“Studies prove that a safe, easy and quick way to increase the level of happiness and the sense of meaning is to give of yourself,” recommends Dr. Dana Florentine a family doctor in general health services in the Dan-Petah Tikva district, on the occasion of Tu Bab.
“It is important to start maintaining a healthy lifestyle as a couple”, she points out and recommends a series of ways that can be combined all year round – “At the same time as maintaining a healthy lifestyle, this also has the ability to contribute to the strengthening of the joint relationship”.
physical activity: Many studies prove that exercise is the best cure for almost everything. Physical activity lowers the risk of cancer, reduces the incidence of diabetes, lowers the risk of heart disease, helps balance blood pressure, reduces the risk of fractures and falls, contributes to better quality sleep, helps maintain a healthy feeling throughout the day, neutralizes mental stress, raises the mood and reduces anxiety.
According to her, studies also show that in order to maximize the potential, it is recommended to perform aerobic activity for 40 minutes every day, or almost every day.
“You don’t have to do spinning or run a marathon, even a walk in the evening, in the pleasant air, is considered,” she explains – “another option is to count steps, there are countless apps that count steps that you can download, it is recommended to reach ten thousand steps a day. When you do this together, you encourage each other The second is more.”
proper nutrition: What we put into our body has an effect, so it is important to be careful about the quantity and it is important to be careful about the quality as well – to minimize the amount of carbohydrates (especially everything that tastes bad), and to be careful about the consumption of vegetables and fruits that contain vitamins.”
Dr. Florentin also recommends giving up harmful habits, such as smoking and overeating.
giving: You can go volunteer in something that speaks to you, or simply do one small good deed every day. “Even adopting a pet helps with the sense of meaning, and studies have shown that those who adopt a pet are healthier and happier (beyond the beneficial effect of walking the dog),” recommends Dr. Florentin.
Sleep more (but not too much): It turns out that the average person spends a third of his life sleeping. But what is the magic number of hours of sleep each of us needs for better health? For older people, it is recommended to sleep seven to nine hours a day.
According to her, a 2011 study published in the Journal of the European Heart Association found that people who don’t get enough sleep “are at a 48% increased risk of developing or dying from coronary heart disease over a seven to 25-year follow-up period, and at a 15% increased risk of developing or dying from a stroke over a period of this.
“According to other studies, too little sleep also increases the risk of diabetes, headaches, and depression, and also damages libido, skin aging, memory, judgment, and reaction time,” she warns. Too much sleep is not ideal either. “In the same study, it was found that ‘those who sleep nine hours or more on average at night showed a 38% increased risk of developing or dying from coronary heart disease, and a 65% increased risk of suffering a stroke,'” she explains.