10 tried and tested, research approved habits for greatly supporting your overall health – at almost no cost.
1. Spend More Time in Nature – Time in spent in the fresh air of nature, along with grounding (walking on the earth with bare feet) is linked to reduced stress levels, improved mood, and increased overall happiness. The outdoors promotes physical activity, contributing to better cardiovascular health and lower blood pressure. Being in nature encourages presence and a sense of tranquility, providing a relief from the demands of modern life. Exposure to natural settings has also been associated with enhanced creativity and cognitive function. Whether a swim at the beach, a walk in the park or a hike in the wilderness, connecting with nature regularly is a simple yet powerful way to promote holistic health and a sense of balance in our lives. Our modern lives have greatly disconnected us from our natural ways of living, do what you can to create balance.
2. Hydrate – Ensure proper hydration by avoiding excess caffeinated and alcoholic beverages and drinking adequate amounts of hydrating fluids throughout the day. There is no need to consume 3-4L of water a day as this will in fact be dehydrating and lead to mineral loss and excessive urination. One of the best practices is to consume warm lemon water first thing in the morning, with a pinch of sea salt to improve overall hydration and electrolyte balance. Fresh fruit juices, herbal teas, quality coconut water and broths are also an excellent way to support cellular hydration. Spring water or well water is optimal, and mineral water should also be supplemented. I typically buy 2-3 large glass bottles of mineral water each week (flouride free).
3. Move Your Body Daily – We all know that proper exercise is essential for optimal health and longevity. Dont complicate things, exercising more doesn’t mean you need to hit a gym for 2 hours a day. Walk after meals, practice sun salutations, play sports, swim, take the stairs, park farther away, do short exercise videos on youtube. Find ways to incorporate more micro doses of movement into your daily routine.
4. Consume Protein+Carb+Fat with Every Meal – Ensure you are consuming balanced meals composed of quality protein, carb and fat. An imbalanced diet leads to an imbalance in the body (such as high fat diets or low carb diets.) Incorporating each food group into your meals will help you feel more full as well as improve blood sugar sensitivity, metabolic function, mood, cognition, muscle mass and regulating hormones. Most of all – ensure you are eating enough! Modern weight loss methods, low calorie diets or simply snacking all day and only eating dinner – can easily be the root cause of ones health issues. Our body requires a certain amount of food and nutrients to meet basic energy requirements. Under eating can greatly impact every organ system negatively and can wreck your metabolism. Aim for 3 balanced meals a day, eat slowly and stop when full. Caloric requirements will vary depending on age/size/gender and activity level.
5. Reduce Consumption of Toxic Foods – This means making a conscious effort to reduce processed foods such as – fast foods, vegetable oils, artificial sweeteners, food additives, preservatives, alcohol, sugar, ‘natural flavor’, ‘enriched’, food colouring etc. These types of substances have a negative effect on our health – specifically our brain, digestion, metabolism and cardiovascular system. They can dis-regulate our appetite leading to cravings, overeating and food addictions. A diet of mostly processed foods also happens to be depleted of fibre and nutrients, contributing to mood disorders. Opt for whole-foods whenever possible, as opposed to processed and boxed foods. Read the ingredients on a label, google unknown works along with ‘side effects’. Alternatively consider using the Free App ‘Yuka’ to receive a toxicity score on food and body care products, and learn about clean alternatives.
6. Nourish Relationships with Friends, Family and your Community – How much time do we dedicate each week towards our social health? This could be as simple as meeting someone for a coffee or a walk, making a phone call, making conversation with a stranger or reaching out to a loved one. Loneliness is extremely sad and unfortunately common now a days. It also happens to have a negative effect on our health, having been linked to – weakened immune system, increase of cardiovascular disease, anxiety and depression, hormonal changes, poor sleep, reduced physical activity, shorter life span and more. Nourishing our social connections can bring us joy, peace and reduce stress and inflammation in the body.
7. Reducing Screen Time – How often do we see others on their devices in public? How many hours do we personally spend on our devices each day? What affect is this having on our posture, our eyesight, our sleep, our mental health? Increased phone use/screen time in children is being correlated with mood disorders and even suicide. When we are on our screens we’re typically not moving, and what are we consuming? Observe the effect that the type of content you’re consuming is having on your state of mind. Avoid screen time at least an hour after waking and an hour before bed. Set time-limits on specific apps. If you work on a computer, take breaks to move around. Reduce the brightness on our screens and switch to red light settings after sunset.
8. Increase Sun Exposure – Humans are like plants, in the sense that we need a certain amount of sunlight, water and nutrients to survive and thrive. Our ancestors spent most of their time outside in the sunlight during the day and in complete darkness after sunset. Most of us now spend much of the day inside, exposed to bright lights at night. Unfortunately this is having a negative affect on our circadian rhythms, hormones sleep, mood, immune function and brain. The best way to mitigate this is by getting adequate amounts of sun exposure – especially in the morning. Ensure your skin is not completely covered by clothing, avoiding sunglasses and sunscreen. After sunset, dim the lights in your environment, turn the brightness down on your phone, switch your phone settings/light bulbs to warm light, use lamps. Skin cancer has recently been linked to not simply excess of UV rays, yet sun exposure linked with inflammatory diet causing oxidative stress.
9. Proper Breathing – Something as simple as learning yogic breathing or deep abdominal breathing, can have a profound impact on our health. Practicing yogic breathing through the nostrils, complete inhale filling the lungs and belly, complete exhale emptying the lungs and belly – can offer a range of physical, mental, and emotional benefits. Stress reduction, improved oxygenation, enhanced respiratory function, balanced nervous system, improved posture, enhanced concentration, improved digestion, pain management, improved sleep quality, emotional regulation, enhanced athletic performance and more. Be mindful of keeping your mouth closed and breathing through the nostrils at all times.
10. Embrace Gratitude – How frequently do our thoughts veer toward the negative when it comes to our health, experiences, ourselves and others? Whether the stress we encounter is real or perceived, our bodies respond with nervous system dysregulation, inflammation, and disruptions in digestive function. Negative states of mind can inadvertently foster an environment conducive to sickness. Embracing gratitude doesn’t entail dismissing difficult emotions with toxic positivity. Rather, it involves acknowledging our blessings, no matter how small, and practicing patience and perseverance on our health journeys while seeking support when necessary. Regularly expressing gratitude can yield numerous benefits, including improved mental well-being, better sleep, strengthened relationships, reduced blood pressure, improved immune function, heightened resilience and coping abilities and enhanced self-esteem. Consider keeping a daily journal to remind yourself of all the things you have to be thankful for.
🤲🏽 Which of these habits most resonates with you? Which habit do you feel you could focus on working upon?
Small Changes, Create Big Impacts – Swami Sivananda