Written By Lewis Robinson / Reviewed By Ray Spotts
Healthcare costs are rising. Workplaces demand longer hours. It can seem like there aren’t enough hours in the day to prioritize wellness but attending to your health doesn’t have to involve a daunting regimen. Here are six simple ways to support your health.
1. Eat Your Vegetables
Your mother was right! Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is known to lower your risk of developing heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. In addition, a balanced diet containing plenty of plant foods can help you maintain a healthy weight and improve your mood.
Choosing a variety of colors and flavors will balance and optimize your intake of vitamins and minerals. While fresh is best, canned or frozen options are often equally nutritious. If your time is limited, most stores sell prepackaged fresh produce that has already been washed, peeled, and cut.
2. Support Your Gastrointestinal Health
It is hard to feel your best when you experience poor or sluggish digestion. This can lead to you feeling bloated or constipated with possible weight gain.
Probiotics are strains of good germs that are vital to maintaining a favorable gut flora. While a proper diet contributes to a healthy gut microbiome, many people find that supporting digestion by using probiotic supplements promotes favorable gut flora, and also supports long-term digestive health outcomes.
Some studies suggest that probiotics may support an already healthy immune system.
3. Get Enough Sleep
Lack of sleep may feel normal, but there is nothing normal about going through life sleep deprived. In fact, disordered sleep can contribute to a number of life-threatening conditions, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and mental health struggles.
You can optimize the length and quality of sleep by sticking to a bedtime schedule and routine, optimizing comfort by choosing a high-quality mattress and pillow, turning off electronic devices at least an hour before bed, and limiting caffeine intake.
Some herbal teas are also known to promote enhanced sleep and preparing and drinking a cup of relaxing tea can turn a boring bedtime routine into a soothing ritual.
4. Hydrate
When you forget to water your plants, they can shrivel and become limp. What do you think happens to your body when it doesn’t get enough water? Proper hydration is crucial to eliminating waste and diluting toxins.
Drinking enough water also helps regulate body temperature when exposed to warm climate conditions and during exercise. Your skin will thank you too — dehydration can give skin a dull appearance and contribute to premature wrinkling.
5. Move Your Body
Everybody knows that exercise supports both physical and mental health and helps maintain a healthy weight. But did you know that you don’t need to be a gym rat to benefit from exercise? Even low- and moderate-impact movement can help you reach your wellness goals.
According to the CDC, 30 minutes a day is all you need, but you do not have to schedule a 30-minute workout. In fact, your daily walk to and from your favorite coffee shop may be all you need to achieve maintain cardiovascular health.
For optimal health benefits, incorporate muscle-strengthening activities such as yoga or lifting weights into your fitness plan.
6. Get Some Sun
For years, medical professionals advocated for staying out of the sun to protect oneself from skin cancer. But did you know that lack of sunlight can be harmful in its own way?
Sunlight provides vitamin D, which is essential to developing and maintaining strong bones. Natural light can also help lower blood pressure and stave off depression, including seasonal depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder. Moderate sun exposure can maintain health outcomes — just don't overdo it.
Good health doesn’t require hefty time commitments, expensive personal trainers and meal plans, or complete lifestyle overhauls. A few simple tweaks can lead to long-lasting healthy living!
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Written By:
Lewis Robinson is a freelance writer and expert in health and fitness. When he isn’t writing he can usually be found reading a good book or hitting the gym.
Reviewed By:
Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.