7 Tips for Healthy Living
Knowing how to live healthily can be a struggle for all of us at different times in our lives. There’s so much information out there suggesting how we might live more healthily, with advice ranging from the overly complicated to the downright extreme! So we’ve compiled a list of 7 easy healthy living tips that you can follow that will help to improve your physical and mental wellbeing.
1.Sleep
Sleep is one of the most important factors in your physical and mental health. Getting enough sleep can help with weight loss, cognitive performance and even reduce cravings! Don’t worry if you struggle to get in 8 hours a night though – studies have shown that including an hour’s nap in your day can have an almost equal effect to getting a full 8 hours overnight!
2. Vegetables
Including vegetables as much as possible is key to healthy living, and will provide a huge range of vitamins and minerals to keep your body functioning optimally. Be inventive in the ways you add veg to meals and snacks – spiralise, liquidise, dip, roast and even disguise in desserts!
3. Protein
Protein is important for keeping you full throughout the day in addition to muscle repair and growth. Including protein in every meal and snack will help if you are dieting, struggling with hunger, or just generally feel run down.
4. Hydrate
Everybody seems to be aware these days of the benefits of staying hydrated for your skin and for staying alert. Carrying a bottle with you at home, work and the gym reminds you to keep drinking all day long, and help you to track your daily fluid intake.
5. Get outside
Not always possible when the weather is unpredictable, but it will do wonders for your mental health as well as increasing your daily activity. Going for a short walk after work or in your lunchbreak boosts your mood and stretches muscles that become cramped from a day of sitting at a desk.
6. Decaffeinate
Caffeine stays in your system for 6-14 hours, meaning that your 3pm coffee can still affcet you by the time you go to bed! Going decaff for a week, or switching to fruit teas could significantly improve your sleep quality and overall health and wellbeing.
7. Relax
Easy to say, not so easy to do! Stress can affect both our mental and physical health. It can contribute to water retention, bloating and weight gain, and digestive issues. Notoriously tricky to combat, tips to help reduce stress include meditation, yoga, going outside or even just chatting with friends. A healthy lifestyle should definitely include some down-time - time to yourself where you can truly switch off.