So much health advice is focused on calorie counting and avoiding processed foods. While this advice isn’t bad, there are plenty of other things that you can do for your health daily. They are simple habits that once incorporated into your lifestyle, will become second nature. Here are some of those healthy habits that you can do daily.
1- Focus on Quality Sleep for 7-9 Hours
How well you sleep will impact every area of your health. Your heart health, mental health, energy levels, and even hormone health all rely on you getting the proper amount of rest each night. Sleep is one of the most important parts of your day. It’s when your body repairs itself and prepares for the next day’s activities. You’ll get a better night’s sleep when you create a good routine each night that may even include the occasional sleep aid gummies, if needed.
2- Exercise or Get Moving for at Least 30 Minutes a Day
If you’re not already exercising, now is the time to start. It’s important to be active every day and get your heart rate up for at least 30 minutes. This will help keep you healthy and feeling good both physically and mentally. You don’t have to do anything too intense in order for this habit to work. You can walk around the block, work in your garden, play a sport with friends, or anything that you enjoy. The key is to move around for 30 minutes a day.
3- Add Fruits and Vegetables to Every Meal
While the minimum amount of fruits and vegetables you should get daily is 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables every day, you can eat more than that if you want. Fruits and veggies add nutrients, fiber, and even healthy carbohydrates that your body needs. Include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your meal plans, such as dark leafy greens, red peppers, sweet potatoes, strawberries, bananas, apples, peaches, and carrots. Eat them at every meal to improve or maintain your good health.
4- Reduce Your Alcohol Consumption
Reducing your alcohol consumption is a good habit to get into. Alcohol is a diuretic that removes fluids from your body. This can lead to dehydration and make you feel tired and achy. In addition, drinking too much alcohol has been linked with weight gain and liver damage over time. It’s best to enjoy no more than 1-2 drinks per week.
5- Lower Your Stress Levels
Stress impacts all of your health and well-being. Too much stress is linked to hormone imbalances, weight gain, and even mental health struggles. If you want to reduce anxiety, improve your hormone health, and feel better, look for ways to lower your stress. This can mean you learn ways to stop procrastinating, that you learn to say no, and that you prioritize the most important things in your life.
6- Keep a Gratitude List or Journal
People who journal regularly are able to process their thoughts and emotions more effectively. Keeping a gratitude list or journal is one of the best ways to improve your attitude and mood. Be specific about what you are grateful for. Instead of simply saying “I am thankful for my family,” you can write down detailed descriptions about them and what you are thankful for more specifically. Being grateful for the good things and good people in your life can improve your health in numerous ways. Research shows that people who practice gratitude have lower blood pressure levels than those who don’t. They also have stronger immune systems and don’t get sick as often.
7- Eat a Protein-Packed Breakfast
Protein is an essential part of your diet. It’s a building block for muscle and helps with weight loss, as well as other health benefits including improved metabolism and digestion. Protein also helps you feel full longer. Plus, you won’t feel as snacky throughout the day if you start the day off with enough protein.
8- Drink Enough Water For Your Weight and Activity Level
While the general advice is to drink 8 glasses of water a day, you may need more than that. Newer research shows that the average person should drink about half of their weight in ounces of water each day. So if you weigh 200 pounds, you probably need around 100 ounces of water to maintain your health. Drinking water this way can boost weight loss efforts, reduce the number of headaches you experience, and give you more energy.
