It’s the beginning of a new year and we’re all ducking away from those lofty resolutions we’ve made for ourselves. But how about starting small this year, with these measured everyday habits that don’t require too much effort and can be easily incorporated in your daily life?
Eat well
Keep your belly full and your mind and body will thank you for it. Eat well, choose the right foods, enjoy dessert and balance it all out with exercise. Flash diets and deprivation never got anybody any results. When you deprive your body of essential nutrients, making it skimp on its energy reserves, it tells your body to hang on to fat reserves, making your body dull, lethargic and non-responsive to exercise. You will do far better to choose a healthy, moderately-balanced everyday diet that gives you all the nutrients you need as well as allows for indulgence with moderation. A way to a happy heart is through a happy tummy!
Hydrate regularly
Believe it or not, drinking plain old water, is as crucial to good health as eating your vegetables. Our bodies are constantly losing fluid as a by-product of daily functioning. Through sweat, urine and even breathing, we’re constantly shedding water that must be replenished equally. Drinking water balances fluid levels, flushes out toxins from the system, revitalizes skin and energises muscles. More specifically the role of water is crucial to normal functioning of bowels and kidneys. If that is not enough, know that drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water a day can also help weight-loss!
Sleep well
Popular culture may tell you there’s time to sleep when you die, but the truth is not enough sleep is detrimental to you health. Sleep deprivation has a direct impact on the build up of stress hormones, which further impact immune function and put you at higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Also observed is a link between insufficient sleep and weight gain as well as type-2 diabetes. An average of 6-8 hours of sleep per night should put you in the pink of health.
Workout more
It’s no secret that the way to stay healthy is to workout in some form. Try and get some form of physical exercise at least 4-5 times a week, in order to battle the effects of our increasingly sedentary lives. Benefits include the obvious like weight loss, prevention of numerous diseases, higher energy levels and increased happiness. Challenge yourself, try something new, lift weights, experiment with yoga, but whatever you choose, get moving!
Choose well
Possibly the simplest mantra of one of them all is to choose well. To make a conscious effort to always choose the healthier option, whether it is in what you eat, kicking an unhealthy habit, imbibing a lifestyle change, adopting an eco-friendly practice. To be conscious of the choices you make and to be aware of its consequences on your health, body, life is usually half the battle won! Your health and wellness is always in your hands and setting it on the right track begins with choosing what’s best for you.
5 Simple Habits For A Healthier Life from Shutterstock