The holidays have come and gone, New Year’s resolutions have been passed, and how many of those have already fallen by the wayside? No matter what changes you promised yourself you would make this year, when it comes to our health, it doesn’t have to be huge, unattainable goals.
In fact, it shouldn’t be. Our health is an area of our life where we should make sure we are doing the best we can and take on small steps to achieve this.
Read on for 8 things that you can start doing today to have a good health finally!
Healthy eating does not have to be boring and restrictive. In fact, healthy eating habits actually require you to eat quite a fair amount. But it’s what you eat that counts.
Women should eat between 1500 to 2000 calories a day while men should eat between 2000 and 2500 calories a day.
One big way people go over this calorie limit is they drink their calories. The best way to avoid this is to stick to water.
Eat a variety of foods and this way you can make sure you are getting all the essential nutrients your body needs. This will also help prevent boredom.
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Vegetables should make up the bulk of each meal. They offer many different vitamins and minerals as well as a high amount of fiber. The different colored veggies offer different nutrients so include them all and mix them up.
Reduce the amount of red meat you eat a week and increase the amount of fish you eat. Fish contains high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids which are beneficial for heart and brain good health.
When life gets busy, our eating habits are the first to slide. And with the availability of fast-food places on pretty much every corner, finding a quick meal is easier than ever.
But, besides for the high amount of fat and sugar that you will find in these foods, one important nutrient you will be lacking is fiber.
A diet with inadequate fiber can result in a few unpleasant health ailments such as constipation, which can lead to hemorrhoids. Now, if you’ve ever experienced hemorrhoids, you will know that this is something you want to avoid. A diet low in fiber is not worth the pain and suffering.
Fortunately, if you are prone to constipation and hemorrhoids because of your diet, there are products you can take that have high amounts of fiber to give you a boost. Hem clear reviews are a good place to start if you are considering a product to help you.
Supplements are an excellent way to improve your health, particularly if you are not getting all the necessary nutrients from your diet.
Nowadays, there are a plethora of supplements to choose from. You can find ones for weight loss and even ones to help you manage certain health issues such as thyroid problems and joint pain.
You need to choose wisely so make sure to do your research and read labels.
Avoid products with many inactive ingredients or ingredients that aren’t natural.
We all know that water is good for us, and yet, most people do not drink nearly enough.
However, water is extremely important for our body to function properly. Our blood needs it to circulate the body and our digestive system needs it to digest food properly and absorb the nutrients.
Without enough water, our body will become unbalanced and dehydrated which can have life-threatening consequences.
Make sure to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. A great way to keep track of how much you are drinking is to carry around your own water bottle with you.
Another useful tip is to set alarms for yourself and drink certain amounts at specific intervals.
People are starting to wise up to the dangers of sugar and are cutting the obvious culprits out of their diets. But how many people realize that sugar is also found in high amounts in pretty much all processed food such as sauces, dips, ready-made meals, salad dressings and more?
And sugar can have detrimental effects on our health, nevermind the fact that it acts like a drug and makes our body want more and more. Sugar also tricks your body into feeling hungry and puts strain on your liver.
One study that was conducted over a period of 15 years found that people who ate a diet high in sugar had a much higher risk of dying from a heart-related illness at an early age despite if they were overweight or not.
If you only make one health change this year, let this one be it. Start slowly cutting it out to avoid having serious withdrawal symptoms. If you have two sugars in your coffee, cut down to one. Switch from white flour and grains to whole-wheat. Make your own salad dressings and sauces, and try to eat as much natural, whole foods as possible.
It may take some time to get used to it, but it’s worth it.
To have a good health is more than just having healthy eating habits. You also need to be active.
Exercise offers many benefits for the body. It gets your blood pumping which gives you more energy, though you may think working out has the opposite effect. The increased blood flow carries more oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and organs, helping them to work better.
Working out also helps you to lose weight, improves mood by releasing endorphins which are our feel-good hormones, helps lowers cholesterol, and also improves sleep.
It is recommended to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day.
Though, if you sit behind a desk all day, you may want to increase this a little more. In today’s time, getting in a workout and some physical activity is easier than ever. For example, you can buy a treadmill to use at home. Too, there are countless workout videos online which you can do from the comfort of your own home.
And if you are short on time, consider doing a HIIT workout where you only need a short amount of time for the best results.
Gyms and studios are also offering a much more vast range of exercise classes so there is something for everyone to enjoy and make working out fun. Try Zumba, Kangoo, TRX, Mermaid classes, Aerial Yoga, the list seems endless. An exercise class is also great for camaraderie and to help you stay motivated.
The recommended amount of sleep per night for adults is 7 to 9 hours. With our busy schedules and trying to fit more into our days than ever before, most people are not reaching this requirement.
However, not getting enough sleep can have serious consequences on your health. It can cause weight gain and depression, and it can also affect your ability to effectively manage stress and concentrate which will decrease your productivity. Not only are we not getting enough sleep at night, but the quality of our sleep is also suffering.
Try go to sleep at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning, even on the weekends. This will get your body into a routine.
Avoid bright lights and screens, such as from your computer and TV, for at least 1 to 2 hours before going to bed. These bright lights can have an impact on your body’s production of melatonin, which is the hormone that makes us sleepy. The body produces melatonin when it senses darkness and less when there is light. So dim your lights, listen to some relaxing music, read a book, and find some other ways to unwind.
You can also try some meditation and deep breathing techniques to calm you and clear your head before going to bed.
Our relationships with others are not only beneficial for our mental well-being, but they are also important for our physical health.
While our busy lives and technological existence may make it hard to actually meet up with friends, while at the same time feel like we are connecting to others, it is important to make the effort and go out with your friends or sit down and speak with your partner and other loved ones.
There has been quite a lot of research done which shows the connection between a person’s social ties and their physical health.
One study discovered that those with fewer social connections had a higher chance of early death by almost 50%! This is on par with the risk of death from smoking and even higher than from obesity.
So pick up your phone and call a friend to meet you for coffee, book a babysitter and go for dinner with your partner, your health is worth it.
Getting and staying healthy doesn’t have to be impossible.
Start by making small steps and then it will just be a part of you and what you do.
Think of it as a lifestyle change rather than a painful task you have to do.
We only have one body so it is important to take care of it!
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