5 Simple Tips To Improve Your Health

A simple fact of life is that it gets busy.  Unless you’re living alone on a desert island, work, family, kids etc. take up a good chunk of your time.  While we’re all busy with our daily lives, it’s easy to neglect our health.  It’s easy to go from health to unhealthy without even noticing it.  You wake up one day and go, what the heck happened to me?  Being healthy is a choice and it’s one that we should all make but sometimes neglect.  Want to get your health in back on track?  Here are 5 simple health tips that you can implement right now.

DRINK MORE WATER

Drinking more water is probably the easiest thing you can do to improve your health but also the one thing that most of us don’t do.  You might think your getting enough right now, but are you?  The recommended amount of water to drink daily is 2 liters.  That’s about 8 – 250ml cups, and that’s for the average person.  If you’re already active you’ll probably need to double that amount.

The body is made up of over 60% water so drinking enough water is a must to keep the body functioning at it’s best.  Water helps with physical performance, keeps the skin looking healthy, maintains normal bowel function and can also help you manage your calories.

If you’re one of those people that has a hard time drinking water I’d encourage you to try drinking more water daily for a week and see how much of a difference it will make.  You’d be surprised how such an easy act can provide so much benefit.

GET ADEQUATE SLEEP

There are some people who can function on less sleep and some who need a little bit more.  Research has shown that most adults need about 6-8 hours of sleep a night.  I find I get about 7-8 hours a night and that works pretty well most of the time.  If I go for a few days with less than 6 hours sleep a night I can definitely feel the effects.

The body needs rest.  If you take part in daily vigorous activity or exercise you’ll probably need more sleep to help with optimal recovery.  Lack of sleep can greatly affect your energy levels, productivity and mood.  For some, sleep is not a problem.  They can fall asleep anywhere, anytime.  For others it is not that simple.  There are a lot of things that can affect sleep and quality of sleep.  I’ll go into more detail on how to get better quality sleep later.

For now, just know that if you’re not giving yourself enough sleep time, your doing your body a disfavor.  We all want to get more done, just try not to sacrifice your sleep to do so as it will do more harm than good.

MOVE YOUR BODY MORE

I work at a desk job.  This means that I’m sitting in front of my computer for 8 hours a day.  I’m sure that a lot of you have similar office jobs where it’s easy to stay in one place for the majority of the day.  A sedentary job along with a sedentary lifestyle can really impede your health and quality of life.  This is why moving your body regularly is so important.

Moving or exercising regularly has a ton of benefits.  I could go into all of them but there are too many to mention.  Some important ones are that it can help you feel better, stronger, reduce the risk of heart disease, and it can increase your strength and durability.  You don’t need to do much to reap the benefits.  Doing just moderate physical activity 3 times a week for 30 minutes a day can produce great results.  Start with a little bit then increase it gradually.

The activity doesn’t have to be hard either.  It can be enough to just simply move your body whenever you get the chance.  This means taking the stairs when you have the option, getting up at least every our to move around, and going for walks on your breaks.  The saying goes move it or lose it and it definitely holds true when it comes to your bodies ability to do things.  So be sure to move your body every chance you get!

EAT LESS PROCESSED FOODS

Convenience is a double edged sword.  Nowadays in the North American world you can get food anywhere, anytime.  However, a lot of the convenient options available come in the form of packaged and processed foods.  These foods are often filled with a bunch of ingredients that aren’t the best for the body in terms of health and nutrition.  Pop, chips, crackers, all convenient and readily available, but provide nothing but empty calories.

Instead a better choice is to eat more whole foods.  Fruits, vegetables should be a staple of your diet daily.  Get rid of the pop, chips and crackers on a regular basis and opt for water, fruits, nuts and vegetables instead.  You’ll not only feel better, but your body will thank you down the road.

BE MORE MINDFUL

With everything so digital these days, it’s really hard to have anytime to ourselves.  We’re always plugged in that we forget how to be alone with our own mind.  The act of being mindful in the simplest terms means being present and aware of what you do.

We often forget to do that, especially now that everyone is on their phones of devices all the time.  Taking time to just be mindful for 10 to 15 minutes a day will help give your mind a break.  I personally like to stretch and meditate whenever I get a chance and just focus on the immediate task at hand.  It helps me refocus and re-energize myself, and give me some time just to myself.  The mind and body are a unit, it’s important to take care of both for optimal health and vitality.

IN SUMMARY

There a so many things we can do daily to improve our overall health.  A lot of these things are relatively easy to do.  All you have to do is remember to do them.   If you want to live a long and happy life, don’t forget that health is wealth so be sure to treat yourself right!

If you like what you’ve read be sure to subscribe to the blog so you’ll never miss a post.  I always love hearing from people so don’t be shy to leave a comment or get in touch, happy pursuits!

Paolo