Simple, Easy Health Tips

So you want to start living healthier but you don’t want to commit time to the gym. If this is the case, you should check out my “Save The Excuses – A Perspective on Fitness” post. However, if you really, truly cannot find the time to exercise, there are some easier ways to help you start living healthier. Here I’ve listed a few out for you.

1. Drink more water! This is something you hear again and again. It’s the cliché of all clichés when it comes to healthy living. Well, guess what? Clichés exist because they’re true! Water can, among other things, help control calories by nourishing your body for free (as opposed to many other beverages that have a high calorie number attached to them), cleanse your body of toxins (it’s a great detoxifier!), and prevents cramps by essentially “greasing” your muscles.

2. Eat your greens! Greens are rich in vitamins and minerals, high in fiber and low in calories, and fat and cholesterol free. Greens are also reported to help in preventing some cancers. Want to read up on some more benefits of greens? You can check out the website leafy-greens.org here. 

3. Limit your sugar intake. I know how hard it is to resist sugary things, especially when someone in your family can’t live without candy and/or baked pastries. I am a young adult woman: TRUST ME, I know how hard it is to resist! However, I’ve found that it’s easier when you remind yourself that it won’t be the last time you have to eat a sweet. There will always be more donuts; you just need to wait until your “cheat day” to have one!

4. Take your vitamins. I always got Flintstones (or similar) vitamins as a child. I especially loved the vanilla-flavored calcium chews! Unfortunately, vitamins become less exciting when you’re an adult. Instead of awesome chews, you get to take pills. Bleck. But vitamins really do promote healthy living and are essential. And there are chewy/gummy options available for some adult vitamins (and there is nothing wrong with taking Flintstones vitamins! I still take them and I’m almost 20 years old!)

5. Get enough sleep. Studies show that sleep really does impact your health (and weight!). If you have a hard time falling asleep, maybe try waking up earlier and going to bed earlier? Maybe you could try some yoga? There are a lot of suggestions out there to help with sleep. My brother has a hard time sleeping, so he takes melatonin. However, I would ask your doctor before taking melatonin because some people have qualms about taking it. 

6. Make some healthy switches! Take brown rice instead of white. Whole wheat or multigrain bread instead of *insert unhealthy choice of bread here*. Munch on apples, carrots, or almonds instead of potato chips. Try to eat one salad every day, and use vinaigrette instead of a creamy dressing. Get grilled rather than fried chicken. Go easy on the salt. There are so many different options available. There are some other great suggestions on wholeliving.com. 

It’s a lot easier to start living healthier than a lot of people would think. You don’t even need to spend that much money (which is one of the more popular excuses). Try making just a few healthy choices, and I can guarantee you’ll start to notice a difference. I know I can tell when I’ve cheated myself of healthy choices (bloating is a big indicator).

If you already make healthy choices, what are some of your favorites? What would you add to my list? If you haven’t yet started to make healthier choices, what are you going to start on? Let me know in the comments!

Cheers!

Molly