KTU researchers: do we really know what it means to live a healthy life?

There are numerous myths associated with healthy lifestyle, eating habits, sleep, and rest. The field of healthy lifestyle is filled with various fictional scenarios, misconceptions, and decisions influenced by trends. It can be challenging to distinguish truth from lies in the overwhelming amount of information.

Why is a holistic point of view important in a healthy lifestyle and what does it include? How to refrain from harmful diet trends? Scientists and lecturers at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) discuss these topics and share their knowledge with students during the Healthy Lifestyle module.

“Holistic approach to a healthy lifestyle is understanding that the combination of mental, physical, and environmental factors is important for our health,” says Laura Daniusevičiūtė-Brazaitė, doctor in biomedical sciences and an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities (KTU FSSAH).

Holistic resources for a healthy lifestyle

A holistic approach to health includes education, self-help, and lifestyle changes, promoting healthier well-being. The holistic approach considers the body as a unit. Physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health is considered to contribute to our health.

“Holistic approach emphasises the importance of balancing all aspects of our life – physical, psychological, social and spiritual – to be healthy. One should be focused on preventing diseases, correcting lifestyle choices, and monitoring habits. Caring for and monitoring one’s lifestyle habits create long-term behaviour changes. The combination of healthy lifestyle choices, such as diet, exercise, free-time activities, and social interactions, leave less room for spontaneous choices,” says Daniusevičiūtė-Brazaitė.

Daniusevičiūtė-Brazaitė says that together with her students in the Healthy Lifestyle module they analyse both physical and psychological well-being. They discuss why it is important to understand our brain processes, learn to help yourself psychologically and physiologically to avoid burnout and exhaustion.

“There are many ways of building a healthy, balanced, and happy lifestyle, but a few methods such as physical exercise, appropriate diet, and mental habits can be distinguished. Doing yoga or spending time on hobbies can be mentally beneficial for improving one’s lifestyle. However, it is important to remember that the key factor contributing to a healthy lifestyle is exercise,” says Daniusevičiūtė-Brazaitė.

Distinguishing between black and white

“Trends in diet occur because of two closely related reasons. First, people want a magic recipe and second, businesses want to sell that magic recipe. Attentive people can notice trends going hand in hand with new products, such as specialised products, apps, books, coaches, and magic pills…,” says Aelita Zabulionė, the head of the Research Laboratory of Sensory Analysis at KTU Food Institute.

According to Zabulionė, diet trends often rely on one decontextualised fact, which is often dividing. It appears that people were oblivious, but now they have suddenly come to their senses. “The consumers are captivated by the novelty of such trends and are promised that their life will change completely and effortlessly. Yes, the emphasis is, not on changes in diet habits, well-being or physical condition, but on one’s life, as it is often portrayed.”

Zabulionė says that following diet trends can cause serious health disorders.

“Such harmful trends usually conceal the importance of balance and harmony, because it is impossible to sell. Usually, one specific product or concept is made to seem fantastic or something is belittled and stigmatised. These trends usually limit one’s diet to a tiny group of specific products, preventing a nutritious and diverse diet. It can often cause serious health problems because the body is exhausted due to a bad diet and people usually start to get on the new trends wishing to make up for the damage done. Such variance in eating habits can cause serious diseases requiring medical treatment, poor relationship with food, and eating disorders,” says the scientist at KTU.

Zabulionė says that there will always be businesses attempting to sell “lifesaving” solutions without critical thinking. Additionally, there will always be people who lack resources for valuable long-term changes and seek quick and easy solutions.

“It is important to analyse food and supplement labels and understand, whether this information is compliable to our wellness. We should know the main guidelines and a way of thinking to learn how to search for information. I believe the most important factor in dieting is distinguishing trustworthy products from cheap money-making business tricks,” advises Zabulionė.

The importance of exercise

“Exercise is important for our well-being, proper posture, muscle tone, lower levels of stress, and good quality sleep. Especially for those who spend most of their time sitting, exercise is as crucial as water or food,” says Ernesta Karaškienė, the Head Coach of the Track and Field team at KTU.

After learning about the variety of motions, we can choose the ones that suit our individual lifestyle the best. However, it is important to include mobility.

“Mobility is the range of motion of a joint until surrounding tissues (ligaments, tendons or muscles) limit it. If joints lack mobility, the body tries to compensate for that with additional motions, which pose a great risk for injuries and muscle imbalance. This is why including mobility training into our routine is essential,” says Karaškienė.

The coach also leads TRX training sessions for students who chose the Healthy Lifestyle module.

“TRX is a training system that uses bodyweight exercises. The complexity of the exercises can be adapted for everyone because the machines offer a wide range of exercises. Such training strengthens our bodies holistically,” says Karaškienė.

Those wanting to learn more about holistic lifestyle, diminish the myths from reality, and learn from experts are welcome to choose the optional Healthy Lifestyle module (S273B003) at KTU.