Many people will be making 'being healthier' one of their new year's resolutions, but, it's a well known fact that many people give up with their resolutions after a short period of time, so I'm going to share some basic information about overall health, which is important for people to consider, and hopefully help them with their goal of being healthier.
Firstly I'm going to start by saying that changes do not occur overnight, it's a long process but one that is definitely worth sticking to, and secondly, if you're aiming to be healthier to lose weight, you cannot spot reduce, meaning that you will lose body fat from all of your body, not just one desired area, and finally, I am not a professional, and all that I have learned is from experience, so it may work for some people but not for others.
I'll start with the easiest: drink more water. The benefits of drinking more water include: making your skin look good, it aids digestion, it flushes out toxins from your body, and it can save a lot of money. I know that some people struggle to drink enough water per day (recommended amount is 2 liters but the amount you really need can depend on things such as your weight, whether it's a hot or cold day and if you have been exercising or not), but something that I can suggest is swapping out other drinks. Although this is a very simple thing to do, it can benefit you massively. You could also increase your water intake by carrying a bottle of water with you when you go out, it could simply stay in your bag if you want it to, but that way, as soon as you feel thirsty, you have something available right away.
Getting enough sleep is important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Your body and mind are able to rest while you are asleep, and you could even view it as a well earned break from a long day. I used to struggle to sleep a lot, but I have found it much easier after doing certain things. I have found that exercising during the day is very helpful: this can be walking, running, anything. Another thing that I have found helpful is something that lots of people don't want to try, but I found it helpful. Basically, you set your alarm early, an hour or two earlier than you usually get up, and keep this up for a week. You'll start to feel quite tired during the day, and this will cause you to want to go to sleep earlier. The best case scenario is that you keep up with going to sleep earlier, but also get the extra hour or two in the morning, however that doesn't work for everyone. One final thing that I have found to be successful is doing something before you go to sleep that makes you tired. For me, listening to the radio (stations where they only talk and don't play music) makes me tired, especially if I don't find what they're talking about interesting, but things such as meditation, listening to relaxing music or watching a film help other people. It's just important to find what works best for you. Also, if you wake up a lot during the night like I do, it can sometimes help to get up and walk around for a few minutes, and then get back into bed and try to sleep.
Next up, exercise. I know so many people dislike exercise, so I'll start by mentioning just some of the benefits of regular exercise: it improves your mood, it can boost your energy, it can help you to sleep better, and, it can be fun. It's advised that everyone does 30 minutes of exercise each day, so if you make this a goal to achieve, then that's a great step. The exercise you can do each day could be anything from walking, running, swimming, cycling, yoga, team sports such as football (soccer), or going to the gym. The important thing is just to get your body moving whenever you can. You could do this by walking to somewhere close to you instead of driving, joining a gym or a sports club, etc. Exercising often can be a lot easier if you have an 'exercise buddy', so if you have a friend who wants to increase the exercise they do, perhaps suggest working together to achieve your goals. Remember: it is not a competition, having a 'buddy' is mainly there to help with motivation.
Eating the right food is very important for a healthy lifestyle. Firstly, diets are not good. Your body needs proper food, and enough of it, so if you are trying to lose weight, a balanced diet is necessary. Secondly, you do not have to eat meat, or be a vegetarian or vegan to be healthy, you just need to eat the right things. Eating plenty of vegetables is a must, along with fruit, however I prefer vegetables a lot more. Try to aim for eating five portions of fruit/vegetables per day, anymore is great, but if you can't manage five, aim for three, for example you could have one with each meal you have. If you enjoy treats such as chocolate or cake, try to swap them (when you can) for a piece of fruit. As well as eating more fruit and vegetables, you need to ensure that you have a healthy diet overall. A healthy diet consists of lots of different parts, so I have found a website which gives good all round information (view here) so if you have the time, please give the website a read. I am sharing the website because there's too much for me to type out, and if I do, I don't think many people will want to read it, so instead I'm giving you the option of being able to read it if you want to.
Avoid drugs. I don't necessarily just mean illegal drugs. I mean avoid things such as drinking excessive alcohol, drinking too many drinks containing caffeine, smoking, and taking narcotics. This will allow you to have a clearer mind, healthier lungs and healthier organs such as your liver for example.
The final thing that is important to being healthier is your mental health. This can often be overlooked when discussing health in general, so I thought I would quickly mention it and give some advice where I can. Your mental health is important, and should be something that you take care of. I will not discuss mental illnesses, as they are something that doctors are able to help with, not me, but I can give advice on maintaining mental well-being. One thing that you should do is have a healthy 'escape', this could be reading, exercising, writing, listening to music, etc. Just as long as it helps you to deal with emotions. It's also vital that you recognise when you are starting to feel bad mentally. This could be due to stress, or a difficult situation going on in your life. But once you realise that you're not feeling your best mentally, you should try to work towards feeling better. One way that I can suggest is having some time each day dedicated to yourself. You could spend an hour reading each night for example. Just as long as it's time where you are doing something that makes you feel better, and you don't have the pressure of having to socialise along with it. So, find something you enjoy, and something that you find helpful, and spend a little part of your day doing it. It doesn't just have to be one thing- you could change what you do each day.
If you have any further questions, health tips for others, or your health success stories, please do share them by leaving a comment.
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