The best way to live a long life is to adopt healthy habits that will keep you fit and happy. Follow these healthy habits to improve your daily lifestyle.
1. Drink More Water
One of the simplest ways to keep healthy is by getting enough water to drink each day. If you’re not drinking enough, you might notice that you feel tired more often than usual. This is because dehydration makes you feel tired. Dehydration also affects your ability to think clearly and concentrate. If plain water isn’t your favorite, you can add flavor to your water to help up your intake.
2. Take a Mental Break
A break can be really helpful to refocus your attention if you feel absent-minded. Taking a moment to recharge alone gives you time to reflect on yourself and understand why you are feeling the way you are. This short break can actually help reboot your brain to be more tuned in.
3. Have a Bedtime Routine
Your sleeping pattern decides your mood and health. A bad sleep cycle can affect your physical and mental health. To lead a healthy life, the first step is that you get enough sleep and do not engage in staying up all night. Aim to get 7 to 9 hours a night.
4. Plan Your Meals Each Week
Planning your meals each week means you will put a lot of thought into what you will have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day. This means you are less likely to purchase items that are not healthy for you and focus on foods that give you the nutrients you need. Do you want to lose weight? Cut back on sugar, fat, or carbs? Add protein or vitamins? Meal prep keeps you in control. You know what you’re eating and when.
5. Eat Less Sugar
Although sugar may give an initial rush and burst of energy, what follows is a major drop in glucose, leaving you tired, lethargic and a little hangry. Replacing those added sugar calories with complex carbs, as well as foods with natural sugars and fiber like fruit, provides a longer, steadier supply of energy.
6. Cut Back on Alcohol
Cutting back on alcohol can have positive effects on the way you look and feel – often within just a few days. And at the same time, you’ll be reducing your longer term risk of serious illnesses such as cancer and liver and heart disease.
If you’re going to drink alcohol, choose lower calorie options. A glass of wine has about 120 calories, while a 12 ounce beer has about 140 calories. And if you’re having multiple drinks, try switching to mixed drinks with diet soda instead of regular soda.
7. Listen to Your Body
At the end of the day, being in tune with your body’s own version of “normal” is the best thing you can do. Recognize when your body needs rest or more movement is very important. Healthy people listen to their bodies and signals that alert them to when they’re hungry, dehydrated, inflamed, or even getting sick. You can better care for your body by paying attention to your energy and how it feels overall.
8. Turn Off Technology From Time to Time
It gives you the chance to relax, reflect, enjoy the outdoors, and catch up with family and friends in person. You may even find that you enjoy disconnecting and having the opportunity to recharge more often.
9. Head Outdoors
A few minutes in the sun boosts vitamin D levels, and that’s good for your bones, your heart, and your mood. Also, being outside means you’re more likely to move your body instead of parking it in front of the TV or computer. One study found that people who strolled in urban green spaces were calmer than people who walked in built-up areas.
10. Quit Smoking
Quitting smoking is one of the easiest ways to improve your health. In fact, quitting smoking will reduce your chances of developing cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other serious illnesses. Why wait? Kick the habit, and quit smoking today!
11. Exercise Regularly
Let’s take a look at the benefits that exercise has for our bodies. We all know the physical benefits of exercise, you look better, you feel better, you lose weight, you become lean and you build muscle. However the benefits of exercising aren’t just skin deep.
People who exercise are happier, more motivated and less depressed. Exercise can also be a treatment for depression, Insomnia, Memory loss, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson disease. Also you will feel more alert and energized. Exercise releases a brain cell called dopamine. This hormone plays a role in how we feel pleasure. It helps us strive, focus and find things interesting. So start exercising.
12. If You Have Trouble Sleeping, Avoid Caffeine In The Late Afternoons
Caffeine is our favorite stimulant for when we want to stay productive. And it can interrupt your sleep when it’s time for bed. Avoiding caffeine in the late afternoons will allow your body to get rid of caffeine so that it doesn’t interfere with your sleep.
13. Do Something Nice For Someone
Kindness has been shown to increase self-esteem, empathy and compassion, and improve mood. It can decrease blood pressure and cortisol, a stress hormone, which directly impacts stress levels. People who give of themselves in a balanced way also tend to be healthier and live longer.