Everybody can benefit from leading a healthy and productive life, and contrary to popular belief, doing so is actually not that difficult either. Though some so-called ‘gurus’ would have you believe that healthy living is all about raw greens and hours upon hours of exercise each day, in reality, healthy living is a great deal simpler than that. We could all stand to be a little healthier, yet when it comes to healthy living, there are a number of things we can do, which actually take very little effort at all. Whether it’s: drinking more water, waking up earlier, going to bed earlier, or anything else, all of these small steps work towards making a big difference. When you lead a healthy lifestyle, not only will you look great, you will also feel great, and be a great deal healthier in the process. Here are a few healthy habits you should be practising now to help you lead a healthier, more productive life in the future.
Fill your fridge with healthy foods
You can tell a lot about a person when you look in their fridge, and if you’re serious about getting fitter and healthier, you should start with your fridge. Ditch the beer, soda, processed meats, and sweet treats and instead stock your fridge full of fresh vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, fish, natural yoghurt, water, and anything else that is deemed as being healthy and good for you. If your fridge contains a mixture of healthy produce and junk, on days when you are craving junk, you will find it hard to resist, and you may end up caving in. Even if you don’t, it will take a toll on your mentally. If your fridge contains nothing but produce which is good for you, you won’t have the temptation there, and even if you get the cravings, there will be nothing you can do about them anyways.
Drink more water
Water is a natural life bringer, where there is water, there is life, so that should give you a clue as to just how good for you water is. Then there’s the fact that the human body consists of more than 70% water, so again, as our bodies contain so much of it, this is another clear indication that water is good for us. Rather than drinking fruit juice, soda, or even too much tea or coffee, instead, try to drink more water each day. Ideally you want to be consuming around 1.5 – 2 litres of water each day. Water hydrates you, it helps improve organ function, it boosts your metabolism, it’s great for your brain, it promotes muscle and cellular function, and much more besides. Ideally, aim to drink plenty of mineral water each day, or failing that, just purchase a water filter and jug and consume filtered water instead. This will help enrich faucet water with minerals, whilst removing chemicals that are used for purifying it.
Ditch the “diet” sodas
So-called “diet” sodas, are actually a great deal unhealthier than sugar-laden ones, which in themselves are pretty awful. This is because diet sodas contain artificial chemical sweeteners that are added to give the drink a sweet taste, whilst replacing the sugar. Aspartame is a prime example and this chemical has been linked with cancer, dementia, ADHD in children, chronic headaches, depression, and much more besides. Virtually any artificial sweetener is considered bad, so again, focus on water instead. Also, please do not think that, because these drinks have the word “diet” printed on them, that they are somehow healthy and good for you because they aren’t. If anything, chemical sweeteners have been found to have estrogenic effects on the body and to slow the metabolism, so you’ll be more likely to gain weight, and you’ll find it tougher to lose weight.
Fill your plate with plenty of colour
Before you get carried away, unfortunately Skittles, and other brightly coloured candies do not count here. When we talk about colourful foods, we mean fruits and vegetables that are naturally bright and vibrant. For example, if you go with roasted veg, simply throw some red onions, green and yellow peppers, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus, and any other vegetables you can think of, into the oven, and roast them and serve as a salad or side dish with a protein source. These vegetables will look incredibly appealing as they will give your plate so much bright colour. Packed full of essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other healthy compounds, if the food is naturally bright and vibrant in colour, generally it is considered healthy and good for you.
Go to bed an hour earlier
Unless you already go to bed early, ideally you should try going to bed an hour earlier each night. Sleep is very beneficial and important for health and well-being, yet there are a number of people out there who simply don’t get enough. Experts recommend between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night, and if you aren’t getting that, get to bed an hour earlier. Studies have found that people that get less than 7 hours of sleep each night on average, are likely to die much sooner than those that get more than 7 each night. Therefore, sleep and longevity do literally go hand in hand with one another. Also, if you can, try to get to bed before 12 each night, as one hour of sleep before 12 is classed as being as good as 2 hours after 12.
Try to become more active
Exercise provides a whole variety of health and wellness benefits for the body, and whilst we don’t have time to sit here and list each one, take it from us that exercise is hugely, hugely beneficial. When people hear the word ‘exercise’ they automatically think of gyms, which is fine if you enjoy training in the gym. If you don’t however, then any form of physical activity will do you a world of good. Whether it’s walking, cycling, walking the dog, playing with the kids, playing sports with your buddies, swimming, gardening, cleaning, or anything else, as long as you are active, your body and your mind will benefit.
