Well, we’re 3 weeks into 2018 and it’s time to check up on how we’re doing with those New Year’s resolutions. Like almost everyone on the planet, I’m going to guess that one of those resolutions was to get healthy or to be healthier.
But how do you become healthier?
While big actions like dieting and exercising are great steps toward a healthier lifestyle, sometimes it’s the little things that add up to the most impact. So let’s have a look at 9 simple habits you should have to be healthier.
1. Drink a Glass of Water Before Every Meal
It’s important to stay well hydrated, and many diet experts say that drinking lots of water can help you lose weight. On top of helping you stay hydrated, drinking a glass of water before your meal will make you already feel a little more full, helping you to stop overeating.
2. Drink Ice Water in The Morning
Sticking with the water theme, as soon as you wake up drink a glass or two of ice cold water. Drinking some water first thing in the morning will help you maintain the balance of fluids in your body.
Drinking ice cold water first thing in the morning is known to boost your metabolism during the day and can wake you up just as effectively as a cup of (less healthy) coffee.
3. Be Active on Your Lunch Break
You don’t need 30 – 60 minutes to eat your lunch. Eat your lunch, and use the rest of your break to be active. Go for a walk around the office, or do some push-ups, or stretch. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you do something to be active.
By being active you will burn a few extra calories, de-stress, and just feel better when you get back to work.
4. Get a Massage
While it might not seem like an effective habit, massages have a great many health benefits. Massages help reduce stress and anxiety (which are linked to weight gain), increase circulation, and relieves back pain.
A day at a spa getting a massage can be an expensive habit to have. Luckily, personal massagers are inexpensive, effective, and mean you can get a massage whenever you need. Why not check out the Naipo Cordless HandHeld Full Body Massager (available here)?
5. Stop Mindless Eating
Make a rule not to eat food while watching TV or reading a newspaper. Watching a great TV show or reading a really interesting article can distract you from your food, and sometimes you won’t even appreciate your delicious meal. You will often find yourself just mindlessly shoveling food into your mouth, which can lead to overeating.
Give food its own time and space, so that you can really appreciate it, and recognize when you are full.
6. Eat One Healthy Meal a Day
Okay, we know, dieting can be hard. One of the hardest parts of dieting is that we so suddenly and drastically change what we eat. One of the reasons so many people give up is because the change is too drastic. They cheat, they feel bad for cheating and eventually just quit. So why not start small? Ease yourself into a new, healthier diet.
Pick just one meal of the day, then change what you eat. Maybe choose lunch, eating a portion protein, a vegetable or fruit, and some nuts. Start small then expand as you get into the habit of eating healthier meals.
7. Make a Grocery List and Don’t Shop Hungry
Set yourself up for healthy eating success where it starts: the grocery store. Make a list of healthy foods and groceries to buy at the grocery store and stick to it. You can’t eat unhealthy foods if there aren’t any in your kitchen.
Also, avoid going to the grocery store hungry. Being satiated when shopping prevents you from impulse-buying junk food or foods you don’t need.
8. Eat Home-Cooked Meals
Now that we’ve got the healthy groceries, it’s time to use them. Eating out is one of the biggest sources of unhealthy foods in our diet, plus we have no idea what is going into our food. Develop the habit of staying at home and cooking a healthy meal. This way you know exactly what’s going into your food, and can inspire you to find ever more healthy recipes to try out.
Learning to cook is also an extremely important life skill to have. Gentlemen, still not convinced? Ask some of the ladies out there and you’ll soon find out that women love a man who can cook.
9. Cut Out Sugary Drinks
Countless studies have shown how much sugar-sweetened drinks wreak havoc on our health. Soda, juice, and energy drinks can contain 5 – 10 teaspoons of sugar and have been linked to increased risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. A great way to significantly cut down your sugar intake is to cut out these sugary drinks. And no, diet soda and sweeteners are not a healthy alternative.
The best option is to drink just plain water, but that can get boring. Instead, swap out the soda and sports drinks for unsweetened tea or coffee, or mint-infused water.
There are many more healthy habits to you can adopt like practicing good posture, or eating off smaller plates, or parking further away, but just get started with these 9 simple habits.
As these simple practices become habits, you can adopt even more healthy habits and before you know it, you are living the healthy lifestyle you always promised yourself you would.
