This year has been stressful. It is more important now than ever before to stay healthy and to gain good habits. Everyone knows the basics, like eating healthy, sleeping, and exercising, but there is more to it than that. And your time is valuable, but your health is the most important thing. Improve your health with our seven easy steps.
Healthy Food Choices
Not everyone has the time or money to eat healthy every single day. It is hard, especially with the worldwide pandemic. You are no longer just working and going home and cooking dinner and cleaning the house. You are also a teacher and so much more. Though it is stressful, you have options! We found a list of healthy foods that you can try to incorporate into your life. Some of these foods include:
- Fruits
- Avocados
- Eggs
- Almonds
- Kale
- Salmon
- Quinoa
- Whole milk
- Dark chocolate
Catching Z’s
Everyone knows that sleep is needed. You can eat healthily, exercise, and do all the right things for your body, but if you aren’t sleeping well, it will be hard to maintain a healthy balance. Sleep can affect a lot of things. One of the biggest things that sleep can be affected is your weight. Not sleeping can also increase stress and anxiety, which also affect your weight goals. Lack of sleep also affects how you fight off sickness. Sleep is so important, so we found ways to help optimize your sleep schedule. Some of these things include:
Brighter lights during the day and lower lights during the evening, before bed.
Work It Out!
Research seems to be on the rise when it comes to working out. When you go to the gym, you want your work out to benefit you. That is why optimizing your workout plan is essential. Boost your gym game and help with your gains by lifting weights and a few other tricks that include:
- Mix it up with interval workouts
- Plenty of water
Being effective in the gym will also help your mood, your sleep, and you will want to eat healthier!
Protein, Protein, Protein
Most would say that this could also be under the healthy foods category, but protein is such a big part of healthy living that we are making it it’s own category. Besides levelling out your hunger and even helping to reduce it, protein is the only way that you will maintain your body and help shape and build muscles. Your protein levels cannot be deficient and allow you to have a healthy lifestyle. And the best news is that there are proteins listed in the healthy foods section! Go back and read about some proteins. If you need a little protein boost, check out some of the best vegan protein powder. They are not only good for the body but are easier to digest.
Yoga (For Real)
Do you ever wonder why so many people swear by yoga? It is not just some cool fad that will eventually go away. It has a lot of benefits, no matter your age. One of the biggest reasons why yoga is so beneficial is because it is a low impact workout. It also helps with flexibility. With the stretching and the deep breathing combos that you learn while practicing yoga, you will find yourself calmer. Deep breathing also helps with respiration. If you want to try out yoga, go to YouTube and look up some beginning yoga videos. Find one you are interested in and give it a go!
Positive Thinking
Tony Robbins had a point when he pushed the power of positive thinking. You can manifest a better way of thinking by making small changes in how you see things. The Mayo Clinic states that positive thinking reduces stress and lowers depression. It is all about how you see things. You have to be willing to do the work, but once you get started, it is hard to stop. Some ways include:
- Noticing when you are thinking negatively
- Give yourself positive talks
- Finding humor around you
Brain Gains
The final tip we have for healthy living is to work out your brain. There are so many ways to do this, and you don’t have to crack open a calculus book to do it. Some of the best ways to keep your brain active include:
- Reading
- Writing
- Doing a puzzle
- Knitting, sewing, or creating something
- Painting
There are many ways that you can keep your brain sharp with what you have in your own home. Keeping your mind engaged and active is just as important as working out your body.
The great thing about being healthy is the fact that making these steps a habit will increase your livelihood. And if you have friends or family that you can be on this journey with, you will be improving their lives as well.
