They say you are what you eat, and that’s partially true. Your diet plays an important role in determining how healthy you are. However, it’s not the only factor that determines your health. Are you looking for tips on how to live a healthy lifestyle? Here are nine!
Don’t worry. While some of these steps may sound overwhelming, they’re pretty easy to achieve, and you can reach them one by one. It doesn’t have to be everything all together. It’s important to stay stress-free and happy!
Write it down.
Make a weekly planner in which you write down what area of your body you want to focus on each day. Also, keep a meal plan in your planner, so you know what to eat and what not to eat! When you’re on a schedule, and you have something to look forward to, you’re less likely to feast on a cheat meal and more likely to stick to the plan.
Avoid overly processed foods!
Try eating natural and organic fruits and vegetables. If you’ve baked apples and made apple chips or even carrot tortillas, then you’d know how delicious fruits and vegetables can get! Try to limit ready-made food items (like frozen dinners) as much as you can because they’re processed and contain many harmful preservatives and additives.
Meditate for a few minutes each day.
Meditation is a stress buster! Stress is one of the main culprits in many illnesses and chronic conditions. The less stressful you are, the healthier you’ll be! Meditation also helps achieve clarity of mind, which will eventually make you more productive.
Have a treat meal (not day) every so often.
Not only do treat meals give you a break from your diet, but they also help you stay on track. The human body has a weird mind. If you feel like you cannot have a specific item, you’ll crave it even more! This is why you shouldn’t eliminate all treats from your diet completely. It’s OK to enjoy these snacks every once in a while. However, when you do, try to keep it planned!
Get your vitamins!
It’s important to get enough minerals and vitamins throughout the day to keep your body healthy and active. Vitamin D deficiency is a serious problem that’s affecting a lot of people! Get outdoors for your daily Vitamin D dose or supplement with a quality vitamin D product to make sure you’re not deficient of vitamin D! Also consider taking a multi-vitamin/multi-mineral product to supplement your diet.
Connect with other people.
Get out, go to your nearest mall, socialize and have fun! It’s important to have healthy friendships and people around you who you can lean on whenever you need it. Building healthy connections is part of staying mentally and physically healthy.
Avoid spending too much time on your phones, tablets, TVs or computers.
It's important to have a digital detox every now and then. Social media can get pretty depressing, which is why it’s a good idea to take a break from it every now and then and focus on you. Besides, staring at your phone’s screen for long periods of time is unhealthy for your eyes as well.
Don’t compromise on your sleep for work or any other task.
Seven to eight hours of sleep per day is crucial for your health. The importance of sleep is often underestimated, with a significant section of the population adopting poor sleeping habits and schedules. Sleeping improves your memory, enhances brain function, and keeps you sane. The amount of work piled up on your desk is not more important than your sleep.
Drink a lot of water every day and keep yourself hydrated.
There’s a reason doctors say that your body is 70% water! To maintain it, you need to drink water every day. The importance of water can is readily apparent when you consider that humans can survive for a while without eating anything, but only a few days without water!
So, what are you waiting for? Follow these tips to live a healthy life!
– By Leah Ward, bikini competitor, gym owner and NUTRISHOP® sponsored athlete
