10 Simple Ways to Live a Little Healthier

 

If you’re struggling to live a little healthier, this is the blog post for you.

I’m all about keeping things simple and sustainable. Otherwise, you won’t do it for very long.

We often overcomplicate things, thinking, “If it isn’t hard, it won’t work.”

This couldn’t be further from the truth…for pretty much everything.

I want to give you 10 simple ways to live a little healthier that you can start doing TODAY.

I actually did this series on Instagram, so if you prefer video, you can check it out here.

 

1. Take more walks

Walking is definitely the simplest form of movement possible, and it happens to be one of the healthiest.

Not only is walking easy on the joints, but it’s also a great way to balance your hormones. And if you take walks after a meal, you’ll enjoy the added benefit of better digestion.

Walking is simple, free and can be done just about anywhere.

It’s a win-win-win.

 

2. Eat something green at every meal

Do you struggle to eat enough veggies? If you said yes, don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Most Americans struggle to eat enough fruits and veggies.

Foods from the plant kingdom offer so many incredible health benefits that you just can’t get from other sources.

When I was starting to live a little healthier, this was a big struggle for me.

Here are some tips to help you get more greens:

 

Tip 1: Eat your greens first

Before you eat anything else on your plate, eat your veggies (especially your greens) first. If you leave them until the end of your meal, you will be less likely to eat them.

 

Tip 2: “Hide” them in foods until you start to like them

I love adding a ton of spinach to my morning smoothie. You seriously can’t taste it.

Finely chopped broccoli is a great addition to spaghetti sauce.

Get creative here!

 

Tip 3: Season your greens

Adding fresh herbs and spices to your veggies will make them taste incredible! Don’t limit yourself to just salt.

Try using fresh garlic, lemon juice, rosemary, basil, etc.

 

3. Limit your alcohol consumption

I know, I know, BORING. Just hear me out.

I’m not suggesting you give up alcohol forever and ever until the day you die.

But if you’re anything like I used to be, a good solid month without it would do you some good.

If you only have a drink or two once in a while, you’re already limiting your consumption.

But if you rely on that glass or two every single night (or most nights), consider a detox.

This is an especially good idea if you’re trying to lose weight, lose body fat or balance your hormones.

Alcohol is empty calories and will get stored as extra fat.

Drinking alcohol, especially as you age, will interfere with your sleep and your metabolism.

After a detox period, you can add it back in. You may notice that you don’t crave as much as you once did.

 

4. Avoid products with the word ‘fragrance’

When products list the word fragrance in their ingredient list, there’s no telling what it actually is. This is an umbrella term companies use.

And they don’t have to tell you what’s in their so-called fragrance either. This is considered a “trade secret.”

The problem with this ingredient is that it could be a whole host of different chemicals, a few hundred to be not-so-exact.

These chemicals can be , and usually are, toxic.

They can lead to serious health problems, including disrupting your hormones.

Instead of throwing away everything in your house with the word fragrance, simply replace that item with something a little less toxic when it runs out.

 

5. Limit screen time

There are quite a few reasons you should limit your screen time.

And all of them are related to your health in some way, shape or form.

One of the biggest things I’ve found with excessive amounts of screen time, for both myself and my clients, is that it’s used as a distraction.

It’s a way to “zone out” or “recharge” or “rest.”

Except it doesn’t really do any of those. All it does is distract us from the things we’re avoiding.

Bingeing social media and Netflix (or whatever streaming service you use) can actually lead to depression and anxiety.

Learn to set limits for yourself, screen boundaries if you will.

And HONOR THOSE LIMITS.

It will be really hard at first, just like most things.

There’s a whole world out there and a beautiful life just waiting to be lived.

 

6. Learn something new

We all have those things we’ve wanted to try for years. You know, it’s the, “One day I’ll _____.”

So, what’s your thing? That thing you’ve always wanted to learn, try or do?

I have a few: learn Spanish (and actually use it), take a Salsa and/or Bachata lesson and go indoor rock climbing. These are things I’ve wanted to do for a really long time and just keep putting off.

Why?

Because of fear.

I’ve been too afraid of failing, of “being too old”, of what people will think.

Well, that’s no way to live. So, I’ve made a promise to try all of these within the next 6 months.

Trying new things has been shown to increase your mood, your purpose for living and your creativity.

It also helps to lower blood pressure and stress.

And because you’ll probably meet some awesome new people, you’ll be part of a brand new community…which has its own health benefits.

 

7. Stop gossiping and complaining

Do you find that most of your conversations with others revolve around either compaining or talking about others?

No judgment here.

This totally used to be me. And I had no idea.

If I was complaining, I called it venting.

Can you relate to this?

It’s only venting if you’re legitimately getting something off your chest and then moving on,

If you’re “venting” to multiple people over and over, it’s complaining.

Start catching yourself.

Complaining keeps you stuck. It tricks your mind into thinking you’re actually solving a problem when all you’re doing is staying right in it.

Gossiping is a whole other animal.

Think about your closest relationships. Is that connection built on talking about other people?

If so, it may be time to re-examine that “friendship” and challenge yourself to start talking about, well, yourself.

Remember, the things we judge in others are often the things we judge about ourselves (though we might not realize it).

As the saying goes, “When you point the finger at someone else, you’ve got three pointing back at you.”

Life is a mirror. Start paying attention to the reflection.

 

8. Regulate your nervous system

More and more people are starting to talk about the importance of regulating your nervous system.

We all have stress. It’s impossible to avoid stress.

Most of us just aren’t any good at managing it.

Most people are just surviving life. Getting through one day at a time.

And their health is suffering because of it.

Stress is arguably the worst thing you can do to your body.

Chronic stress will create inflammation in the body.

It will cause headaches.

Stress will affect your sleep.

Your hormones will be all out of balance. This leads to many things, weight gain being one of them.

Not sure how to manage it?

There are three things I would recommend you start doing on a VERY regular basis.

 

1. Daily Meditation

Not sure how to do it? Head on over to YouTube. There are so many wonderful guided meditations. Start with 5 minutes.

 

2. Breathwork

Nothing fancy here. Just take a few slow, deep breaths (in through your nose, out through your mouth).

All you have to do while you’re breathing is focus on your breathing.

That’s it. Nothing else.

 

3. Implement a Gratitude Practice

Getting in the habit of FEELING grateful for all the abundance that’s in your life will only create more abundance.

And it’s physically impossible to feel stressed when you’re feeling true gratitude.

I’m not making that last sentence up. It’s totally true.

So if you’re still feeling stressed while expressing gratitude, you’re not really in it.

You can’t half-ass this one.

If you’re interested in reading more on how to actually do this, check out this blog post here.

 

9. Spend more time in nature

The science doesn’t lie.

Nature heals.

Spending time in nature reduces stress, helps you sleep, boosts your mood and creativity and helps to balance your hormones.

Plus, it’s just really pretty.

Don’t believe me that nature can help you live a little healthier, go spend some time outside and tell me you don’t feel almost instantly better.

 

10. Master your sleep

This one should probably be number one because it’s that important.

Get your sleep mastered and EVERYTHING else will be so much easier.

Just one night of sleep deprivation is enough to cause mood swings and hormone imbalance.

Apparently, just one night of 4 hours of sleep is the equivalent of being drunk.

That’s how important it is.

And if you’re trying to lose weight, this is where you should focus your attention and energy before changing anything else.

There are some pretty major hormones related to your sleep, cortisol being one of them. You can read more about cortisol in this blog post.

Sleep deprivation actually causes weight gain because of the hormones that are affected.

 

Conclusion

If you’re trying to live a little healthier, these are the 10 things I would recommend you focus your attention. Your life will change in the most incredible ways if you implement even half of these.

Remember, it’s all about creating a healthy lifestyle. This is where transformation is found.