A healthy lifestyle begins with a framework of choices as individual as you are. Starting with what time you wake up and finishing with 
how much sleep you get each night (and everything in between), your lifestyle choices are the factors which determine how you live each day—and how happy you will be.
The Role Of Diet And Exercise
The question, “What is a healthy lifestyle?” could not be answered without covering the basics of a proper diet and sufficient exercise. These two elements are fundamental and key to living a healthy lifestyle.
Diet—Eating Healthy and Moderately
What you eat fuels your energy and determines how your body will feel. This largely impacts mental capacity and function, so it is advised that you make food choices from a vantage point of general wellness. The basics for healthy eating include these points:
- Eat moderately. This means don’t eat 10 cookies, eat just 1. Don’t drink a whole bottle of wine, have a small glass. Don’t stuff yourself with food, because you will overwhelm your digestive system.
- You may have heard the phrase, “Eat your rainbow.” This just refers to including foods and fresh grown items of all different colors you’re your diet. Try to incorporate all types of food into your diet—lean meats, whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, etc.
- Drink plenty of water. Experts say that when you feel thirsty, you have pushed your body past the point of dehydration. “Thirst” is your body’s way of telling you it needs water to function better. Keep water nearby throughout the day and stay hydrated to curb food cravings and increase your energy.
Exercise—Make Physical Activity a Part of Your Routine
You don’t have to go to the gym to exercise. You could quickly research a simple and fast exercise regimen that you could execute daily, or go for a run around the block. Whatever you decide, make it a consistent activity and keep it fun.
- Find activities you love which also challenge you physically, such as rock climbing, bicycling, yoga, hiking, sports, etc.
- Start out moderately and go at your own pace. You don’t want to hurt yourself—keep it fun.
- Tie your healthy diet into your exercise routine. For example, most professional workout coaches agree that you should eat within your first hour of waking and have some lean protein within an hour of your exercise.
Your Lifestyle Should Suit Your Needs
What is a healthy lifestyle, exactly?
Although eating well and getting physical exercise are at the top of this list, a healthy lifestyle includes much more than just diet and exercise choices. A healthy, happy and fulfilling life should include a wide variety of elements. All work and no play is not workable, but nor is all play and no work. Seek to find a balance, with:
- Activities and hobbies you love to do; things which make you happy.
- Supportive friends and family.
- Leisure trips and vacations here and there.
- A challenging and stimulating yet fulfilling job or means of livelihood.
- Volunteer activities which give back to the community and help others.
- Ample food, sleep and exercise.
The Dangers Of Recreational Drug Use
A healthy lifestyle would not include the “occasional” use of drugs like marijuana or ecstasy.
Although people may seek to tell you that recreational drug use is harmless (or even that certain drugs are not addictive), you can be certain that this is untrue. Drugs are illegal because they pose a threat to their users and are potentially addictive—all of them.
There are plenty of other activities than drugs which provide more long-term happiness for the healthy lifestyle you are seeking.