Leading a healthy life is no easy task. Our modern society is geared towards all the things that make being unhealthy the easiest option and requires you to be focused and committed in order to not succumb to an unhealthy lifestyle.
Many believe that being healthy is a privilege, reserved only for those with the time and money to actively take part in healthy habits. While there may be some truth in this belief, there are some incredibly simple changes you can make right now to start living a healthier lifestyle.
Drink More Water
Research continues to find that drinking 2-3 liters of water today is essential for optimal health. Yet, many of us simply don’t drink enough water each day. Instead, we make up this lack of water with tea, coffee, and fruit juices that are not healthy alternatives.
Nothing can replace your need for water and so it’s imperative that each of us gets enough water every day to avoid chronic dehydration and other health-related issues. Drinking lots of water can help your body to perform many of its important functions.
The benefits of drinking lots of water include lubrication of joints, better delivery of oxygen to muscles, boost in skin health, regulation of body temperature, and improved digestion system.
Getting 7-8 Hours of Sleep
Many of us do not get the required amount of hours of sleep to help support a healthy body and mind. Scientists believe that 7-8 hours is the perfect amount of time for our body to rest each night. Yet, many of us sacrifice these precious hours in exchange for work, Netflix, social media scrolling or video games.
The health benefits of getting a good night’s sleep are well documented. It’s believed that 7-8 hours can help you to reduce stress, improve your memory, help with weight loss, and reduces your risk of serious illnesses and diseases in the future.
Those that suffer from sleep disorders should check out the different types of sleep studies to see if they can help overcome their sleep issues and start getting enough sleep.
Eat more Plants
Research continues to tell us that a diet that consists mostly of nutrient-dense plant foods is much better for our health than our current processed and meat-heavy diets. The more natural organic whole foods you can squeeze into your diet the better.
The health benefits associated with a mostly plant-based diet include healthy weight loss, reduction of inflammation, improved digestion, and a lower risk of food-related illnesses and diseases such as heart disease and obesity.
Meditate
Meditation is commonly thought of as a practice for hippies and spiritual gurus but now, science has finally caught up and has discovered some tremendous benefits to the mindfulness practice.
It’s thought that sitting down for just 10-15 minutes a day with your legs crossed in a quiet place can improve both your physical and mental wellbeing. Research has shown that meditation can reduce stress, controls anxiety, keeps you focused, improves memory loss, enhances self-awareness, and can even help you fight against addictions.
Get Moving
Being active doesn’t have to include expensive gym memberships or hours of free time. Exercise can be as simple as taking a short walk, completing 30 minutes of HIIT training, a quick run or yoga.
All of these forms of exercise can be done at home or around your neighborhood. If you want to be healthy you must get up and moving, pushing your heart rate up and sweating. While short bursts of exercise might not feel advantageous, if completed daily over a long time you will find yourself building a strong level of fitness over time.
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