1. Language Functions for Discussing Healthy Living

 

Living a healthy lifestyle is not just about eating vegetables or jogging every morning. It’s a way of caring for both your body and mind, and it touches every part of daily life. The way you sleep, how you handle pressure at school or work, the moments you take to rest, and the patterns you repeat again and again – all of these shape your well-being.
Many people are talking about the importance of a balanced diet, but it’s not only about avoiding junk food. It’s also about making smart dietary choices every day. For instance, instead of relying on food full of chemicals, you can focus on fresh ingredients that give you a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals. These are essential for your body’s hydration, energy, and overall condition.
Of course, food is only one part of a healthy life. Regular medical check-ups are another way to protect yourself from serious diseases. Detecting problems early reduces the negative effects and makes it easier to keep your body in optimal shape. Good healthcare is not just about treating illnesses, but also about preventing them. Sometimes, even a small adjustment, such as walking to school instead of taking the bus, can make a big difference to your fitness.
Staying active isn’t only about your physical body; it’s also about living healthily in a way that supports your mental health. A holistic approach to well-being is about paying attention to your mood, habits, and stress management. If you learn how to chill out when life feels overwhelming, you’ll notice how it can positively affect both your mind and body. This is where self-care becomes important: sometimes you need to take a break, enjoy some time off, and reset your daily patterns.
So how do you actually do it? First, adopt routines that help you lead a balanced life. Cut down on sugary snacks to reduce health risks. Don’t overindulge when you celebrate – remember moderation is key. Instead, take up new activities that boost your energy and help you keep fit, such as dancing, cycling, or swimming. You don’t need to become an athlete, but you should at least get in some regular exercise.
In the end, the goal is simple: maintain your health, get more out of life, and feel strong in both body and mind. Healthy living doesn’t mean strict rules. It’s about making choices that allow you to grow, enjoy life, and stay balanced.

 

Revise: before we study new words in detail, let's revise what you already know. You studied about healthy eating and nutrition in form 7. Revise the material here: Nutrition Food was also a topic in form 4: Healthy Food, Unhealthy Food Daily routine was a topic you also covered in form 7. Don't skip this, revise: How to talk about time and daily routine Sports was a topic you learned about in form 8. Make sure you take a look again: Sports This has actually been a topic you have covered in earlier forms as well. Finally, you covered the topic about free time activities in form 5: My Free Time Do not skip revision. Studying English is like building a house – you cannot get to the roof without a solid foundation. Now you are ready to boost your vocabulary to the next level! Study the words from the text. 

Nutrition and Body Care
balanced diet — [ˌbæl.ənst ˈdaɪ.ət] — a combination of the correct types and amounts of food; sabalansēts uzturs
chemical — [ˈkem.ɪ.kəl] — any basic substance that is used in or produced by a reaction involving changes to atoms or molecules; ķīmisks
dietary — [ˌdaɪ.ə.tər.i] — connected with or contained in the food that you eat and drink regularly; diētisks
dose — [dəʊs] — a measured amount of something such as medicine; deva, porcija
essential — [ɪˈsen.ʃəl] — necessary or needed; būtisks, svarīgs
hydration — [haɪˈdreɪ.ʃən] — the process of providing adequate fluid to the body; hidratācija jeb ūdens uzņemšana

Health and Medicine
check-up — [ˈtʃek.ʌp] — an examination of somebody/something, especially a medical one to make sure that you are healthy; (medicīniskā) apskate, pārbaude
condition — [kənˈdɪʃ.ən] — any of different types of diseases (medical condition, heart condition, suffer from a condition); stāvoklis
disease — [dɪˈziːz] — an illness of people, animals, plants, etc., caused by infection or a failure of health rather than by an accident; slimība
effect — [ɪˈfekt] — the result of a particular influence; sekas, rezultāts, ietekme, iedarbība
healthcare — [ˈhelθ keə(r)] — the activity or business of providing medical services; veselības aprūpe

Fitness and Physical Well-being
adjustment — [əˈdʒʌst.mənt] — a small change; sakārtošana, savešana kārtībā, pielāgojums
fitness — [ˈfɪt.nəs] — the condition of being physically strong and healthy; (fiziskā) sagatavotība
optimal — [ˈɒp.tɪ.məl] — best; most likely to bring success or advantage; visizdevīgākais, vislabākais, arī visatbilstošākais (no iespējamā kādā situācijā, kādos apstākļos)
physical — [fɪz.ɪ.kəl] — relating to the body; fizisks, ķermenisks

Mental Health
healthily — [ˈhelθɪli] — in a healthy way; in a way that avoids somebody/something becoming ill; veselīgi
holistic — [həˈlɪstɪk] — considering a whole thing or being to be more than a collection of parts; visaptverošs, holistisks (uzskats, ka parādība jāpētī kā vienots veselums, nevis atsevišķas tās daļas)
mental health — [ˌmen.təl ˈhelθ] — the condition of someone's mind and whether or not they are suffering from any mental illness; garīgā veselība

mood — [muːd] — the way you feel at a particular time; garastāvoklis, noskaņojums
self-care — [ˌself ˈkeə(r)] — the act of caring for yourself, for example by eating and sleeping well, taking exercise and getting help so that you do not become ill; pašaprūpe
stress management — [ˈstres ˌmæn.ɪdʒ.mənt] — a method of limiting stress and its effects by learning ways of behaving and thinking that reduce it; stresa pārvaldība jeb kā cilvēks spēj tikt galā ar stresa izraisītām situācijām

Lifestyle and Daily Habits
lifestyle — [ˈlaɪf.staɪl] — someone's way of living; the things that a person or particular group of people usually do; dzīvesveids
pattern — [ˈpæt.ən] — (like: sleeping pattern) a particular way in which something is done, is organized, or happens; modelis, paraugs
time off — [ˌtaɪm ˈɒf] — time when you are not working or studying; free time (take some time off); atpūta, atelpa

Verbs and Phrases
adopt — [əˈdɒpt] — to accept or start to use something new; pieņemt, apgūt
affect — [əˈfekt] — to have an influence on someone or something, or to cause a change in someone or something; ietekmēt, iespaidot
boost — [buːst] — to increase or improve something; palīdzēt izvirzīties, paaugstināt
get regular physical exercise — [ɡet ˈreɡ.jʊ.lə ˈfɪz.ɪ.kəl ˈek.sə.saɪz] — to do physical activity (like walking, running, swimming, or playing sports) often and repeatedly, not just once in a while; regulāri nodarboties ar sportu
keep fit — ['ki:p fɪt] — to stay healthy and strong, especially as a result of exercise; uzturēt sevi labā fiziskā formā
lead — [liːd] — to live a particular type of life (for instance, to lead a healthy lifestyle); piekopt
maintain — [meɪnˈteɪn] — to continue to have; to keep in existence, or not allow to become less; uzturēt (piemēram, veselīgu dzīvesveidu)
overindulge — [ˌəʊ.və.rɪnˈdʌldʒ] — to allow yourself to have too much of something enjoyable, especially food or drink; (pārlieku) nodoties, ļauties
protect — [prəˈtekt] — to keep someone or something safe from injury, damage, or loss; aizsargāt, aizstāvēt
reduce — [rɪˈdʒuːs] — to become or to make something become smaller in size, amount, degree, importance, etc.; samazināt
take things easy — [teɪk θɪŋz ˈiː.zɪ.li] — to stay relaxed and not stress too much when something happens; uztvert notiekošo mierīgi

Phrasal Verbs — listen to the examples with each phrasal verb

 

cut down — to do or use less of something; samazināt kaut ko, atteikties no kaut kā (piemēram, saistībā ar ēdienu)

get in (shape) — get fit; iegūt labu fizisko formu

take up — to start doing a particular job or activity; uzsākt kādu aktivitāti

 

Practice: now that you have learned the key vocabulary, it is time to use it in practice. Think how you would answer the discussion-type questions, which will help you develop the ability to give longer answers and practise how to express agreement and disagreement — just as in an English exam or real conversation. For each question, an answer prompt is available to guide you. 

 

Discussion-Type Questions
1.“Early to bed and early to rise makes a person healthy, wealthy, and wise.” — Benjamin Franklin (American inventor, writer, and statesman)
"Many people believe that going to bed early is important for good health, since proper sleep can improve energy and concentration. I totally agree with this point, because rest is essential for both body and mind. However, I’m not entirely convinced that everyone needs to follow the same routine. Some people are naturally more active in the evenings, so for them, staying up later might not affect their health negatively. Overall, I think sleep is vital, but the exact hours can depend on a person’s lifestyle and habits."

2.“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” — Jim Rohn (American entrepreneur and motivational speaker)
"Many would say that caring for your body is the key to staying healthy, because without it, illness can easily appear. I couldn’t agree more with this idea, as physical health gives us the strength to live fully. Still, I see it differently when people say it is the most important part of a healthy lifestyle. Mental health and emotions also play a huge role, and ignoring them would be a mistake. In conclusion, I believe taking care of the body is essential, but a holistic balance between physical and mental well-being is even better."

3.“The greatest wealth is health.” — Virgil (ancient Roman poet)
"Some people argue that money brings security and comfort, since it can pay for healthcare, medicine, or healthy food. I respect that opinion, but I think health itself is far more valuable. Without it, wealth loses its meaning, because you cannot enjoy life if your body is weak. On the other hand, I’m not sure about completely ignoring the role of money, because financial stability can reduce stress and help people live longer. In the end, I believe health is the true foundation of happiness, while money is just a tool to support it."

4.“Take care of yourself first. You can’t pour from an empty cup.” — Proverb (traditional saying)
"Some people disagree with this idea and say that helping others gives us purpose and energy. I see their point, but I completely agree that self-care must come first. Without proper rest and balance, people burn out quickly and cannot support anyone effectively. At the same time, caring for others can also bring joy and motivation, so it should not be ignored. Overall, I think looking after yourself first is not selfish — it actually makes you stronger for helping others later."

5.“Walking is man’s best medicine.” — Hippocrates (ancient Greek physician, known as the father of medicine)
"Many would argue that walking is too simple to make a real difference, and that only serious exercise keeps people fit. I see his point, but I strongly believe that regular walking is one of the easiest and most effective ways to stay healthy. It improves circulation, helps with stress, and keeps the body active. Of course, some people don’t agree, saying modern fitness programs are better. Still, I completely agree with Hippocrates that walking is a natural, lifelong way to protect health."

 

Learn: pay attention to the highlighted phrases. They show different ways of expressing agreement and disagreement.

Strong agreement — you fully share the same opinion as someone and want to show complete support for what they say.
I totally agree with that point.
That’s absolutely right.
I couldn’t agree more.
That’s exactly my view as well.
We’re on the same page here.

Partial agreement — you agree with some parts of the idea, but not completely, and you add your own opinion or limitation.
I agree with you to some extent.
That’s true in a way, but …
I see where you’re coming from, although …
I’d go along with that, but only if …
You make a good point, but …

Polite disagreement — you do not share the same opinion, but you express it in a respectful and careful way.
I’m not entirely convinced.
I see it differently.
That’s not how I see it.
I respect your opinion, but I think …
I’m afraid I can’t agree with that.
That’s debatable.

Strong disagreement (still polite) — you clearly and firmly say you do not share the same opinion, but you use respectful language to avoid sounding rude.
I strongly disagree.
I can’t accept that point of view.
There’s no evidence to support that.
I completely disagree with that argument.

Asking for clarification / softening disagreement — you question or respond carefully to show you don’t fully agree, while keeping the conversation open and polite.
Could you explain why you think that?
What makes you say that?
So, if I understand you correctly, you believe that … ?
I see your argument, but let me give you another perspective …