5 Healthy Lifestyle Tips
This healthy lifestyle tips post was sponsored by Alomune, however all opinions expressed are genuine and my own.
Making changes towards a healthy lifestyle always sounds good in the beginning of the year, but more often than not, those resolutions to have a healthy lifestyle shortly become a sheer memory.
The most common reason resolutions fail is because people look at these resolutions in the short run. They want to lose 20lbs, run a 5K marathon, become vegan, and quit smoking overnight.
The reality is that is change takes time and you must come to terms with that.
If you are willing to take baby steps towards an ultimate goal, you will be more likely to have a healthy lifestyle and succeed in the long run.
5 Healthy Lifestyle Tips
1.) Drink More Water Your body is made of more than 60% of water. Not soda. Not alcohol. Not juice. Not energy drinks. Pure WATER. Every single part of your body needs water in order to function properly. If you are depriving yourself of water, you're going to not only become dehydrated, you will start to breakdown. Water is needed to carry out functions, remove wastes, and carry oxygen and nutrients throughout your body as well. You are constantly losing water through breathing, perspiration, and urine and bowel movements. That means you need to constantly replenish that loss. Also? It's free!
How much water do you need? Take your weight, divide it by 2. That's about how many ounces of water you need to drink daily. Ex: If I weigh 120lbs, I would need to drink at least 60oz of water each day (or 7.5 cups).
2.) Avoid Processed Foods Processed foods are not "real" food. They are artificial. Most of the nutritional value of processed foods are lost during the process of making them, so what are you really eating? You're eating a lot of sodium, preservatives, additives, artificial sweeteners and chemicals that your body not only doesn't recognize, but can't digest properly as well. Over consumption of processed foods can lead to a variety of health issues. Cut back on the amount of processed foods you eat each day for healthier you.
Do you read the nutritional information on the packages you buy? If you can't pronounce the ingredients, you'll probably be better off without it.
3.) Sleep! It's no surprise that Americans are running on a sleep-deprived schedule. There's too much caffeine, stress, alcohol, work shifts, and not enough time. There's never enough time. Sleep deprivation can cause a higher risk of drowsiness while driving (especially if you commute for hours each day), a higher risk of obesity, and increased risk of depression, substance abuse, and heart disease. On average, adults should sleep for 7-9 hours each night. Sounds like a fantasy, right? If you want to live a healthy lifestyle, you need to sleep better. Sleeping at least 7 hours each night helps regulate your weight and recharges your body so you feel energized in the morning, not drowsy.
Quick Tip: Turn off your electronics at least an hour before bedtime. This includes your phone, T.V, laptops– anything with a screen projecting light. This will help you "shut down" and makes it easier for you to fall and stay asleep each night.
4.) Eat More Fruits & Vegetables This is a no-brainer. Try to aim for at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. I know you're thinking that's a lot of fruits and vegetables, but it's really not. Fruits and vegetables have vitamins and nutrients that are essential to your overall health. They also have fiber, are naturally lower in fat and calories, and are quite filling. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may help reduce the risk of heart disease, the number 1 cause of death in America.
You can incorporate fruits and vegetables in anything. Try adding more vegetables to your traditional pasta salad recipe and a variety of fruits in the morning. Try this berry smoothie recipe for a quick breakfast when you're on the go.
5.) Exercise You do not need to sign up for a gym membership in order to exercise. In fact, I exercise at home during my son's nap time. There are so many ways you can exercise, the possibilities are endless. 30 minutes a day of exercise is a great start, and I bet if you challenge yourself for just one week of this you will feel so much better than when you started. I like to alternate between exercise DVDs, running on the elliptical, and strength training.
Get creative! Go for a walk at the park, play basketball or tennis, try a Zumba or Slim in 6 DVD, go swimming, or take up yoga– do whatever makes you happy, just be consistent.
I hope you enjoyed these tips towards a healthy lifestyle. Please remember that with any lifestyle change, you want to take it easy. Take it slow. Change does not happen overnight. Slow and steady wins the race, remember?
Please consult with your doctor or dietician before making changes to your lifestyle.