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5 Mantras You Should Follow To Stay Healthy In Your 20s

Dr. Abhishtita Mudunuri

5 Min Read

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A typical 20s-something-Indian is carefree, and has many important life events going on this decade– finding love, or getting married, or establishing themselves in a job, some even have children or are planning to, going on multiple vacations and so much more. Well, age is just a number. However, the possibilities in your 20s are endless!

The 20s is generally a healthy period in one’s life unless they are already diagnosed with certain conditions or are showing severe symptoms of a particular disease. The only visits to the doctor would be in case of viral infections like dengue, COVID-19 that definitely need treatment and body checkups.

How to be healthier in your 20s

Clean diet

We often notice that in a family party, those in their 40s, 50s and older often have special requests- no cheese, less mayo, no sugar and many more. Have you wondered why?

The result of diet choices we make in our 20s directly affects our future. The more unhealthy choices we make, the more disorders we will experience later- such as diabetes, PCOD, hyperlipidemia, heart disease, hypertension, etc.

Cut back on refined sugars, heavy diary products, unhealthy fats and replace them with more leafy veggies, fruits, nuts & seeds. Make sure you are getting enough micronutrients in your diet. Talk to your doctor if you need supplements to cover for what you aren’t getting enough.

healthy food diabetes pcodmfine

Regular exercise

In the absence of debilitating disorders, the 20s are a wonderful time to invest in physical activities. This is the time when one can manage their weight, BMI and build core strength. Exercises are vital for the regulation of hormones, improving metabolism and boosting mood & immunity.

Making a habit to engage in some form of physical activity- say swimming, cycling or yoga is easy to do in your 20s. The habit you make today definitely makes it easier to remain in good health in the coming decades.

couple exercise at home binge-watching mfine

Lifestyle choices

Creating healthy habits such as sleeping and waking at a particular time, eating meals in a timely manner, limiting caffeine intake, etc are of course necessary. The 20s is also a time when bad habits can take your health on a poor route to diseases like cirrhosis and cancer.

The perpetrators here would be excessive alcohol intake and smoking. Quitting smoking would be the best choice you would have ever made for your future.

smoking 20s mfine

Being up-to-date with your health

Learning what diseases are common in your area or knowing what your risks of developing a health issue are can help in early detection & treatment. Say, a spike in dengue cases has been observed in your area. Make sure to use mosquito repellants, and protective measures to ensure you do not get affected by it.

Now that lifestyle diseases are on the rise, a working-class individual is exposed to a variety of health inconveniences. Getting yourself physically examined by the doctor is an important aspect of an annual health check if you are in your 20s. A face-to-face appointment can help you discuss any symptoms you might be having or any diet or lifestyle recommendations and interpretation of blood test reports. Additionally, getting your blood pressure (BP) checked during this visit can help assess your risk of developing hypertension.

A woman in her 20s definitely needs to get gynaecological examinations for certain conditions like cervical cancer and to evaluate risks of developing PCOD. Your doctor may also recommend a thyroid profile test for you since hypothyroidism is also a common reason for irregular periods. Additionally, if you have any family history of breast cancer, your doctor may ask you to get a breast screening test done annually.

Annual dental examinations can help keep your oral health in check. A dentist will be able to diagnose cavities, gum infections, root infections, etc if you have had symptoms like toothache, trouble chewing, etc.

India has now become a diabetes hub, with over 30 million diagnosed with the chronic condition. A condition called prediabetes- meaning your blood sugars are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes is on the rise in younger people in their 20s and 30s, owing to poor lifestyle & dietary choices. Getting the diabetes screening test, which usually includes the HbA1c test, FBS and PPBS, as well as urine routine examination would be a great idea to check how well your blood sugars are maintained.

If you are in your 20s, your doctor might recommend you to get a cholesterol risk screening test- which is essentially the lipid profile test. This test informs you about your current cholesterol levels, and additionally the levels of good cholesterol (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL). Higher cholesterol levels are associated with heart disease and hypertension, and hence it is important to be up to date on this parameter.

The age bracket of 20-30 is the period when adults are most sexually active. Hence, assessing risks of HIV, herpes and other sexually transmitted diseases is vital during your 20s.

Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 deficiency are common in this age group, the latter is more common in vegetarians. Getting the vitamin profile tests can help identify such deficiencies and can help you make nutritionally beneficial changes to your diet.

Mental health awareness

While many people in their 20s may not be able to visit a doctor due to various reasons- be it busy schedules or just reluctance, one can take up 3-5 minute self-checks at home. If you are a working individual, you may experience stress from your schedules or working environment. Getting a work stress self-check can help you evaluate your stress levels and if you need to reach out to a mental health professional for help. Mental health self-checks are important since a sound mind is as vital as a sound body.

yoga for relaxation 20s mfine

While regular doctor visits for a 20-something adult are anecdotally rare phenomena- some don’t need any, some tend to skip or postpone appointments even if they observe certain symptoms, ignorance is never bliss when it comes to health, especially in this day and age.

Booking lab tests on MFine is now an easy and seamless experience. No need to do intense research or wait for your turn or travel to the lab for diagnostic tests. All you have to do is log in to the MFine website or app, search and select the test you’re looking for, add your address, make payment and proceed to book your appointment. Easy-peasy! Your road to healthy living is just one tap away.

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Written by

Dr. Abhishtita Mudunuri

Dr. Abhishtita Mudunuri is an Internal Medicine Physician Diabetologist with over 10 years of experience in treating lifestyle disorders like Diabetes, Hypertension, Dyslipidemia, etc. She has worked previously at Columbia Asia, Sunshine Hospitals, and Apollo Group of Hospitals. Currently, she is working as a Senior Manager and Diabetologist at MFine.

5 Mantras You Should Follow To Stay Healthy In Your 20s

How to be healthier in your 20s

Clean diet

Regular exercise

Lifestyle choices

Being up-to-date with your health

Mental health awareness

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