By: Paxton Ruzicka
Published: April 15, 2023
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We hear it all the time, we should be living healthier lives. But it’s not always the easiest. Some of us don’t know where to start. Others get stuck in old habits. Not to worry, here are 9 daily habits to start living a healthier life.
9 Daily Habits
Exercise
Starting off strong (literally), with exercise. Exercise is and always will be my number one recommendation. Not only is it beneficial to your physical everyday health, but it also hugely benefits your mental health as well.
Daily habits like exercise, even something as simple as a walk, you are improving strength, cardiovascular, and endurance while increasing your energy and mood.
Yoga + Meditation
Yoga is another form of exercise, but it comes with a dose of meditation. The practice of yoga encourages us to be mindful and present. To focus on the activity at hand, whether it’s the breathing or the movement. Carving some time out of your day to be present, focus on your breathing in a calming and peaceful environment is going to take you a long way.
Read more on Health and Wellness
Eating plant-based foods
While my boyfriend and I went vegan over three years ago, you don’t have to go full-blown vegan to live a healthier life. You can start by incorporating more whole plant-based foods into your diet. Try planning your meals around a plant protein, like chickpeas, tempeh, tofu, or lentils.
Create your plate while using 75% fruits and vegetables. Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is going to ensure you are getting plenty of vitamins and nutrients your body needs to function optimally.
Fermented Foods
Another great addition to your diet is fermented foods. While the term fermented isn’t something I want to hear when I think about eating, fermentation is actually a good thing when it comes to certain food and the benefits of eating them.
Fermented foods including yogurt, raw sauerkraut, and Kimchi play a huge role in supporting and boosting your intestinal microbiome, as well as, your gut health. Advantages, stated by Harvard Health, include achieving an optimal performing immune system and fending off damaging inflammation inside your body.
Drink Water
According to Alicia Marzolf at UC Davis Health, drinking water is vitally important to our health. Water helps our body function, it contributes to protecting our joints and kidneys, it allows for the flow of nutrients to our cells, and so on.
As I always understood it, water keeps your world going round. When you are dehydrated for a long period of time, your body goes into survival mode, causing it to only uses the water as means to sustain itself. Just imagine all the harm dehydration is doing. That being said, you should be drinking a sufficient amount of water on a daily basis.
Self-Care
If you haven’t yet read my post on self-care and mental health, I highly recommend it. Self-care is another practice to add to your daily habits.
Self-care helps to reduce stress, restore your energy, and overall keep you a healthier person. By not setting aside to relax and recharge you are putting additional strain on your body that can be detrimental and cause long term health effects.
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Get Optimal Sleep
Similarly, to self-care and mental health, getting enough sleep is extremely important. The National Institution of Heath encourages you to get a good night’s sleep in order to boost brain performance and mood. Sleep is a time for your body to repair itself. During sleep, the brain actually has a system in which is drains toxins from the body, says Dr. Maiken Nedergaard in Good Sleep for Good Health.
Avoid Toxins
Speaking of toxins, try to avoid them at all costs. Some of the highest exposure to every day toxins include your cleaning products, fragrance, laundry detergents, personal care products, and plastic bottles.
Exactly as the name sounds, they are toxic. They leach from these products into our skin, water, and bodies. From endocrine disrupters to increased risk of cancer, these chemicals are bad news. Protect your family’s health and check out my other articles to avoid unnecessary toxins!
Relationships
You can do all of these things and still be miserable if you are not managing your relationships. Often times we allow toxic individuals into our lives because we really don’t know how to get rid of them. Or maybe they have always been there. But what I have learned in my short 28 years is that not all relationships will last a lifetime. They come and go. Some for a reason, and some for a season.
Learning how to manage relationships so you are not pulled down by those around you is going to be one of the most beneficial things you do.
One of my favorite quotes says, “don’t light yourself on fire to keep someone else warm”. Basically saying never sacrifice your own health and happiness for someone who has no problem bringing you down. It might not always be easy, but it’ll always be worth it. I hope this article has inspired you to create some healthy daily habits to improve your overall well-being.
Much love, Paxton
[…] you want to read more about living a happier and healthier life, check out this article with my top tips and habits that’ll have you feeling good mentally and […]