Understanding, Benefits, and Examples of Clean and Healthy Living Behavior

Everyone certainly wants to live healthily throughout their life. Healthy living habits will make a person able to live more comfortably. Not only for oneself, but a person surely wants all family members to live healthily as well. In a family, which is the smallest community circle, everyone can strive for this effectively.

Understanding Clean and Healthy Living

Clean and Healthy Living Behavior (PHBS) is a program initiated by the Ministry of Health and Community Empowerment with the principle that prevention is better than cure. This may also have become one of the principles believed by many, but has it been practiced in daily habits?

Everyone indeed has their own preferences for healthy living. However, the reflection of clean and healthy living patterns expected from the PHBS program refers to the conscious behavior carried out by all family members to consistently maintain health.

Benefits of Clean and Healthy Living

As one of the programs promoting good habits, there are many benefits that a person can gain from living cleanly and healthily. Not limited to benefiting oneself, but also family and close friends. Let's take a look at the benefits that can be obtained from clean and healthy living behavior.

1. More Enthusiastic

What’s the connection with enthusiasm? Don’t worry, try to imagine the atmosphere in a room after it has just been cleaned. The atmosphere certainly becomes more pleasant for resting or working. Well, this will make you more enthusiastic to engage in activities throughout the day.

2. Avoiding Diseases

Living clean also makes daily routines more orderly, especially with the consumption of nutritious food. This will help a person avoid diseases because the body's immunity is stronger.

3. Maintaining Weight

You may not need to worry about weight if you are accustomed to living cleanly and healthily. Balanced nutritional intake allows a person to control the amount of food in the body. Thus, weight can also be maintained.

4. Increasing Productivity

A comfortable and enthusiastic atmosphere along with a fit body will certainly enhance productivity. The body will feel fitter, making daily activities more productive. A good metabolism will produce optimal energy.

5. Having a Positive Attitude

A body free from diseases will keep a person productive. Therefore, there are more things that can be done with greater enthusiasm. A healthy body condition will also stimulate the mind to be more positive, in other words, mentally healthy.

Examples of Clean and Healthy Living Behavior

There is no doubt that many benefits can be gained when someone practices clean and healthy living behavior. Let's get used to adopting the following clean and healthy living habits.

1. Consuming Fruits and Vegetables

Eating habits are one of the easiest examples of healthy living behavior. This method is very simple to be adopted by oneself and all family members. In addition to the nutritional intake of vegetables and fruits that contain many benefits, consuming fruits and vegetables is also relatively more economical, especially when cooking at home.

2. Washing Hands with Soap

The habit of washing hands is actually not only necessary to be practiced since the pandemic. This routine is one of the simplest steps that can be controlled to keep the body free from harmful germs and bacteria. Therefore, get used to washing hands with soap and running water, especially before eating.

3. Regular Physical Activity

Being active also makes a person healthier because the joints remain in motion. Many people engage in many static activities like sitting in front of a laptop for long periods.

To keep the body in prime condition, at least do stretching every 20 – 60 minutes to move the joints. It would be even better to take the time to exercise, even if only for a few minutes each day.

4. Using a Toilet

Urination or defecation should be done in proper sanitation facilities, namely a toilet. Many people in Indonesia still relieve themselves in places that are not appropriate. This habit triggers germs and diseases because the environment is contaminated with waste from the body.

5. Eradicating Mosquito Breeding Sites

Dengue fever is one of the diseases that is very susceptible to infecting humans. The problem is that even clean water puddles can become breeding grounds for dengue mosquito larvae that pose a danger to health.

Therefore, try to regularly clean bathtubs, bury used items, and remove places where water can accumulate that can become breeding sites for mosquito larvae. This way, the family will be protected from the threat of dengue fever.

6. Giving Birth with a Midwife

Indonesia has a relatively high maternal mortality rate in Southeast Asia. This is often caused by the difficulty of accessing health facilities and professional personnel such as midwives, nurses, and obstetricians.

This leads to many births being conducted by non-experts. If not handled seriously, the health of mothers and babies will be at risk. Mothers are also at risk of experiencing dangerous childbirth complications that threaten their lives.

7. Not Smoking Indoors

Air quality is also one of the determining factors for clean and healthy living. Cigarettes contain many chemical substances that are not only harmful to active smokers but also to those around them. By getting used to not smoking indoors or in enclosed spaces, a person is already practicing clean and healthy living behavior.

8. Using Clean Water

The use of clean water is also very important to maintain oneself and the family environment. The quality of water greatly affects the supply of nutrients in the body as well as cleaning germs and bacteria that stick to the body. Therefore, use clean water for cooking, drinking, bathing, and washing clothes.

9. Providing Exclusive Breastfeeding

Children are one of the family members whose health must be prioritized. Clean and healthy living behavior for children can be instilled from a young age by providing exclusive breastfeeding from 0 – 6 months. Breast milk contains the best nutrients for children and is also beneficial in reducing the risk of obesity.

10. Weighing Babies and Toddlers Monthly

The growth of babies and toddlers also needs to be monitored regularly by weighing them every month. The early stages of development in children are very important to reduce the prevalence of stunting, which is still quite high in Indonesia. Therefore, ensure that children have a balanced diet that is beneficial for their bodies.

These are the benefits and examples of clean and healthy living behaviors that can be practiced within the family environment. Simple things like the behaviors above may seem trivial, but they may not have been practiced at home. So, get used to yourself and your family to maintain health by actively applying clean and healthy living behaviors!

Author: Rizkita Darajat