10 Easy Ways to Live Healthier
Our own wellbeing is more within our control than we often realize. We just need to look at life with a positive mindset and chase what lights us up. Following are ten easy ways to live healthier starting right now.
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Love Yourself
Okay, okay I know this sounds silly, but hear me out. I genuinely believe that self love is the most important part of living healthier. Think about it. If you are focused on the things you don’t like about your health or your weight or your looks, then you aren’t very motivated to take care of yourself. You probably feel hopeless or betrayed, feelings which are the opposite of motivated. But if you focus on the things you love about yourself, we tend to want good things for the people we love. So we are more likely to get up and move, drink more water, exercise, socialize with people we care about, make a healthy meal… all of the things that improve our wellness from within. Thinking positively about yourself is crucial to being healthier.
Drink More Water
Again, I know everyone has heard this one already but that is because it is very true. Not only do most of us spend our lives chronically dehydrated (sometimes because we are just so busy we forget to drink!) but we also tend to drink a lot of things that dehydrate us more. Like the coffee, energy drinks (guilty) and so on. So drinking more water is always a wise choice to keep our cells and organ systems happy and it even shows outwardly in the form of healthier skin and hair. Consider, if you swapped out a couple sodas each day with a glass of water instead; you would benefit from better hydration and lower sugar intake leading to better health and body weight with just one easy change.
Eat More Salad
Eating a salad does not magically equal a healthy diet, but it can be a part of a healthful nutritional plan, and it is an easy way to start. Leafy greens are great sources of fiber and therefore a great thing to eat to give your gut what it needs to work its best. Your gut health is super important to your overall wellness because it is how you absorb nutrients and get rid of waste. Your gut also directly impacts your hormones and immune system and almost everything else in your body. Any veggies are good prebiotics for your gut health, but salads are a great way to start for someone who is just learning to explore the idea of adding vegetables into their diet. Whether it is a side salad or a full meal, you can’t go wrong with adding leafy greens!
Add Probiotics
Once you update your diet so that the healthy bacteria in your gut have something to eat (prebiotics; ie. fibrous veggies), consider adding probiotics to your life. Whether you research a good supplement, start drinking kombucha, or eat more yogurt, all of the above are excellent ways to add probiotics which will in turn support your gut health more by bolstering the good bacteria in your digestive system. As I explained before, the gut is key to overall wellness and adding probiotics is such an easy way to improve your life.
Find a Hobby You Enjoy
We are going back to emotional and mental health for a moment. Finding a hobby that you thoroughly enjoy is a great way to live healthier. When we do things that we enjoy, our brains release neurotransmitters that improve our mental health, and our moods. The happier you are, the healthier you will be. It might sound silly, but it really does work. If your hobby involves physical wellness like Pilates, that is great, if it involves crafts that you can make a side hustle, that’s awesome! But even if the hobby just brings pure joy that is well worth the time. I personally enjoy herbalism and it brings me great happiness to study herbs and their benefits as well as make tinctures and salves from them that contribute to my wellness even further. Just chase what makes you happy and you can’t go wrong.
Consider Drinking Tea
If you don’t already, consider adding tea to your routine. Tea can be a very healthy habit because herbs and flowers are well studied to have medicinal benefits, antioxidants, and many other qualities that can contribute to your wellness. As always, do your research and find a tea that works for you. Maybe it's a lovely nighttime chamomile to encourage sleep, maybe an invigorating green tea in the morning to jump start the day, maybe a specialty blend… all of the above are great options.
Prioritize Sleep
During our sleep is when our bodies restore in more ways than one. Our brains “clean up,” our long term memory storage occurs, our muscles repair, and so much more. So giving our bodies enough time for these processes to occur is vital. A lot of us are sleep deprived between work, kids and other priorities. It’s not always easy to get to bed earlier or sleep in later, BUT, if we prioritize our sleep and make certain life shifts, most of us will find that we are able to squeak out more time in bed and every bit helps. Even if it means catching up on the weekends, any sleeping hours added are good.
Add Movement To Your Day
I am phrasing this as adding movement not adding exercise. Exercise is often perceived as going to the gym or doing a specific style of workout, going for a run or the like. But really our goal should be to add movement. There are groups of people who don’t have tradition gym setups and still manage to stay healthy and fit throughout their lives. The thing is, they keep moving. So whether it's a deliberate afternoon stroll or a physical hobby like gardening, adding movement to your day is going to improve your health. If light movement is all you can manage for now, then that is what you do! Encouraging our bodies to move and have a good range of motion in our joints keeps us working the way we are meant to. I want you to realize that housework is also movement, so there is no reason to feel guilty for not hitting the gym when you have been working all day cooking, cleaning, providing childcare etc. Whatever works for you is great, just get up and move.
Adopt a Pet (or a Plant)
Really any living thing (especially if you live alone) is going to add… well...LIFE to your life. Animals are known to increase happiness in people and plant pets count for folks who don’t want to or aren’t able to care for a pet. It doesn’t have to be a dog or a cat, even a fish is a worthwhile pet to talk to, spend your time with, and observe. I personally love snuggling with my cats, laughing at their goofy personalities and watching them sleep. They add huge value and joy to my life which makes me happier and healthier. They also give me a reason to get up and move... so hitting two categories! :)
Laugh More
Finally to round it out, make sure to laugh. If hanging out with that one friend who is always cracking jokes makes you laugh, do that more! If watching comedy films makes you laugh, do that more! Whatever makes you laugh is worth pursuing. The chemicals released when we laugh and smile have genuine impacts on our moods, our brains and, in turn, our bodies. The saying that laughter is the best medicine, exists for a reason… and it really is a worthwhile endeavor to seek out what makes you laugh.
My hope is that these tips got you thinking about how to live a healthier life from the inside out. Our minds and bodies are both intricate systems that we absolutely have the power to improve. Positive thinking is the first step and hopefully this list helps you take the next ones. Cheers!
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