Our bodies are temples that need to be taken care of every single day. Having a healthy body is a wonderful thing, but it’s not just our physical wellbeing that needs tender loving care. A positive mental attitude is also an essential key to a healthy lifestyle.
Here are 14 great tips to living life healthily!
1. Keep your diet healthy.
An important way to maintain a healthy lifestyle is by eating the right foods. There are tons of ways to eat healthy, and it’s much easier (and not as boring) as you think! Eating healthy not only does wonders for your insides, but it makes you look even more fabulous on the outside too! If you eat well, your skin glows, your hair shines and your teeth gleam. Here are a few healthy eating pointers:
- Rather than munching on white toast for your breakfast, why not try whole grain instead? Whole grain bread doesn’t contain the processed carbohydrates found in white bread, meaning you’re not filling up on empty calories. The same goes for added sugars.
- Get enough protein. Protein is found in legumes, grains, nuts/seeds and vegetables, and gives you tons of energy to get you through the day. Be careful not to overeat protein – 10-15% of total calories is enough.
- Foods like blueberries, broccoli, and other plant-based whole foods are brilliant at fighting away serious illnesses. They also help to boost your mood and lower your cholesterol.
- Brightly coloured fruits and vegetables contain anti-oxidants that stop our cells from becoming damaged, so make your plate as vibrant as possible!
2. Exercise regularly.
The thought of working out after a long day at work might not sound very appealing, but exercising actually makes you feel amazing afterwards! 30 minutes of physical activity stimulates brain chemicals, making you feel happy and relaxed. You’ll also get an energy boost, as regular exercise will improve the way your heart and lungs work, so you’ll have more energy in general. Add this to the fact that it helps you lose weight and keep your body free of major health conditions and you’ll no doubt be motivated to go for that afternoon jog or morning gym session!
3. Get enough sleep.
We require 7-8 hours of sleep every night in order to function properly during the day. A restful sleep gives you a stronger immune system, a mood boost, improved concentration and helps you to maintain a healthy weight. Try to go to bed 8 hours before you need to get up (plus 15 minutes to get nice and rested!) and eventually you won’t need that dreaded alarm anymore and will wake up feeling refreshed every morning.
4. Keep your teeth happy.
A healthy smile is a happy smile, so it’s important to keep those pearly whites pearly. Ideally, we should be brushing twice a day, for two minutes each time. This is enough time to rid your teeth from all the food debris that has gathered throughout the day, leaving your mouth feeling fresh and clean. Flossing is important too, because floss can reach pesky gaps that the toothbrush can’t always reach! If you wear braces, there are special toothbrushes (interproximal brushes, if you want the posh name!) to make keeping your smile sparkly just that bit easier.
5. Be a glass half-full person!
Life can’t always be plain sailing, and it’s normal to feel pessimistic sometimes (we’ve all been there!). But it’s better to turn your negativity into positivity. Positive thinking lowers depression rates, helps you to cope better during harder times, and can even increase your lifespan!
6. Hydrate yourself.
Living a healthy lifestyle means never going thirsty. The amount of water you consume depends a lot on the kind of lifestyle you lead, your health, and the prevailing weather. Every day we pass out water through perspiration, bowel movements, and urine and even through our breath. Hence you need to ensure that you consume enough water in order to replenish your body. It would be appropriate to drink 23-35 ml water per one kg of body mass (includes water in food). During exercise an extra 400-800 ml per one hour of exercise. Cheers!
7. Go outdoors.
A breath of fresh air is sometimes all we need to feel healthy. Being in the great outdoors can stimulate our minds to make us more creative, and long walks in the countryside have been proven to have a calming effect.
8. Meditate.
Meditation is great for your wellbeing as it calms your soul and clears out mind-clutter. There are several ways to mediate so why not do some research and find your perfect method?
9. Love yourself.
It’s not healthy to only see the negatives, although it’s easy to pick out what we don’t like about ourselves. Dedicate an hour a week to you – do something for yourself! Look in the mirror and choose 3 things a day that you like about yourself.
10. Keep a journal.
Having your mind clogged with worries is bad for the soul and can actually be bad for your health. Keep a journal and record your thoughts, it will help to keep your head clear.
11. Prepare meals from scratch.
Not only is preparing your own meals rather fun, but you get control over what goes in them, so you can incorporate your new healthy eating regime!
12. Get a pet.
Having a pet is a fabulous heath benefit (of course if you are not allergic), especially if it’s one you can take for walks! Walking a dog means you get exercise, fresh air and even the chance to meet new people. Also, pets can sense when you’re feeling down and are a great pick-me-up when you’ve had a bad day. My dog even lets me vent to her!
13. Stick to a skincare regime.
Not only does looking after your skin make you feel good, it makes you look great, too. Products such as moisturisers, toner and aloe vera gel are wonderful for the skin, but don’t forget eating healthy and drinking lots of water!
14. Try not to skip breakfast!
Many of us don’t feel like eating in the morning, but eating breakfast has some major health benefits. It fills us with energy, improves our memories and helps us to lose weight as it means we don’t get hungry as early, so don’t feel the need for unhealthy snacking.
Should you not be up to a heavy breakfast, go for a fruit or two and have your cereal a few hours later. When you eat healthily all day long, skipping a breakfast every now and then is not a major thing.
Author: Sarah Wain
Sarah is a blogger, proofreader and copywriter. She writes for a number of clients on a range of topics including healthy living, beauty, food, dentistry, wellbeing and children’s health. Her most recent work focuses on braces such as Invisalign and Six Month Smiles.
