below are 5 tips you should regularly follow to keep your teeth healthy:

● Avoid sugary food and drinks –

Do you find your teeth unclear and uneven? This could be due to dental plaque on the surface of your teeth. Plaque is caused by the sugary substances we eat, producing cavity-causing acid. So, whenever you eat sugary foods, a layer of plaque might get coated on the teeth. To reduce the occurrence of plaque, limit your consumption of sugary foods and drinks. Additionally, always check the labels and ingredients of packaged foods for sugar content before buying. For e.g., many yogurt flavors and sports drinks contain a high quantity of sugar, which might affect oral health.

● Brush your teeth twice daily –

Brushing your teeth two times a day helps in removing plaque and germs. This becomes more effective if done with the appropriate technique. Always brush the front, back, and top properly in small round movements. This process would take around 2-3 minutes; avoid moving the brush backward and forward. Hard brushing can cause damage to tooth enamel and gums that affect tooth sensitivity. If you see blood in your gums while brushing, then try gentler movements. It has been recommended by dentists to use a soft-bristle brush and change it every 3 months.

● Floss your teeth once a day –

Flossing helps to get rid of plaque and food stuck in the teeth, which cannot be removed while brushing. These stuck food particles, if not removed, get disintegrated by bacteria, leading to bad breath. The stuck debris can also affect your teeth, which might require treatment, such as a root canal to be fixed. Push the floss into the gum line before embracing the side tooth. There would be no pain while moving it up and down and removing the plaque effectively.

● Use mouthwash –

Always use mouthwashes recommended by dentists for good oral health. Mouthwash containing chlorhexidine, which is an antibacterial ingredient, helps in preventing plaque and gingivitis. It also contains essential oils that aid in oral health. Mouthwash cannot be a replacement for brush and floss but can enhance your teeth-cleaning practice.

● Visit the dentist regularly –

You should go to see the dentist for a regular check-up once in 6 months. They will examine your teeth to remove plaque, germs, and hardened tartar. The dentist will do a visual check for oral health problems, cavities, disease in gums, and mouth cancer. Cavities can be checked through dental x-rays. If adults take care of dental hygiene daily, then the frequency of visiting the dentist for oral health problems could be lesser.

Dental treatments are often not covered by your Health Insurance. Thus, various medical procedures performed by a dentist can be an expensive affair. Hence, it’s recommended to follow good oral habits for a healthy body and less medical expenditure.

Following good dental care from childhood helps keep the mouth healthy, even till later stages of life. Healthy oral habits protect you from various diseases and keep you fit throughout life. Follow the steps mentioned above as part of your routine to improve your smile and oral health.

If any pain or discomfort presents and persists, always consult with your dentist.

It is known that COVID-19 infections spread faster in places where people come in proximity to one another. Therefore, one would need to be cautious about the threat of infection, especially in offices and other closed workplace settings. There are many commonly used areas in the office like canteens, conference halls, meeting rooms, elevators, parking lots etc., where the chances of infection are much higher. That is why every office-goer needs to consider these risks and exercise utmost precaution while in office.

While health insurance (check for health insurance online today) stands out as a basic personal precaution, there are many precautions one can keep in mind to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in office spaces. It includes general precautions like:

● Maintaining a minimum distance of 2 yards or 6 feet from others.

● Wearing a face mask or cover at all times to cover your nose and mouth. Also, remember to avoid touching these areas of your face with your fingers.

● Washing your hands with soap or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer regularly, particularly after touching foreign objects and common surfaces.

● Covering the mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing. Spitting should be avoided altogether.

● Monitoring health and reporting it timely whenever required.

● Using the Aarogya Setu app for timely medical response and COVID-19 awareness.

Here are some precautions that can help prevent infection in office premises:

● Mandatory hand hygiene and thermal screening should be installed at entrances. Employees or visitors with suspected medical conditions should be barred from entry.

● Work-from-home should be permitted for people living in containment zones.

● Service providers such as transport and housekeeping should maintain similar rules regarding containment zones.

● Office vehicles should be disinfected at least twice a day with a 1% sodium hypochlorite solution or spray.

● Aged and pregnant employees and employees with medical conditions should not be exposed to front line work.

● Officers, staff, visitors, valet parking personnel and all other support staff should be wearing masks at all times. Valet parking personnel must also wear gloves.

● Keys, steering wheels, door handles etc. of all office vehicles should be disinfected.

● Proper permission and screening of visitors must be made compulsory.

● Meetings must be conducted over video conferencing as far as possible.

● Awareness of COVID-19 should be promoted through standees, posters and audio-visual presentations

● Crowd management within and outside office premises should be ensured, with adequate physical distancing norms.

● In case of queues, physical distancing norms and marking signs should be put in place.

● Washrooms must have an adequate supply of sanitizers, soaps and running water.

● Restrictions on the number of people using elevators at the same time must be adhered to.

● A temperature of 24-30 ℃ and relative humidity of 40-70% should be ensured in office air conditioning.

● There should be adequate cross-ventilation within the office.

● Large physical gatherings should be avoided.

● Sanitation should be maintained in washrooms, drinking water stations, and hand wash points.

● Commonly used places like doorknobs, elevator buttons, benches, handrails, and bathroom fixtures must be regularly disinfected with a 1% sodium hypochlorite solution or spray.

● Cafeterias and canteens should have their staff checked for temperature and respiratory wellness. Crowd and queue management should be ensured with adequate social distancing, including seating arrangement.

In case health issues or signs of infection become apparent, the office should:

● Facilitate isolation for the unwell person till medical attention is available.

● Inform the nearest medical facility, and confirm availability of cashless Health Insurance Online , if possible.

● Disinfect the places used / visited by the infected person in the last 48 hours, in case of one or two cases of infection.

● Disinfect the entire building or block in case of a large number of infections.

While making efforts to control the possibility of infection, offices should also work to dispel social stigma and show consideration towards the mental health impact of isolation and infection on their employees.

Your lifestyle choices often determine whether you will lead a healthy life or not. The food you eat and the physical activity you do is directly correlated to your overall health. If you are physically active and keep a check on what you eat, then there is a good probability of you being healthy even in later stages of life. A sedentary lifestyle only increases the risk of chronic diseases.

The rise of COVID-19 infection has forced everyone to stay indoors. It was assumed that doing any physical activity won’t be possible anymore. Yet, the fitness geeks have found ways to work out when quarantining from home as well, leading the path for others to follow.

While quarantining from home, these fitness enthusiasts are following the below tips to maintain a healthy lifestyle and keeping themselves physically and mentally active:

● Exercise and eat well –

Regular exercising helps in remaining physically healthy, improves mental health and reduces anxiety levels. Initially, you might feel rusty, but exercising regularly will boost your energy levels. You can dance, do yoga, or just play with your children to lift your spirits. Staying at home can make you eat unhealthy and fatty foods, which can decrease energy levels. Avoid sugary and salty foods to stay energetic throughout the day. Stay hydrated, drink a lot of fluids, and at least 8-10 glasses of water a day. Consume foods that provide protein, carbohydrates, and fiber, such as green vegetables, fruits, red meat, etc.

● Have an appropriate sleep pattern –

It is important to reduce anxiety to have better sleep. Try to go to bed at night and get up in the morning at the same time daily, irrespective of the quality of sleep. Avoid eating late, or consume alcohol or caffeine at night. The restorative rapid eye movement (REM) time reduction makes you feel rested even being awake. The sleep quality might get impacted with the use of phone, laptop, or TV before sleeping. Try things that keep you calm, such as reading, walking, etc., before going to bed, to reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality.

● Have a routine –

Without a set schedule, one might feel tired and unenthusiastic. It’s important to have time for meals, sleep, work, and relax. Prioritizing such things will help in keeping anxiety in check. Take breaks at regular intervals to stay energized in case of working from home. Ensure there is time off from work, so you can get some me-time as well.

● Think positive –

Having a compassionate mindset helps in conserving energy. Practicing this kind of thinking is known as ‘kind attention’. Be empathetic towards your colleagues or family members, and understand the challenges they are facing while working from home. Supporting your spouse in daily chores will reduce their workload and strengthen your bond. This kind of positive attitude will keep your spirits high, and increase your focus and energy levels.

● Stand up while working –

Whenever possible, take a break from work to stand up to reduce your sedentary time. With the availability of ergonomic furniture, use a standing desk such as a high table or stack a pile of books, or other materials to work while standing. While standing, indulge yourself in reading, and playing board games and puzzles, to refresh your mind.

COVID-19 has made it difficult for people to have a positive outlook while being stuck at home. But with a healthy lifestyle of exercising at home, eating homemade food, and bonding with family can help to survive in these tough times. As nutrition is vital for physical, mental, and social well-being; so is health insurance for the health and security of your loved ones. Always have Health Insurance for you and your family members, so you aren’t worried about money while providing them with the best healthcare.