How lifestyle affects epilepsy appears to be closely related to how lifestyle affects health overall. The general rule of thumb is that the better you treat your body, the better it will work for you. If we don’t take proper care of ourselves by getting enough sleep, drinking in moderation, abstaining from recreational drugs, or eating a proper diet, our body acts in accordance. While some of the effects can be seen immediately, others can take years to appear.
The effects of sleep loss are numerous. It is widely known that it slows cognitive processes, can lead to depression, prematurely ages skin, and impairs judgment. Recent studies are overwhelmingly showing how lack of sleep can lead to weight gain over time. Sleep loss which turns into sleep deprivation can cause much more serious health issues such as heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, and even diabetes.
Alcohol can cause many disturbances in a body including changing sleep patterns, causing headaches, low blood sugar, dehydration, and gastrointestinal problems to name a few. Cancer (primarily liver), cirrhosis of the liver, heart disease, and a myriad of other problems are all associated with long term drinking issues. Since alcohol is so quickly transferred to the blood stream after consumption, it can affect all parts of the body.
The effects of recreational drugs are many, depending on the drug. Marijuana alone: impairs judgment, shortens attention span, causes anxiety and panic attacks, can increase heart rate, and cause problems with memory and decrease alertness, among other things. There are many other drugs such as cocaine, hallucinogens, and meth that can cause even worse damage to a body.
Using Food to Help Your Body
While many people do get enough sleep and abstain from alcohol and drugs, our society is greatly inundated by advertisement for food. These advertisements rarely suggest a healthy diet with lean meats, fruits, and vegetables. We are constantly bombarded with ads for fast food, junk food, and candy. Turn the TV to any station geared towards kids and watch the commercials; it is obvious that the food industry begins targeting even the youngest viewers. Adding to that fact there seems to be a fast food restaurant on virtually every corner of any given city. It may seem at times that it takes great commitment to avoid the onslaught of poor choices that seem to pop up everywhere.
When thinking about how our choices influence how our bodies work, there are a multitude of reasons to make the right choices. While choosing to eat fast food one day a month may not have any implications, eating it on a regular basis is obviously not a good choice. Taking your health seriously and choosing good options can lead to a healthier, happier you. Using food to help your body instead of hurt it can lead to improved health and well being and might just be the thing your body needs most.
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