Top 10 lifestyle tips you can’t live without

1. EAT A HEALTHY DIET

The phrase ‘You are what you eat’ has been around for years, and rightfully so. The food you eat not only affects your weight and your body but also plays a massive role in your mood, your sleeping patterns, stress and mental health (more on that later!), and your overall well-being.

Alcohol and foods that are processed have high refined sugar content and low nutritional value that contribute very little to your health and consuming these food items in large quantities can give rise to significant health problems down the road.

It is okay to have such foods and “cheat meals” in moderation as long as you eat a nutritious and healthy diet at least 80% of the time.

Include green leafy vegetables, fruits, and sufficient protein in your diet every day to keep your mind and body at its peak performance levels.

2. READ AND UNDERSTAND FOOD LABELS

Now that you are on a quest to change your lifestyle by eating healthy foods, you might find yourself visiting the ‘healthy food items’ aisle more often. But are you sure you understand these health foods correctly?

The energy bar you just picked up from the shelf says, “NO ADDED SUGARS”, so it has to be healthy, right? Wrong! Food manufacturing companies use misleading claims on the front of food packaging to lure people into believing they are making healthier choices, but the truth lies in the food labels on the back.

Do not blindly buy an item because it claims to be healthy; do your research. Pay close attention to the first three or four ingredients in the list since they make up the majority of the food product. If you see ingredients like different types of sugars or hydrogenated oils, you can rest assured the product is far from healthy. Look for whole foods and natural ingredients. 

But wait, there is one other fundamental reason why you should be reading food labels. Even healthy foods have calories listed according to serving size, and most people tend to overlook this crucial detail. You could be eating double or even more of the recommended serving size but tracking your calories based on the one serving size listed on the packaging. Take your time to understand food labels and use the information to make better choices, and this often-neglected step will be a significant stepping-stone into your new healthy lifestyle.

3. LEARN TO INCORPORATE EXERCISING EVERY DAY

People often tend to associate exercising with losing weight, but physical activity has many more benefits than just seeing the number on the scale drop. It reduces the risk of heart diseases, helps your joints, increases your energy levels, improves sleep quality, and also improves your mood and mental health. Even though changing your lifestyle does not just mean making changes to your physical health, but you must get into the habit of exercising If you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

And do not worry, you do not need to sweat it out for hours at the gym, just 30-45 minutes of exercise 4-5 times a week is enough to get started. And remember, just because all of your friends started going to the new CrossFit center down the street, does not mean you have to join them as well. If yoga is more your thing, find a yoga studio that you like. If you enjoy dancing, join a dance class. Do what you enjoy and you will have fun while staying fit.

4. Floss daily

Didn’t see this one coming, did you? This is the last tip we have for you that talks about your physical health, we promise.

Oral hygiene is a classic example of an important yet overlooked part of a healthy lifestyle. And in that, most people tend never to floss their teeth! Flossing is important to remove those tiny food particles that are stuck in places your toothbrush can’t reach.

If left unattended, these food particles give rise to bacteria that can cause oral problems ranging from bad breath to cavities and rotten teeth. Hello scary root canals! Make it a point to floss at least once every day, if not more, and save yourself from the sharp and shooting toothaches and a hefty dentist’s bill.

5. PRACTICE GRATITUDE AND RECORD GOOD MEMORIES

Do you often find yourself dwelling over what went wrong but fail to appreciate all the small but good memories you make every single day?

If this sounds like you, it is time for you to start practicing gratitude and maintaining a happiness journal. Take out 5 minutes every day to note down one thing you are grateful for or one good memory you want to remember from the day.

This small practice will help you have a more positive outlook towards life, express gratitude, be thankful, and improve your overall mood. And that’s not all, and you will have your own collection of good memories to look back on at the end of every month or year!

6. FIND YOUR OWN HAPPY PLACE

In this busy and chaotic world, you must take some time out for yourself and go to your happy place. And no, we are not talking about packing up and going to the mountains, though if you can do that every week or two, that would be pretty amazing!

Your happy place is anything that calms you down, helps you relax and recharge, and makes you happy. Different people have different happy places. Some like to cuddle with their pets while reading a book while some like to go on a long hike by themselves with some good music. Your happy place is whatever you want it to be. Just remember to check-in and spend some time there every week.

7. MANAGE AND REDUCE STRESS LEVELS

Whether you are stressed about events in your personal or professional life, high-stress levels can affect your mind and your body in more ways than one.

If you are always under stress, you will start to see it affect your body in the forms of sudden weight gain or loss,  insomnia, frequent headaches, loss of hair, body aches, an upset digestive tract, and more. Stress also plays a huge role in several mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is impossible if you have high-stress levels. Find ways to unwind at the end of every day to relax and calm your mind before you go to bed. If needed, seek expert help for your stress and stress-related health issues.

8. GET ENOUGH SLEEP

Even though sleep requirements depend on your age, studies have shown that most people need anywhere between seven to nine hours of undisturbed sleep every night.

Pulling an occasional all-nighter might not seem like a lot, but if you regularly get insufficient sleep, you are putting yourself at an increased risk of a host of health problems.

Lack of sleep also affects your stress levels, and you already learned how increased stress could affect you negatively. So make sure you do not indulge in any activities that affect your sleep.

Avoid consuming caffeine after 4 PM, switch off all screens at least an hour before bed; make sure your room has a comfortable temperature that is conducive to sleep, and make any little changes you need, to get a good night’s rest.

9. DO A DIGITAL DETOX

Regardless of what you do, you are probably always surrounded by devices – phones, laptops, tablets, and so much more. These devices help us stay connected with each other and the outside world, but this ease of availability also brings with it added stress, anxiety, and the constant FOMO!

The blue lights emitted from these devices also disrupt your sleep cycles. And that’s not all, being glued to your devices makes you miss out on the life around you, your hobbies, your family and friends, and just living in the moment. So pick one day every week and go on a digital detox; ditch the devices for a day, and enjoy in the real world!

10. ADOPT OTHER HEALTHY HABITS

Even though they are a great place to start, just adopting these nine habits will not automatically ensure a healthy lifestyle. You have to make little adjustments wherever possible and adopt healthy habits to start noticing the change.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator, soak in some sunshine every day, read books and listen to podcasts to keep learning something new, spend time with people who add value to your life, and do more of what makes you happy. Keep learning and re-learning to find out what works best for you and fits into your idea of a healthy lifestyle.

Remember, learning a new habit is just like learning a new skill, and it will take time for you and your body to adapt to these changes. Do not expect to wake up one day with a new and improved life. These things do not happen overnight. Keep making these habits a part of your daily routine until they become second nature to you. Before you know it, you would have re-wired your brain to perform these simple tasks without giving it much thought.

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