Define Healthy
Healthy, defined — everyday wellbeing words in plain English
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A–Z Index

All 24 words currently defined on Define Healthy, in alphabetical order. New entries are added a few at a time.

A

  • Active recoverynoun phraseLight, low-intensity movement done after hard exercise or on rest days, such as easy walking, gentle cycling, swimming or mobility work, instead of doing nothing at all.
  • Added sugarnoun phraseSugars put into food and drink during manufacturing, cooking or at the table, plus those in honey, syrups and fruit juice. Sugars naturally present in whole fruit and milk are not included.

C

  • CaffeinenounA natural stimulant found in coffee, tea, cocoa, cola and energy drinks. It works by blocking adenosine, a substance that builds up and makes us feel sleepy.
  • Circadian rhythmnoun phraseThe roughly 24-hour internal cycle that shapes sleepiness, alertness, body temperature, hormone release and digestion. Light is its strongest timing signal.

E

  • Electrolytesnoun, pluralMinerals that carry an electrical charge in body fluids: mainly sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and calcium. They help manage fluid balance and are involved in nerve and muscle function.

F

  • FibernounThe part of plant foods our own enzymes cannot digest. It comes in soluble and insoluble forms and is found only in plants: legumes, grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

G

  • Gut healthnoun phraseAn informal term for how well the digestive tract is working, including the community of microbes living in the large intestine. Diet, sleep, stress and medicines all play a part.

H

  • HydrationnounTaking in enough fluid to replace what the body loses through breathing, sweat and urine. Water, other drinks and the water in food all count.

I

  • IronnounAn essential mineral needed to make haemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells. Found in meat and fish (haem iron) and in legumes, greens and grains (non-haem iron).

L

  • Legumesnoun, pluralPlants of the pea family and their edible seeds: beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas, soybeans and peanuts. A traditional source of plant protein and fiber.

M

  • MagnesiumnounAn essential mineral found in nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains and green vegetables. It contributes to normal muscle function, normal energy-yielding metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
  • Meal timingnoun phraseWhen, and how regularly, meals are eaten across the day. Studied under the name chrononutrition because the body's internal clock influences how food is handled.
  • Mindful eatingnoun phrasePaying deliberate attention to the experience of eating: the taste, the pace, and the signals of hunger and fullness. An approach to eating, not a diet.
  • MobilitynounThe ability to move a joint actively and with control through its available range of motion. Related to flexibility, but it also involves strength and coordination.

N

  • NEATnoun, acronymShort for non-exercise activity thermogenesis: the energy the body uses for all movement that is not sleeping, eating or deliberate exercise, from walking to the shop to fidgeting.

O

  • Omega-3nounA family of polyunsaturated fats. ALA comes from plants such as flax and walnuts; EPA and DHA come mainly from oily fish. EPA and DHA contribute to the normal function of the heart.

P

  • ProteinnounOne of the three macronutrients. Built from amino acids, found in both animal and plant foods, and used by the body to build and maintain tissues including muscle and bone.

R

  • Resistance trainingnoun phraseExercise in which muscles work against a resistance, such as body weight, free weights, machines or elastic bands. Adults are generally advised to include it at least twice a week.
  • Resting heart ratenoun phraseThe number of times the heart beats per minute while you are fully at rest, best measured in the morning before getting up. For most adults it lies between 60 and 100 beats per minute.

S

  • SatietynounThe feeling of fullness that lasts after a meal and keeps hunger away until the next one. Protein, fiber, water content and eating pace all influence it.
  • Sleep hygienenoun phraseThe everyday habits and surroundings that make good sleep more likely: regular sleep and wake times, a dark and cool bedroom, care with caffeine and alcohol, and a calm wind-down.

U

  • Ultra-processed foodnoun phraseIndustrial food products made mostly from refined ingredients and additives rarely used in home kitchens. Defined by the NOVA classification's group 4.

V

  • Vitamin DnounA fat-soluble vitamin made in the skin under sunlight and found in a few foods. It contributes to the maintenance of normal bones, normal muscle function and normal function of the immune system.

W

  • Whole grainsnoun, pluralCereal grains that keep all three parts of the kernel: bran, germ and endosperm. Examples include oats, brown rice, barley, buckwheat and wholemeal flour.