Be physically and mentally healthy

1. Having poor overall health can make recovery harder. Finding ways to take care of your
health can aid your recovery and help you feel better. Get routine check-ups and visit
your doctor when you're not feeling well. Sometimes, it is hard to tell whether not feeling
well is due to a side-effect of your medicine, a symptom of your mental health disorder or
a different health problem. Your doctor can help you to sort it out.
Once you have practiced living healthy you should make a list of things that work for you to stay
healthy; for instance walk my neighbor's dog, eat more apples and get enough sleep. It is also a
good idea to make a list of things that you know from experience trigger unhappy moods and
make symptoms worse. Making a list of the ways to live well and triggers to avoid will help you
live the healthiest life possible and avoid some unnecessary health (mental and physical)
complications.
Some websites (like SparkPeople) and smart phone applications offer free calorie counters,
workout trackers, and personalized diet and fitness plans. They can be a great resource to learn
about stretches, healthy eating, and being active. They also allow you to track your progress
and see how you are doing in reaching your goals.
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Eat Right Be Active And Exercise Get Enough Rest Avoid Smoking And Drugs Manage Stress Avoid Nega
Eat Right
Sometimes, medicine can cause you to gain weight. Other times, eating unhealthy foods can
cause weight gain. Foods high in calories and saturated or "bad" fats can raise your blood
pressure and cholesterol. This can increase your chances of gaining weight and having other
health problems, like heart disease and diabetes.
No one knows exactly which foods promote maximum mental health. But following some basic
suggestions can boost your energy, mood and overall wellness:
Consider the new nutritional tool: MyPlate: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which builds
MyPlate, says a healthy diet:
Emphasizes whole grains found in bread, crackers, rice, or pasta;
Includes avariety of fruit and vegetables, encouraging dark green and orangevegetables, dry
beans, and peas;
Includes getting calcium (often from milk);
Chooses lean or low-fat meats and poultry, adding avariety of fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.
For additional nutritional information, see choosemyplate.gov. You'll find a food tracker, menu
planner and other tools.
Don't skip meals. Eating consistently throughout theday provides yourbrain and body with a
steady supply offuel. It also prevents yourblood sugarfromdropping, which can cause
nervousness,irritability, and otherproblems.

2. Snack well. Sustain yourenergy by eating healthy snacks. Try to eat some nuts, wholeor dried fruit
or otherportablefood.
Work on your balance. Maybeyou know that yourbody needs avaried diet. But haveyou thought
about yourbrain?Your brain needs a healthy supply of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins,orit
can't perform functions that affect yourmood and thinking.
Don't over-diet. Eat to behealthy and fit - not to compareto anyoneelse. Strict food rules usually
backfire, and excessive dieting can bedangerous. Ifyou or someoneyou knowseems at risk of an
eating disorder, professionalcounseling can help.
Talk to your doctor to learn more about how to have a healthy diet.
Diet And Depression
Some evidence links depression and nutrition, although some of the research is still under
debate. Nutrients that may play a role in combating depression include:
Vitamin B-12 and folate. Good sources ofB-12 are fish like salmon and trout and breakfast cereals
that indicate in the nutrition information that they are fortified. Folate is found in dark leafy
vegetables, almonds, dairy products, and fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals. Examples of
fortified food include milk, salt, and certain cereals such as Special K, Cheerios, Total, Wheaties,
and Kellogg's Frosted Flakes.
Omega-3 fatty acids. Thebest sourceof omega-3 fatty acids are fatty fish like salmon, catfish, and
trout. Other sources includeground flaxseeds, walnuts, and egg yolks.
If you're feeling depressed, diet alone is likely not the answer. Consider contacting a mental
health professional to get help.
Be Active And Exercise
Along with a healthy diet, exercise can improve your health and well-being. Exercising regularly
can increase your self-esteemand confidence; reduce your feelings of stress, anxiety, and
depression; improve your sleep; and help you maintain a healthy weight. Living with a mental
health condition can lead to isolation and loneliness. Getting active is the antidote.
While the object is to start getting active, it's good to start gradually. When you are not well, a
small amount activity can tax your energy and concentration, so it is important to pace yourself
to start with. Talk with your mental health provider about how much activity to take on. Don't
be hard on yourself if you can't do all that you hoped to at first. You will gain stamina and
strength with time and practice.
There are lots of ways to start getting more active. Go to the library or get out to the mall.
Pursue your favorite hobby or take one up. Go to a musical event; while some cost money,
others are free. Check for free or low-cost activities at public recreation centers, parks and

3. adult education programs. If there is a tuition charge or admission fee, there may be discounts
for people with disabilities or seniors.
For your overall health, the American Heart Association recommends:
At least 30 minutes of moderateaerobic activity (think walking or a leisurely bike ride) five days a
week PLUS strength training twice a week.
OR
At least 20 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity (like jogging ora challenging bike ride) three days a
week PLUS strength training twice a week.
The Centers for Disease Control offers more detailed guidelines.
Find a type of exercise that you enjoy and talk to your doctor. You might enjoy walking, jogging,
or even dancing. You don't have to go to a gym or spend money to exercise.
Some suggestions include:
Check out yourlocal community center for free, fun activities.
Take a short walk around theblock with family, friends, or coworkers.
Take thestairs instead of the elevator. First making sure thestairs are well lit.
Turn on some music and dance. Dancealong to yourfavorite television shows.
Exercise to a workout video (public libraries offer a great variety and are free) oreven a Wii fitness
game.
Inexpensive suggestions to improve strength training include:
Do squats, push-ups, lunges, crunches,leg raises, or theplank in yourhome.
Participate in community classes of Pilates, yoga, orothertypes of exercise that focuses on
strengthening yourcoreabdominalmuscles.
Getting regular exercise is important. Especially if you have been inactive, it's OK to start
gradually. It's a good idea to discuss your exercise plans with your doctor, especially if you have
health conditions or are older.
However you choose to get active, it's always better if you can get a friend to join you or find a
friendly place for your activity. Look for adult education classes, activities where you worship,
community centers, and senior centers. Local newspapers and their websites often feature
weekly calendars of upcoming events.

4. Get Enough Rest
Sleep can affect your mood as well as your body and is important to your recovery. Not getting
the right amount of sleep can make day-to-day functioning and recovery harder. For tips on
how to sleep better, contact the National Sleep Foundation at 202-347-3471 or visit the World
Sleep Foundation blog.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health Epidemiological Catchment Area study,
"the risk of developing new major depression was much higher...compared to those without
insomnia". Furthermore in their study of about 8,000 participants, 40% of those with insomnia
and 46.5% of those with hypersomnia (sleeping too much) had a mental illness. The
relationship between getting enough rest and reducing the risk of depression, anxiety, and
other mental illnesses is strong.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they lose sleep because of stress. That's especially
unfortunate because sleep combats some of the fallout of stress, and poor sleep has been
linked to significant problems, including:
Greater risk of depression and anxiety
Increased risk of heart diseaseand cancer
Impaired memory
Reduced immune systemfunctioning
Weight gain
Greater likelihood of accidents
Tips For Improving Your Sleep
To sleep longer - and better - consider these suggestions:
Set a regularbedtime. Your body craves consistency,plus you'remorelikely to get enough sleep if
you schedulerest like yourotherimportant tasks.
De-caffeinate yourself. Drinking caffeine to stay awake during theday can keep you up at night.
Try resisting coffee and sodas starting at six to eight hours beforebed.
De-stress yourself. Relax by taking a hot bath, meditating, orenvisioning a soothing scenewhile
lying in bed. Turn off daytime worries by finishing any next-day preparations about an hourbefore
bed.
Exercise. Working out can improve sleep in lots of ways, including relieving muscle tension. Don't
work out right beforebed, though, sinceexercise may make you more alert. If you like, try gentle
upper-body stretches to help transition into sleep.
Make yourbed a sleep haven. No paying bills or writing reports in bed. Also, if you can't fall asleep
after 15 minutes you can try some soothing music, but if you remain alert experts recommend
getting up until you feel more tired.