By: Laura Peill – (Check out her blog Chronicles of Passion & Facebook)
Being healthy and leading a healthy lifestyle is a habit (or a few habits) that one has to follow every day – through all the ups and downs, the set-backs and successes.
Healthy people are successful in their health endeavours because they adopt daily habits that lead them to success. And guys... it's not that hard!
Follow these 10 habits of healthy people to be at your best, healthiest self:
1. Eat greens every day
I always make sure to eat a daily dose of greens. Whether it be throwing a cup of spinach or kale in my smoothie, making a green juice in the morning, or having a kale salad with dinner, greens are a staple. Pop them in recipes any chance you get! This way, you will easily meet your daily requirement and will start to feel the tremendous, healthy effects they have on your body.
Here's an article on how GREEN JUICE can help significantly with weight loss.
2. Exercise in the morning
We’ve all been there, where we have the best of intentions to exercise after work or school, but something comes up later, or we’re so tired after a long day.
Avoid the excuses and exercise in the morning.
Not only will it be done for the day and you won’t have to worry about it again, but it will wake you up, give you a boost of energy and get you up early! Several studies have correlated waking up early with success, and who doesn’t want to set themselves up for success?
Here are 7 easy exercise focussed on weight loss that you can do at home.
3. Start your day with hot water and lemon
Start every morning with a cup of hot water and lemon... water is REALLY important for health, and weight loss.
It gently wakes up your digestive system and helps to flush out any toxins that lingered overnight. Follow it up with 500 to 700ml of cold lemon water to finish the process. Not only does it help your digestive system, but it also gives you a good start to your daily water intake (see number 10 below)!
Check out these 5 detox water recipes.
4. Move every day
Even if you’re taking a day off from exercising, move regularly! Walk to work, or park a bit further away and walk a little bit extra to work. Get up from your chair and go up and down the stairs a couple of times, or go for a walk on your lunch break.
Regular movement will keep your energy levels up, your brain and mental power sharp and stop you from turning to other, less healthy options to relieve either of these issues.
5. Nothing is off limits
Don’t set off limits foods, or place foods into “good” or “bad” categories. Every food can have its place in your diet, you just have to know which ones should have a big place and which ones should be only a special treat or eaten on occasion.
When you start depriving yourself of foods that you want, it makes you want them even more because you can’t have them.
Instead, set up a system that lets you have your treats in moderation. Perhaps you have a “treat night” once a week, or you get a small treat after dinner every night. Use whatever system you need to that ensures you can stay on track with your health goals.
Check out these 10 superfoods that help with weight loss.
6. Look after your gut
Studies show that the state of our gut can affect every facet of our life. In a study using rats, scientists put rats in a pool of water to test how long they would continue to try to swim to stay alive. The rat that had received a dose of probiotics before entering the pool swam harder and longer than the one with no probiotics.
You probably know from experience that when you have an off stomach, it makes you feel like doing nothing but curling up in bed. Consume probiotics (the “good” bacteria in your gut) regularly in the form of kombucha (find out what kombucha is), yogurt, other fermented foods or a probiotic supplement to keep your digestive health on track and to keep you healthy and happy!
7. Take time for yourself, all by yourself
Turn off all your devices and screens, find a quiet place, shut down your mind and just let yourself be in the moment for a little while. Whether it is through yoga, meditation, or just sitting down to breathe for a few minutes, you owe it to yourself to take the time and clear your mind.
8. Live in a clutter-free environment
From your desk to your car, to your house, clutter breeds stress and chaos and neither of these keep us healthy. Do yourself a favour and keep your place and space clean and organized. There will always be messy times, but don’t let it be messy all the time. Knowing where your things are and being greeted by organization when you walk into a room will do wonders for your mind and your overall health!
9. Prepare meals and eat at home
One of the biggest things that may be sabotaging your healthy lifestyle is eating take out food that is high in sugar, salt and processed ingredients.
You’ve worked too hard on all of your healthy lifestyle changes to throw it away by eating take out every day. It can easily be part of your healthy choices when done once or twice a week, but try to eat the majority of your meals at home, sitting at the table. Not only will you be more likely to prepare a healthier meal for yourself, but sitting down and taking time to eat will allow you to be more aware of your own body’s cues of when you are full, and when you are hungry.
Plan ahead and start doing some meal prep! Choose a time each week to prepare your meals and/or snacks for the week. Whether it is just cutting up some veggies or making meals ahead in large quantities, find what works for you and keeps you at your healthiest!
10. Drink lots of water
You’ve heard it before, and you’ll hear it again, but drink lots of water! Not only does it help flush out toxins and allow your body to function optimally, but it also helps you feel full and satiated, and prevents the issue of mistaking being thirsty and dehydrated as hungry. Get a large bottle, (I have a 1 L Nalgene bottle), and then figure out how many times you have to fill it each day to meet your requirements. Fill it, drink it, refill and you’ll be all watered!
Here are 8 ways to drink more water!
