1
Emphasize fruits and veggies. A healthy diet is one that's full of vitamins, nutrients, and color (well, in addition to being balanced). And the easiest way to do this is through piling on the fruits and veggies. They're nutrient dense but not calorically dense -- meaning you can eat bunches and bunches without destroying your waistline and it's good for you. And, of course, the fresher the better!
2
Drink up the H2O. If you're looking for a miracle on Earth, water is the closest you'll probably get. Stay hydrated and just about every part of you will stay healthy -- your skin, your hair and nails, your organs, and even your mind. And you can lose weight, too! Studies show that you could lose 5 lbs in a year by just upping your water intake around a liter a day.
- Part of the reason behind the weight loss is that drinking water keeps you full, but drinking cold water also ups your metabolism. In fact, drinking cold water (17 ounces, to be precise) can up your metabolism by up to 30% for 10-40 minutes. So get icy with your workout and you could burn even more calories.
3
Exercise. There is no way around it: having a sedentary lifestyle is just about the best way to drive your body into the ground. You have to stay active in order to stay healthy. If you don't use your brain, you lose it -- and same goes with your muscles! So whether you want to run 5ks for breakfast or you just walk the dog every night, do something. Your body craves it.
- The CDC recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate physical activity, including some cardio and some strength-building activities.[5] That's 2 and a half hours, by the way. 2.5 hours out of 168. That's reasonable, right? And the more vigorous your exercise, the less you need.
- If you're overweight or obese, the only way you don't know that losing weight is in your best interest is if you've been living under a rock that doesn't get wifi. Even losing 10 pounds can make significant improvements to your health.
4 Go for regular physical check-ups. As we age, it becomes increasingly more important that we are aware of our health, even if we aren't experiencing symptoms of anything. It's in your best interest to regularly go to the dentist and to the doctor, just to make sure you're in tip-top shape. When all goes well, you can breathe a sigh of relief.
- In addition to general check-ups with both the dentist and the doctor, be tested for breast or prostate cancer and STDs regularly, and keep up-to-date on your shots. The last thing you want is something sinister to be festering in your body and you not doing a thing about it.
- Those STD screenings will be a lot less scary if you practice safe sex. If you're sexually active, use condoms. Just do it.
5 Stay active in the small ways. Sometimes it's hard to get a workout in between work, social gatherings, the kids, and commitments we make that we can't get out of. When those busy times spring up, it's important to find other ways to get moving. Even if it's just 2 extra minutes of exercise, it adds up if you do it every day.
- Examples? Park far away from where you're going. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Do 5 minutes of core workouts before your shower. Wash your car by hand. Take your date to the park. There are opportunities everywhere if you get creative.
6 Keep mentally stimulated. The brain is very much so a muscle -- it can get used to the paces you put it through. Put it in front of the television day in and day out and it will atrophy. It'll become lazy. But keep it moving and it'll stay fresh and raring for the next great adventure. So turn off the tube and do something to challenge yourself. try reading some thing or solving some equation, novels too can also keep the brain active. Its also improves you in your every day mental activities.
7 Sleep.For many of us, sleep is the sweet balm that soothes and restores us after a long day of work and play. When we don't get adequate sleep at night, our entire lives are affected. We can't focus, we can't pay attention, we eat more, our hormones get all over the place, et cetera ad infinitum. We all need around 8 hours, but whether you need closer to 7 or 9 is an individual thing.
- To make it easier, to get good quality sleep, start disconnecting sooner rather than later -- hopefully 2 or 3 hours before you go to bed. So get off the computer, stop staring at your cell phone, and hit "off" on that dang remote control. Read, take a bath, or just chill with your family or roommates. Live in the moment.
8
Prioritize your social network. Being social to humans is like breathing. If we don't get enough, our mental faculties suffer and we start losing our grip on how life should be. So make time for your friends! Call up that family member you haven't spoken to in forever. When you feel balanced, when you feel like you're an integral part of a community, everything else falls into place.- It's easy to get swamped with work or to just put work into your relationship, but life is much more fruitful when you surround yourself with a blooming social network. Make it a point to, every so often, have a night with family or friends. It'll be a stress release and you'll have more people to lean on when you need them -- a very, very comforting, healthy feeling.
9
Follow your passion. Really. Because at the end of day, life without passion isn't a healthy life. Everybody has a dream and even if you can't make it something you're able to pursue 24/7, it can be something that has its own little niche in your life. So spend Wednesday afternoon writing your book. Take guitar lessons at the age of 45. Pack your bags and make that move. You won't feel content without it.- Happiness is an integral part to being happy, and following your passion is a good way to ensure that your happiness is here to stay. If it gives you that warm feeling on the inside, it's meant to be. Never let your passions fall by the wayside. They're there to keep your heart and mind happy and healthy.
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