Everyone desires to live longer, everyone desires to have a happy and healthy life. In this generation, millennials become more conscious of their health. Your genetics only play 25 percent of how long a person would live. The rest, well, they’re up to you. If you want to achieve maximum health, wealth & enjoy long life to enjoy your family & friends, you have to lead a well-balanced healthy lifestyle.
I have collated quite a few practical tips on how you can live a healthier life. I will thoroughly discuss each in order for you to have a full grasp of each tip.
Physically:
#1 Exercise Every Day
I cannot stress this enough. Most people tend to disregard the importance of exercising on a daily basis. Even a 10-minute workout would already be sufficient in a day. The “I don’t have the time to exercise” excuse shouldn’t even be an excuse because even ten minutes of exercise could make all the difference. Also, exercising daily can reduce all the biomarkers of aging! Exercising can help improve your eyesight. Normalize your blood pressure, improve your lean muscles, lowers down your cholesterol, and improves your bone density.
You could use the stairs instead of the elevator, go for a brisk walk during your lunch breaks and a little bit of stretching in between could benefit you greatly, and make time for a family weekend activity every now and then.
#2 Maintain a Healthy Body Weight
There are categories to which weight you belong. The right weight depends on our gender, height, age, and genes. If you’re overweight, it increases the risk of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
You can gain excess body fat if you eat more than what you need. The extra calories could come from any food including protein, fat, carbohydrates, and alcohol. Engaging in physical activities can help you spend the energy and it can make you feel great. If you feel like you’re gaining weight, it’s easy!
The Key: Always Try to Eat Less & Move More.
#3 Eat Your Daily Dose of Fruits and Vegetables
Go for at least five servings of veggies a day. When you incorporate vegetables in your diet – raw, steamed, or stir-fried, you can reduce the risk of developing lung, colon, breast, cervix, stomach, pancreas, esophagus, ovaries, and bladder cancer. Do you want a quick healthy snack? Grab yourself a piece of fruit instead of that Doritos.
#4 Unsaturated Fat is Better Than Saturated Fat
Believe it or not, fats play an important role in good health and proper functioning of the body. But too much of it can have a negative impact on our weight and cardiovascular health.
- Eat fish meat at least 2-3 times a week, with at least one serving of oily fish.
- Boil, steam, and bake rather than frying.
- Completely avoid trans fat. Read the nutritional label of the foods that you’re purchasing.
#5 Minimize Salt and Sugar Intake
High levels of salt intake can lead to high blood pressure and increase your risk of acquiring cardiovascular diseases. To reduce your salt intake, you can…
- Choose products with low sodium content when grocery shopping
- While eating, make sure the salt isn’t on the table to avoid excessive use of salt
- If possible, substitute salt with spices to increase the variety of flavors and taste.
Although sugar provides your dose of something sweet, too much of it could give you diabetes. Sugar should be taken in moderation, an occasional treat.
#6 “5-Meal Deal”
“5-Meal Deal” helps manage your weight, keep your cool, and avoid cravings by dividing your meals into 5 proportionate meals throughout the day to avoid binge eating. What, when, and how much you eat can help control your metabolism and your energy levels will remain elevated.
Mentally & Emotionally:
#7 Be Thankful Always and Radiate Positivity
Your body believes in what you think. As much as you can, focus on the positive things in life. Always try to find the silver lining of everything and always be thankful. Say thank you to the waiter who brought your order, say thank you to the stranger who opened the door for you, say thank you to your colleague who gave you coffee. In whatever ways, be grateful. Your thank you’s could bring a smile on other people’s faces.
#8 Get Enough Sleep
Do you believe in the saying, “sleep is for the weak”? Well, you just gave yourself a life sentence! Not getting enough sleep increases your chance of dying by at least 30 percent. Still, think it’s cool to not get enough sleep? But, for those who have a hard time sleeping or if you have insomnia, you can…
- Meditate or do yoga
- Eat a small bedtime snack like milk and cereal, oatmeal, or chamomile tea
- Make sure your room is dark
- Refrain from using your phone before snoozing off
- Don’t fill your head with so many thoughts right before sleeping
#9 Give Yourself a Break
Go on vacation! It’s always a wise decision to have time away from work. You can hike, go to the beach, explore a new country, or just Netflix and chill at home. It’s important to let your mind breathe and relax because no one lived longer by working too much.
#10 Choose a Good Company
Just like food and water, personal relationships with the right people helps keep us sane. Remember this, the healthiest people are those people who have relationships with other healthy people. Be motivated to inspire others and get inspired by others by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Be with people who are good for your soul too.
#11 Join Community-based Events
Not only will you be able to perform physical activities, but you can also build relationships with your neighbors. Building good relationships with neighbors could be beneficial to you especially if you need someone else’s help. They wouldn’t think twice about helping you. And, you should also do the same for your neighbor. Be a good sport!
You don’t need to spend a lot of money to live a healthy lifestyle. Aside from eating right, you have to surround yourself with people who love you and you love. Life is a hundred times better if you spend it positively. Also, having a healthy lifestyle has a lot of benefits. Make it a habit to always maintain a healthy lifestyle at home, at school, at work, and everywhere you go.
