It has never been clearer that a healthy body is the most important asset you can have. Chronic illness can destroy your quality of life and cost you thousands of dollars in healthcare. Physical, social, and mental wellness is equivalent to millions of dollars in your bank account.
Unfortunately, many of us still compromise our health by avoiding healthy habits like eating a nutritious diet, exercising, and getting enough sleep. Healthy living could be as easy as following simple nutrition tips and observing an uncomplicated daily routine. Keep reading and watch the video below for a quick guide on how to live a healthier lifestyle.
1. Reduce Your Bad and Risky Habits
Sometimes we may feel that we don’t have enough time or money to devote to healthy habits. Or health and wellness may seem like a complicated subject that we are better off avoiding. This could not be further from the truth.
Habits like smoking, overeating, substance abuse and risky sports cause injury and disease. By itself, smoking causes the following:
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- Lung complications
- Diabetes
- Pulmonary disease
- Arthritis
- Eye problems
The quickest path to a healthier lifestyle is to avoid these known high-risk behaviors. Yes, this is easier said than done─ especially if you have an addiction. But many people have managed to quit addictive behaviors in order to live a longer, healthier life.
Other than our health, these habits may have other negative life consequences. For instance, substance abuse may cause us to lose our jobs and loved ones and even lead to homelessness.
So quitting risky habits can greatly improve our overall happiness. If you find it hard to quit risky behavior, consider getting therapy to uncover and heal the root cause of the habit. If you’re looking for natural solutions, check out a naturopathic doctor in Scottsdale AZ.
2. Control Your Diet
Another great way to live a healthier lifestyle is to maintain your recommended body weight. Obesity is a major cause of many diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Excess weight may also be detrimental to our mental health as it may cause us to have a negative self-image. The simplest way to control your weight is to eat fewer calories than you burn.
Eat more nutritious low-calorie foods like vegetables and avoid high-calorie, processed foods. A simple hack is to drink water instead of sugary drinks. It’s also important to learn potion control as many Americans have difficulty with how much food they should eat at each meal.
There are great smartphone apps you can use to keep track of everything you eat and achieve weight loss. Complete a few days of tracking your food. After this, you’ll have a general idea of how much food you need to meet your daily nutrient and caloric goals.
3. Start a Fun Physical Activity
You can greatly improve your mental and physical health by exercising for at least 30 minutes daily. On top of keeping weight off, exercise is the best antidepressant. It significantly boosts the happy hormones otherwise known as serotonin and dopamine.
But you shouldn’t force yourself into activities you hate doing─ choose an enjoyable activity instead. Something as simple as walking for 30 minutes a day can improve your health. If you prefer not to work out at a gym, consider walking or running outdoors. You could also work out at home using exercise videos.
Other fun activities include dancing, playing a sport, or swimming. You can also increase your activity by cutting down on the time you spend sitting down. If you have a desk job, get up every half an hour and walk around for a few minutes. Answer calls while standing up and have standing meetings.
4. Limit Screen Time
Our generation is addicted to technology and researchers are now linking a lot of health problems to excessive screen time. For instance, high social media use has been linked to increased narcissism, loneliness, and depression. Excessive tech use can also cause bad posture, back pain, and damage to your eyes.
So, what can you do to avoid the ill effects of technology? Limit your screen time as much as possible. When at work, stand and walk around every 30 minutes. Give yourself a time limit for how much time you spend on social media.
Consider filling up more of your time with friends and family. Finally, try to stop using electronic devices 30 minutes before bedtime to improve your sleep quality.
5. Make Time for Relationships
Your quality of life is greatly determined by the number of healthy positive relationships you have. A low quantity or quality of social ties is linked to higher cases of premature death. It’s also connected to heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer as well as mental illnesses.
Why do social ties have such a great effect on our health? There may be an element of social control where loved ones may discourage us from unhealthy and risky behavior. Positive relationships also give us a sense of purpose and belonging and improve our self-esteem.
Cultivate your social ties by accepting invitations to family events, work events, and other social functions organized by your community. Contribute your time and resources to helping loved ones. Also, remember to be a positive influence in their lives.
Giving improves our happiness and wellbeing. So give out as much love and care as you would like to receive. You’ll also get back the same love and support from different quarters when you least expect it.
Learn the Keys to How to Live a Healthier Lifestyle
Figuring out how to live a healthier lifestyle may seem challenging, expensive, and time-consuming. But this doesn’t have to be the case. Start your health journey today by following our healthy tips and making small changes to your daily routine.
For more resources on integrative health in Scottsdale check out the rest of the COHS site. If you’re ready to start your health journey, contact us today.
