Many Americans consider themselves to be healthy. However, research has shown that not even 3% of them are living a healthy lifestyle.
Some of the world’s wealthiest countries are still far from having the healthiest populations! But there’s a way to boost your well-being and become healthier, i.e., give up unhealthy habits and adopt healthy ones instead. Consult your doctor once in a month. With your busy schedule, you can opt for online GP consultation to save time for your hectic schedule. Read the guidelines mentioned in this article and learn which habits you should develop to bolster your health.
Here are some clear-cut healthy habits that can prolong your lifespan and keep you fit in 2023:
1. Adopt new hobbies
Healthy pastimes include many options, e.g., jogging, cycling, gardening, dancing, woodworking, and even cooking. Adopt active hobbies to challenge yourself mentally or physically. So, you can choose to learn another language, teach yourself programming, or read books on advanced philosophy; the goal is to keep your brain engaged in something to avoid mental decline. That’s how healthy hobbies are good for your overall well-being. Now, let’s consider some more healthy hobbies here.
2. Get quality sleep
Reports suggest that one-third of Americans aren’t getting enough sleep. Adults need to rest for 7 to 8 hours every night for their bodies to recoup and rejuvenate after a long hard day. Getting a proper good night’s rest sharpens your memory, boosts your concentration, and improves your mood.
But what can you do to get quality sleep? Try not to drink any caffeinated beverages before bedtime and cut down your screen time before sleeping. Also, change the mattress and follow a sleep blog to seek some proper sleep advice. A sleep blog can help you choose helpful sleeping patterns, like picking the most comfortable mattress for a good night’s rest. Choosing the right mattress will keep you healthy, cheerful, and replenished.
3. Never skip breakfast
Some experts describe breakfast as the “most important meal of the day” because it gives your body the energy needed to get on with the rest of the day. Eating breakfast helps with your memory and boosts your mood. Skipping breakfast, on the other hand, leads to clogged arteries and even weight gain. So, choose healthy and easily-digestible edibles for your breakfast. Instead of eating cereal, it’s better to choose wholesome, nutritious, all-natural food options. Cereals don’t have much nutritional value, so instead of eating cereal, eat some fruits. Try eating an apple a day to keep several diseases away!
4. Practice healthy eating
Why do many people eat opt for quick, unhealthy snacks? It’s probably because they want easy and quick food options. However, healthy eating requires you to chew your food slowly to make sure you get more nutrition out of it. Some nutritionists believe you have to chew every bite 20 to 30 times to squeeze all the juice from it. Instead, when you eat slowly and chew every mouthful thoroughly, you reduce your calorie intake. Chewing your food twice more than normal reduces your calorie intake by 15%.
5. Drink more water
Keep your body hydrated by drinking enough water. Your body needs water to boost its metabolism and function normally. So, follow the dietary guidelines of drinking eight-ounce glasses of water in a day. This fluid intake will do wonders for your health and help you avoid different chronic diseases.
Moreover, you can replenish your thirst by drinking some healthy alternatives to bottled water. Try to drink some orange juice or turn your favorite fruits into milkshakes. Imbibe smoothies, green tea, and other herbal drinks. But stay away from alcohol; cut down your alcohol consumption slowly.
6. Eliminate junk food
Avoid eating junk food or pre-processed food regularly. Decrease your consumption of fast food to boost your well-being. You can increase your lifespan and age gracefully by switching to healthier edibles. Sadly, 1 out of 3 Americans eat junk food daily; this excessive and almost obsessive intake of fast-food products is extremely unhealthy, particularly for children. Similarly, sugary drinks are filled with calories. So, stay away from these unsafe meals and eat healthy stuff.
If you can’t quit junk food cold turkey, then eat them rarely. Instead of habitually consuming harmful foods, turn them into cheat meals to be eaten occasionally. That’s how you get out of this habit.
7. Eat green stuff
Make leafy-green vegetables a necessary part of your palate to boost your well-being. These veggies are rich in iron, fiber, calcium, and other nutrients necessary for your body’s proper functioning. So, eating more leafy-green vegetables is good for your health, prevents obesity, wards off high blood pressure, and delays mental health decline. Also, more servings of green veggies are helpful for your muscle health, thereby, long-term well-being. Include the following green things in your daily diet:
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Cabbage
- Brussel sprouts
8. Embrace dental hygiene
Unfortunately, 1 out of 4 Americans has untreated tooth decay. Dental health issues can harm more than your teeth; tooth decay affects your kidneys, stomach, and your nervous system if not treated in time. Brush your teeth twice every day and floss to make sure no food particles are left there.
9. Exercise more often
Exercising boosts your physical health and also improves your mental well-being. Research indicates that working out more often stimulates the release of endorphins or “feel-good hormones” that can reduce your stress and uplift your mood. That’s why exercising is amazing for your mental health.
Experts suggest you get half an hour of moderate exercise daily. Exercise’s also more than just doing pushups or lifting weights; it’s about staying physically active. So, avoid sitting somewhere for a long time. Walk around more often and never adopt a sedentary lifestyle. Make exercise your hobby.
10. Correct your posture
Remember when your parents berated you for having bad posture? They were right. A bad posture harms your ligaments and may lead to back pain. But a good posture is good for your back but also does wonders for your muscle health. So, learn to sit up straight without crouching. Make sure your back is straight to improve your spine’s well-being. When using your laptop, keep the screen at your eye level.
Conclusion
The pandemic made people more focused on self-care and watchful of unhealthy habits. Statistics reveal that 133 million Americans have at least one serious illness. So, how can a person improve their well-being in this environment? You may bolster your well-being by adopting a few healthy habits, e.g., eating nutritious food, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle.
