It often feels like maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a daunting challenge that is impossible to achieve in our daily lives. With the pressures of work, family obligations, maintaining our homes, and still fitting in some relaxation, too, who has time to commit to a healthy lifestyle?
Guess what? We all do! Because achieving healthier living is all about taking small steps in our daily lives that add up to big results when done consistently over time.
Here are tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They’re mostly all small, simple adjustments we can each make to our daily lives to achieve a healthier way of living. Try incorporating some into your day and watch how your overall health and wellness improves.
1. Drink more water
Start by beginning each day with a full glass of water. Hydrating first thing in the morning helps aid digestion, enhances skin health, and boosts your energy.
2. Fill half your plate veggies
A simple hack to help you balance your meal and control portions is to fill half your plate with veggies at mealtime. Veggies pack in essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other phytonutrients important for health and longevity.
3. Eat whole food
Whole foods are comprised of unprocessed ingredients like fruit, vegetables, grains, and proteins. Eating mostly whole foods offers your body a vast array of nutrients acting together. The benefits of a whole food or a minimally processed diet include lower rates of heart disease, cancer and Type 2 Diabetes.
4. Eat a varied, colorful diet
“Eat the rainbow” is an easy way to remember to fill your plate with a varied diet consisting of colorful fruits and vegetables to get the nutrients your body requires.
5. Get a fitness tracker and/or step counter
Counting your steps is the easiest way to ensure you get enough physical activity each day. Aim for 10,000 steps per day which offers significant physical and mental health benefits. A fitness tracker will also remind you to get 250 steps each hour, which is key for those of us who spend a lot of time in a chair all day, everyday.
6. Take a probiotic every day
Gut health has a significant impact on digestion, skin health, immune strength, mental health, and more. One of the easiest things you can do to improve gut health is take a daily probiotic with a glass of water to restore gut flora.
7. Get sunlight every day
Vitamin D is one of the most important nutrients for overall health, and sunlight is one of our best sources of it. Try to get at least 30 minutes of sunlight each day, which should be relatively simple to achieve here in the sunshine state – sunny South Florida!
8. Sweat every day
Get in some intense exercise each day. Whether you’re sweating from running, biking, dancing, yoga, or any other physical activity you enjoy.
9. Take time for rest each night
Adults need about 7-9 hours of sleep each night, but many are not getting enough. Make a point to respect your bedtime so you can wake up feeling fresh and ready to tackle your day.
10. Stand up every 30-60 minutes during long periods of sitting
People who work sedentary jobs have twice the risk of cancer and face other health challenges such as high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. These factors increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Reduce the harmful effects of sitting by standing up and moving around for a minute or two every half hour.
11. Bring home some houseplants
Houseplants help cleanse your indoor air, they’re nice to look at, and research even shows they improve mood, creativity, and problem solving. Take in as many as you can handle.
12. Maintain a positive mindset
Cultivate a positive mindset by recognizing negative thought patterns and countering them with positive thoughts or affirmations. A positive mindset helps you achieve positive changes in your diet and lifestyle that in turn increases your vibrancy, energy, and confidence.
13. Manage stress with self-care activities
Chronic stress is detrimental to both physical and mental health. Get to know your stress triggers as well as stress relievers. Physical activity, spending time in nature, getting a massage, catching up with a friend or family member, creating art, gardening or seeing a therapist are all excellent examples of ways to help relieve stress.
14. Floss your teeth
Flossing your teeth on a daily basis is a great way to maintain dental and overall health. Flossing daily protects your teeth and gums. Good dental health is important for immunity and heart health.
15. Get enough solo time
Checking in with yourself, evaluating and re-evaluating your goals and intentions is a very healthy habit. Spend time alone hiking, walking, meditating, or just sitting outside a few minutes a day.
16. Go organic
Choose organic products when possible. Organic food, fabrics, and wellness products are better for your health, the environment, and the sustainable industries producing them.
17. Smile more
Smiling boosts physical and mental health, so smile as frequently as you can throughout each day.
18. Overcome your fears
Eleanor Roosevelt said “Do one thing every day that scares you.” Acknowledge your fears and take small steps to overcome them.
19. Drink a glass of water with every alcoholic beverage
A glass of water after every alcoholic beverage helps to detoxify the alcohol from your body, as well as slow your alcohol consumption and keep you hydrated (key to help your body prevent hangovers).
20. Practice gratitude
The practice of noticing and appreciating what we already have (versus focusing on what we DON’T have) actually brings us more happiness. Happiness is linked to good health and wellness. Experiencing gratitude also builds the mental and physical resilience needed to overcome life’s stresses and challenges.
