Healthy habits to start at home
Practicing a healthy lifestyle is something most Americans ignore. Others take it seriously but lack the insights on the best practices to live in a healthy manner. Embracing a healthy lifestyle should be one of your key targets in life. There are significant long lasting benefits associated with living healthy. You get to reduce a lot of stress, strengthen your cognitive abilities, boost creativity, decrease anxiety and improve self-confidence. Here are ways you can start living healthy at home.
Add Vegetables to All Meals
A vegan diet should be your first choice at home. You get to strengthen your immunity, fight cancer, improve memory and boost your energy levels. You can start a vegan diet by introducing vegetables to all your meals, as you slowly cut down on animal products. Always make sure that everyone in the family fills half of their plates with veggies during meals. Reduce the number of animal food products you buy and replace them with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Consider steamed vegetables because they are low in calories and fat dressings. They also add extra flavor to your meals.
Drink Enough Water
Your body is made of 70 percent water. You need to drink enough fluids to maintain the right water levels in your system. Staying hydrated keeps your skin moist, reducing the risk of developing dermatitis. Proper hydration also improves the blood and oxygen flow in your body. This helps reduce the risks of kidney stones, joint pains, muscle cramps and constipation. Have a glass of water every morning before you go for tea or coffee. Always carry a water bottle with you whenever you move around at home or in the office. Also, make it a habit of drinking water after every meal. In case you don’t like to drink water regularly due to lack of taste, infuse it with kiwi, strawberries, lemons or lime to add flavor.
Avoid Junk Food
Embrace a diet with no junk food to maintain a healthy weight and decrease chronic illnesses. Quitting junk food significantly reduces the rate at which your body stores calories. This in turn leads to a healthier weight. Cutting down on junk food, especially those that contain large amounts of saturated fat can also minimize the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. Stop buying junk food and keep it out of the house, car or office. Avoid snacking in situations that can cause you to make bad choices. For instance, when watching a television. In this case, make sure you have organic alternatives, such as apples, oranges, mango or watermelons. You can also snack in the kitchen instead.
Exercise At Least 20 Minutes Every Day
Exercising daily helps you control weight, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, strengthen your bones and muscles and reduce stress. Regular exercise also reduces the risk of some cancers and increases the chances of living longer and enjoying a quality life. You don’t require a gym to exercise at home. However, a gym would be an added advantage if you can afford. Simple exercises such as walking or jogging around the neighborhood can make a big difference. You can do jumping jacks, pushups, leg lifts, squats, dancing, crunches, light-weight lifting or pushups.
Go Green
Going green at home does not only help the environment but also improves your health. One of the best ways to go green at home by developing a garden near the house. It gives you an opportunity to grow local and healthy foods. Gardening is also a good way to exercise your body and get rid of boredom and bad habits. There are several do it yourself gardening techniques you can adopt to achieve greater results. You can grow different vegetables and use them to replace the processed food you usually buy from the stores. You can also plant trees around the house for fresh air and use public transport when moving around to reduce the rate of carbon emissions.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep plays a key role in your health and overall well-being. Getting enough sleep has a positive impact your brain function and emotions. Enough sleep improves your memory, reduces inflammation, enhances your concentration and spurs creativity. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends and holidays. Having a uniform time helps enhance better sleep at night. Do not go to bed on an empty stomach, as your discomfort might keep you awake. Set up a room that is ideal for sleeping. This may include creating a dark, quiet and cool environment. Avoid sleeping during the day to promote your nighttime nap. If you have to sleep during the day, do not go beyond 30 minutes.
Originally published at medium.com