In this week’s post, I want to share six simple things that you can implement in your day-to-day life that will take you down a healthier path. Maybe you don’t want or need to make a drastic change in your diet or fitness routine, or perhaps you want to start off slow (which is super smart). In either case, I hope the following tips can be of use to you! *I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure that what I will share is commonly agreed to be beneficial to the human body*
#1: First off, and I think this is something that we have all heard time & time again, drink more water!!!! You should be drinking half of your weight in ounces of water. For example, I weigh 122 pounds, so my daily water intake should be at least 61 ounces which is just under 2 litres. This is basically the equivalent of 4 water bottles or 4 sixteen-ounce glasses. Drinking more water and cutting out fizzy drinks makes a huge difference in overall wellness. Your skin can clear up; your metabolism will see a huge boost; bloating can be vastly reduced, and you can detox your body if this isn’t the norm for you.
#2: Ditch added sugars & processed foods slowly but surely. Cut out junk food, fast food, chips, cookies, cake, etc. For example, start off by cutting down your daily soda intake, then move onto bread, ice cream, and/or whatever else you struggle with. You’ll find the cravings hard to cope with at the beginning, but eventually, your taste buds and cravings will shift, and you won’t even want to eat junk anymore!
#3: Eat more veggies!! Eat more fruit!! Fruit contains natural sugars and is a far better dessert option than a packet of Oreos. Both fruits & veggies are healthy carbs. While you may be cutting out the refined carbs that bread, cookies, and chips have to offer, you can keep eating the low-calorie, beneficial carbs that fuel energy with fruit & veg. A lot of fruits & vegetables are healthy sources of fiber, also helping sluggish metabolisms.
#4: Start incorporating light to moderate exercise. Soon, you can be an expert gym rat, but for now, focus on walking for 30 minutes or jogging a mile. While it’s true that what you eat carries far more weight (no pun intended), on your overall health & fitness, exercise allows your body to continue burning fat even when it’s at rest. You also feel amazing after doing something physically active! Exercise has been proven to release endorphins and reduce stress. There’s no downside to it whatsoever, so why not give it a shot?
#5: Go to bed! Sleep & get some good REM. Get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep & avoid sleep debt. Pick a regular bedtime and stick to it. The body burns fat between 2-3 a.m., so it’s vital that you’re maximising all of the benefits that sleep brings. Getting enough sleep is also another metabolism booster. We all love to sleep, so make it a priority!
#6: Get outside more. Soak up that sunshine as much as you possibly can. Across the United States, there are so many individuals who suffer from a Vitamin D deficiency. All you have to do is grab a cap, some sunnies, and apply some suncream (not too high of an SPF all the time because otherwise, you miss out on the Vitamin D). Take a book, podcast or playlist with you and spend an hour out there. Occasionally, go for your walk or jog in the great outdoors instead of always hitting the treadmill. I personally love a good outdoor walk, jog, hike or sunbathe session. Sitting outside and not staring at a screen, but instead soaking up nature, is so refreshing.
That’s all I’ve got for this post. If these tips are already a part of your life, that’s great!! I hope you keep it up; feel free to share any other similar tips in the comments.
*photos from Unsplash*