Comparing good health to a tripod with three legs, each leg signifying an important aspect of daily life, eighth-graders from Tanana Middle School in Fairbanks, Alaska came up with the concept of a health triangle. With nutritious food, adequate sleep, and an active lifestyle, the three legs of this tripod can be balanced to create a healthy mental, physical and social life.
Understanding the balanced health triangle
In 1997, 120 eighth-graders from Tanana Middle School, Alaska was given the task of writing essays on health problems affecting the city. This was done as a part of the district’s 10-day health program and after pondering over the issues of health each day for an hour, they narrowed down health into three chief aspects.
By the principles guiding a health balanced triangle, a person cannot be categorized as hale and hearty until all three aspects of their life are healthy- social, mental, and physical. By narrowing it down to three key features that have to be incorporated into a daily routine- a nutritious diet, regular and adequate sleep, and active lifestyle, the students devised three essentials for health.
Tips to achieve a balanced health triangle
For balancing your personal health triangle, certain lifestyle changes have to be made. These changes are directed at balancing the three aspects, and creating a more stable and fitter body, mind, and soul.
- Physical health tips
The first part of the triangle is physical fitness and an important aspect of physical health is a proper nutritious diet. This includes a daily supply of essential nutrients through whole grains, fresh vegetables, lean meats, fruits, and low-fat dairy products, protein-rich foods like eggs, beans, and legumes.
Limit your daily caffeine intake and abstain from alcohol and smoking.Liquid intake in an equally important aspect of a well-balanced diet. Ensure that you keep your body hydrated by consuming a minimum of 6-8 cups of water each day.
A moderate to intense workout of 30 minutes done 4-5 times a week can produce amazing results. By experimenting with activities like soccer, swimming, football, basketball, etc you can have fun while sweating those toxins out.
The technique recommends an adequate sleep of about 7-9 hours. This full night sleep will help you concentrate more and remain active throughout the day.
Physical health also requires personal care and hygiene, which requires showering and brushing regularly, washing your hands with a sanitizer to prevent thespread of infections, and maintaining a regular schedule for medical and dental checkups.
- Mental Health
The second pillar in the foundation of the balanced health tripod is mental health. To achieve optimum results in all endeavors, it is necessary that your mind and focus are as sharp as your physical health. By regularly reading updates in multiple affairs and indulging in brain games like crosswords, jigsaws, puzzles etc on a daily routine, you can achieve excellent mental health. Meditation, which involves concentration and relaxation at the same time, is a proven brain booster.
Make a list of things that you enjoy as hobbies and make sure you practice them at least once a week. This will give you a mental happiness and also de-stress you quickly.
- Social Health
By building a community over social networks both online as well as offline is a great way to create a healthy life. Bond with people that share common interests and goals, such friends can prove to be a great aid in motivating you and building your social health.
For increasing your social outreach and psychological well-being you can volunteer in various communities. This will give you a sense of satisfaction as well as establish your sense of belonging to your city.
For a balanced health triangle, every aspect of life has to be changed for the better. The three important foundations of this triangle are physical, mental, and social health, all being co-dependent. It is important that a person focuses on all these aspects to be truly hale and hearty.