5 Things I Wished I Did Concerning My Health At The Early Stage Of My Life

As I reflect on my childhood life, I am at times posed with one big question and which is, what could I have done to improve my health? The reality is that at the time we are young we tend to be robust, lively, and careless. In our opinion, old people can be sick and unhealthy only because they happen that way. The truth is though, that the decisions we make as children, may continue to haunt us throughout our lives. My name is Sammy, a young Nigerian man and I would like to state five things I would have liked to do in regard to my health at the beginning of my life.

I regret so much that when I was younger I was not paying attention to what I was eating. I was raised to eat what I could find and at times it was plenty of rice, bread, noodles and fried food. Vegetables and fruit were not my particular favorite, and I shoved them aside. I was not aware that the body requires vitamins, minerals and fiber to keep it strong at the time. Now I realize that it is like fueling your body with the right fuel to eat balanced meals.

Had I consumed more beans, vegetables, fruits and natural foods in the past, I would have laid a greater base to my health. Now I understand that junk food can be delicious, but it can lead to such troubles as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular problems in the long term. It was too bad that I did not take my diet seriously at an early age.

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I enjoyed football when I was a young boy. However, I began to spend more time in my house at a later age where I was watching movies, scrolling my phone, or playing video games. My exercise was now done once in a while. I believed skinny was the key to being healthy but later I discovered that being fit does not only relate to being physically small, it is also the measure of strength, endurance and the state of your heart.

In reflection, I regret I did not continue to exercise at least three times a week. Even basic activities such as jogging, push-ups, skipping rope and even long walks would have helped me keep in good health. Working out improves the circulation of blood, maintains the brain and stresses. I have now understood that health does not only mean being sick and not being sick but being strong through exercising.

One of the mistakes I have committed when I was still young is consuming too much soft drinks and sweet drinks. I would consume soda nearly every day and water was not necessarily my first option. I was not aware that the human body is made to need water. Water aids digestion, cleans up the skin, kidneys and also the body temperature.

I am now aware of the difference when I drink more water. I feel lighter in my body and feel fresher in my mind. I hoped I had been doing the habit earlier rather than later in life. I think that today my body would be more grateful to me had I substituted those soda bottles with the cups of clean water.

In my younger days I did not appreciate rest. I would be up all night playing games or watching football games or talking to my friends. I would even go to bed late and still wake up very early with a lack of sleep. I believed that sleep was only about lazy people. However, with time I came to learn that the body heals itself when we sleep.

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Sleep deprivation may lead to impairment of memory, mood and even the immune system. I recollect that I felt weak and stressed due to lack of sleep on certain occasions. I am aware now that rest is not a waste of time, it is the element of good health. I hoped that I had earlier formed a healthy sleeping habit, that is, getting at least seven or eight hours of sleep each night.

I was brought up as many Nigerians believing that you just visit the hospital when you are extremely unwell. I did not even consider attending routine medical checkups. I stayed away from hospitals since I feared needles, tests and at times the bills. Yet the fact is that there is a great deal of sickness that is preventable or manageable in case discovered at an early stage.

Malaria, typhoid, high blood pressure, diabetes and even simple infections can be identified before they get worse. I also realize that it is cheaper and safer to prevent, than to cure. I only wish I had taken regular checkups seriously when I was a young life since this would have made me better acquainted with my body and prevented some of the minor health problems that I encountered in the future.

Going back in these five areas, I could say that one should not take health as a joke. It cannot be something to get tomorrow. The things we develop at an early age accompany us into our adult life. Had I been a healthier eater, exerciser, water drinker, sleeper, and checkup taker, I would have spared myself some of the health miseries that I have been spared. Now, I am learning to do better. I consume more vegetable foods, I walk a lot, I drink water frequently, I sleep when I feel fatigued and I attend checkups. I am not an already perfect person, but I am becoming more disciplined.

Health is truly wealth. Money, success and achievements have no meaning without good health. I am a young Nigerian Sammy, and I have learnt that well being is a lifetime responsibility. I wish I had done these five things earlier but I am thankful that it is never too late to begin. I can only tell other youths not to wait until they become ill to have to change their lifestyles. Start now. Eat, exercise, drink water, sleep and monitor your health. Your self will appreciate it in the future.