15 English idioms and vocabulary about health

Do you consider yourself someone who follows a healthy lifestyle? But wait a second… What does a person need to do in order to be considered healthy? Is it all about eating fruits and vegetables? Is a healthy person someone who exercises everyday? Or are we talking about leading a stress-free life? We will take a look at some vocabulary about health in English and idioms you can use when talking about a healthy lifestyle in English.

Health is all about living a balanced life

In order to be healthy, a person needs to do more than just one thing — being healthy is all about living a balanced life. It is necessary to eat well, exercise often, and maintain a healthy soul. Let’s take a look at each of those pillars for having a good and healthy life.

Eating healthy food

One of the very first reality shows I’ve ever watched was called “You Are What You Eat”. The nutritionist Gillian McKeith went to a person’s house in order to make them eat better. The show usually starts with Dr. McKeith shows the person everything they eat in the span of a week. She organizes everything on a table, which makes it look terrible. Lots of junk food, soda, cookies, cakes, and everything else you know is bad for you but you insist on eating. Then, she helps them to break the habit of eating unhealthy foods. Some people do well, some others can’t keep it up for long — you know what they say: old habits die hard.

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Idioms about maintaining good habits

When talking about habits, it is common to use some idioms. Take a look at some of the most popular idioms about habits in English. Here is some more vocabulary about health in English:

Idiom	Meaning	Sentence
to get into the habit	to begin to do something regularly	You must get Julia into the habit of eating fruits.
old habits die hard	it means that it is difficult to stop doing something that someone has been doing for a long time	I can’t quit smoking. Old habits die hard, right?
to be a creature of habit	someone who always does the same thing in the same way	He is such a creature of habit — he can’t go to bed without kissing me good night.
to kick a habit	to stop bad habits, especially those that have a impact on someone’s health	I’m struggling with kicking the habit of drinking soda.
to break the habit	to stop doing something that has become a habit, especially if it is bad	It’s hard to break a habit you’ve had since you were a teenager.

Idioms about eating habits

When someone decides to break the habit and eat better, they may also use some idioms to talk about their new routine. Check out some popular idioms to help you talk about new eating habits and a healthy lifestyle. Here is some more vocabulary about health in English:

Idiom	Meaning	Sentence
to go on a diet	to start a diet	I have gained 20 pounds. I need to go on a diet!
to count calories	to keep track of the amount of calories you eat in a day	Mary lost 30 pounds by counting calories.
to slim down	to lose weight	Beth needs to slim down.
to cut down on something	to eat or to drink less of a particular thing	Susan wants to cut down on diet soda.
to watch what you eat	to pay attention to what you are eating, to avoid unhealthy foods	Tess, please watch what you eat! You have been eating too many cookies.
to cut out	to take things out of your diet	I have decided to cut sugar out of my diet.

There is also a common saying regarding the benefits of eating healthy. People often say the sentence “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, which basically means that people who eat their five portions of fruits and veggies every day won’t probably need to go to the doctor so often.

Exercising regularly

Some people like to exercise at the gym. Others would rather go for a walk around their neighborhood or run in the morning. The thing is: as long as you are moving your body, it doesn’t matter what activity you choose to do. Check out some fitness idioms below and learn more about vocabulary about health in English.

Idiom	Meaning	Sentence
to be in good shape	someone who is fit and healthy	Lisa, you are in such good shape!
to be fit as a fiddle	to be very healthy and strong	He’s turning 70, but he’s fit as a fiddle.
to be a gym rat	someone who spends a lot of time exercising in the gym	I used to be a gym rat.
to get ripped	someone who has high muscle definition	Tony wants to get ripped. That’s why he works out every day.

Taking care of your mind and soul

Besides eating well and exercising often, it is also important to take care of your mind and soul. You can do that by practicing yoga, taking deep breaths, volunteering, meditating, reading self-help books, maintaining a journal, or attending religious services. All these activities can improve your mood, control your anxiety and depression, and even cure some diseases.

Even though we can’t really see the results of maintaining a healthy routine for our mind and soul in the mirror, it can definitely help us in our journey of becoming healthier people.

7 things you should do to become a healthier person

After reading all about eating, exercising, and taking care of your mind and soul, here are some actions you should do in order to have a healthy lifestyle.

Maintain a healthy weight
Have regular checkups
Exercise regularly
Avoid stress
Drink 2 liters of water daily (at least)
Eat healthy food
Take care of your mind and soul

Personality quiz: are you healthy?

We are curious to know more about your lifestyle. Do you think you are healthy? What habits would you like to break? We would love for you to share your thoughts in the comment section. And we hope these health idioms and phrases help you express yourself in English! Also, if you like cooking homemade meals, read more about kitchen vocabulary.