The holiday season is upon us. Blankets get cozier and more delicious food is showing up everywhere. Fall is a change of season that people can’t help but enjoy for a multitude of reasons.

The key actions to living a healthy life are beaten into our heads: Eat healthy and exercise. But what does that even mean? There are different opinions out there on what is “healthy” and what’s not. 

Fill up your body with food that has nutritional value. The body needs carbohydrates, fats and protein to make up a well-balanced diet. Natural, not processed, foods are easier for the body to break down and use for energy. That energy gives the body power to function.

One way to define good health is having a body strong enough to fight off diseases and infection. By building up a strong immune system to fight off harmful diseases and sicknesses, health becomes a form of prevention. The healthier you are, the less vulnerable you are to infection. 

The lifestyle of a student is always changing. With moving every year or two and changing schedules around, it can be difficult to get a lifestyle pattern in line with health goals. 

Amber Coultis, a junior art major, has a few healthy habits she has incorporated into her lifestyle. A few of them are riding her bike to school and planning out her meals.  

“I usually portion my meals so that they’re not excessive. I have snacks as well throughout the day. I usually go to Sam’s Club and buy the big box of stuff, so its cheaper too. They keep me tied over into the next meal,” said Coultis.

Some of the simplest tactics for good health are easy to forget. Balancing sleep, stress and activities is a key part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Sleep, water and food are big players in the game of health.

Having enough of each is a good start. A long nights sleep (seven and a half to eight hours) has been said to be good for adults. Greater water intake is another relatively easy way to make a big impact on your health. 

If healthy equals happy, then there’s another reason to pay attention to your health.

http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/10-scientifically-proven-ways-to-be-incredibly-happy-wed.html

http://www.allaboutwater.org/drink-water.html