It isn’t a secret that Millennials form a quite unique part of our population and they are defined by characteristics and events that set them apart from all other generations. However, when it comes to things like nutrition and health, the theme does tend to remain the same.
If you take a look at the 2015 Food and Health Survey that was done by the IFIC (International Food Information Council), you will see that Millennials have different opinions on health habits that are more traditional, the usage of information and resources for remaining healthy, and even on how some nutrients are valued. The question is, is their approach to wellness and health the one that is right? Let’s take a look at some of health tips for Millennials.
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Millennials and Anxiety
If Generation X was known for depression, Millennials are known for anxiety. This is caused by a workplace that is highly competitive, and an economic crush that is created by housing prices that are incredibly expensive and healthcare costs that are continuously reaching new heights. They work harder to get less.
This anxiety can then lead to other issues, such as them trying to self – medicate with things like prescription drugs, alcohol, and even illicit drugs. This creates a whole new problem – addiction. Thankfully, there are places they can turn to deal with their addictions, like drug rehab in Georgia, for example. This can get them feeling healthier, give them alternative methods to deal with anxiety, and get them to keep from self–medicating.
Mental Health
Being healthy is more than just physical health. It also has to do with mental health. Kids still in college are under a lot of stress with worrying about grades, graduating, and being able to find a career after graduation. Millennials just out of college are finding out that jobs are not falling from trees, yet the bills are still coming in and need to be paid. This means that many Millennials are taking advantage of therapy to make sure that they can get and stay healthy. This stress is not the only thing they are getting therapy for though. There are also things like eating disorders, psychotic disorders, PTSD, obsessive compulsive disorders and more. All of these things and more are sending Millennials to therapists all over the world.
Get Physical
No matter who you are, if you want to get and stay healthy, you need to have some physical activity. You should set a goal to be physically active for a minimum of half an hour each day. It doesn’t even need to be all at once. You can do it in 3 sessions of 10 minutes if you like. Healthy activities can include things like running, yoga, dancing, sports, walking, or any other sort of physical activity that you find enjoyable.
Diet
It is important for everyone to also have a diet that is well balanced and healthy. It might be tempting to hit that fast food place on the way home from work or school, but that won’t allow you to remain healthy and at a healthy weight if you do it consistently. Your diet needs to include whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. We also need diets that are low in things like cholesterol and saturated fats, but also moderate in things like total fat, salt, and sugar.
Healthy Sexual Activity
If you are going to have sex, you need to be safe about it. You can prevent things like sexually transmitted infections and even HIV/AIDs by making sure to use a condom each and every time you have sex. That being said, condoms are not something that has a 100% safety rating, so you also need to talk about screening for sexually transmitted infections with your health care provider. It is also important to use birth control, but keep in mind that things like implants and pills will not protect you against things like HIV or sexually transmitted infections.
Skin Cancer
To make sure that you keep your skin looking healthy, avoid the sun and use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or more. To protect your eyes, you should also wear sunglasses that will block the UVA and UVB rays of the sun.