Everyone knows that they should live a healthy life, but sometimes we all need a little bit of help to get us on our way. Here are 20 holistic health tips to help you get on your way to a healthier life
Here is a list of programs that can help you with your health goals. (These will open in a new tab)
1. Good Nutrition
It’s so easy to fall into a rut of eating convenience foods, especially living in today’s fast-paced society.
Take a good look at what you are eating over the course of a couple of weeks, a food diary is a good way to see what you are consuming on a daily basis. Then try substituting some of the processed convenience foods with some healthy home-cooked options
There are even companies out there who will package together recipes and ingredients to help you get into the habit of healthy meals – Hello Fresh is an example of a company that provides this service.
2. Breakfast
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day! Your body has been fasting overnight, it needs some good fuel to get it going again in the morning.
If you don’t have time for a cooked breakfast in the morning then at least try to have a healthy whole wheat cereal with some fruit (berries/ bananas) on it.
The fruit is part of your 5 a day and your body will thank you for it. Having a decent breakfast will also help you not snack mid-morning on some unhealthy sugary snacks.
Another option is overnight oats just make them the night before. You can then eat them when you wake up or take them to work. Check out our overnight protein oats recipe.
3. Portion Control
This is a problem area for many people, especially when so many restaurants have large/supersize options or all-you-can-eat buffets, it’s easy to forget how much food you should put on your plate. It’s very easy to overload your plate and eat too much. Overeating will make you feel sluggish and bloated, and if you overeat on a regular basis then you will run the risk of becoming overweight which will lead to serious health problems.
4. Sit to Eat
Eating on the go is sometimes unavoidable, but if you can, just sit and eat your meal. Mindful eating will help you to listen to your body so that you don’t overeat – you would be surprised at just how much it takes to make yourself full – a lot less than most people think.
Sitting, taking some time to eat lets you appreciate what you are eating and it also allows your body to digest without any stress.
5. Hydration
Many people forget the importance of keeping hydrated, and some people mistake thirst for hunger – eating when they should be drinking. Living a busy life can be tiring and many people rely on caffeine drinks to keep them going throughout the day.
Too many caffeine drinks aren’t good for your body.
Try substituting one or two of your caffeine drinks for water during the day. You will be surprised at how drinking a few glasses of water instead of tea or coffee can really improve your health and your skin.
6. Cut Out the Sugar
Sugar is in most of our pre-made food and drinks, it’s almost impossible to get away from, but for a healthier life, you really need to try to break the hold that sugar has on our society.
Sugar has been linked to many major illnesses, from heart disease to obesity and diabetes, there are now studies that are even linking sugar to some cancers.
Another good reason to try to eat a more healthy balanced diet.
7. Reduce Sweeteners Too
We know that sugar is bad for you, and you may think that switching to sweeteners is better for you, but there are on-going tests and trials to see if sweeteners are linked to health issues such as seizures and cancer.
Diet sodas may seem better than the full sugar versions, but diet sodas cause bloating. Just plain water is your best bet to fully hydrate your body and improve the look of your skin.
When your body is properly hydrated your brain also functions better.
8. Cut Down the Alcohol
Having a glass of wine with dinner isn’t the end of the world, but for the sake of your liver and kidneys try not to consume too much alcohol on a daily basis.
Not only is it bad for your liver and kidneys, but it’s also full of empty calories, they don’t call it a “beer belly” for nothing! For a healthier life cut down on the booze.
9. Exercise
If you want to be healthy you need to exercise! It really doesn’t matter what type of exercise you do as long as you do it at least 2 or 3 times a week and you enjoy it!
It sounds basic and simple but if you find a type of exercise that you enjoy then you will want to exercise! Your muscle tone will improve making you look better.
Your heart and health will improve making you more energetic. You will also find that you feel better emotionally as your body is releasing those fantastic endorphins.
Stress levels will also be reduced!
10. Walk
As well as exercise, walk as much as you can – health professionals suggest at least 30 minutes a day, every day.
Being out in the fresh air walking is not only good for the body, but it is also good for the mind too. It is often a chance to clear your head and just breathe.
Walking is a great stress reliever, you’re not stuck in traffic getting more agitated as the time ticks away.
Walking is great as you get older too, as it helps keep joints supple and can help reduce muscle loss.
11. Take the Stairs
Instead of standing in the elevator to go up a couple of floors, take the stairs! It’s all part of keeping active, it may take a little bit of extra time walking up the stairs but it will improve your stamina.
And if you are on the 20th floor, then get out a few floors earlier and take the stairs!
The more active you are, the healthier you are, and it will improve how you look and feel.
12. Be More Social
Numerous studies have shown that we are happier when we feel like we belong to a wider community.
This can be hard for some people as loneliness is on the increase in our fast-moving technological life.
Loneliness can very often lead to depression and a feeling of isolation. It can be hard to force yourself to join groups, but the end result will be well worth the effort!
You can even combine this with exercise and join a gym or exercise class, widening your social circle.
13. Relaxation
Finding time for yourself isn’t always easy, our lives tend to be busy and hectic. It’s important to take time out of our schedules for ourselves, we need time to decompress and nourish our minds.
It doesn’t have to be a chore. Setting aside half an hour a week to enjoy a relaxing bath with no interruptions can be enough for some people.
Having a 30-minute stroll with no phone calls or messages to just be with yourself is rewarding.
Lying in bed for an hour reading a book before you go to sleep can also help you relax. Find something that you can do for yourself and enjoy it!
14. Put Yourself First Sometimes
It is easy to lose yourself in your family, work, and community.
These are all positive aspects of life. It’s when you start to feel stressed about upcoming events that you have agreed to organize, plan, or help at that it becomes a problem.
Sometimes you have to think of the impact it will have on your well-being before you agree to something!
15. Ask for Help
Some people find it almost impossible to ask for help. They are more than happy to run around and help everyone else but would never dream of asking for help in case they are viewed as being unable to cope or weak.
Everyone needs help sometimes, and it is important for your mental well-being to ask for help when you need it.
If you don’t then your stress levels will rise, and extended periods of stress can impact your physical health.
16. Positive Mindset
Perception is everything. Changing how you look at things can make a big difference in how you feel about yourself and the world around you.
Things go wrong, that’s just life, how you choose to perceive the things that go wrong is what will make a difference to you and your life.
If you only choose to see the negative in situations then you will feel more negative, and when you feel more negative then you will be unhappy.
Things go wrong for happy people too, but it’s how they perceive them that allows them to still be happy.
Take the lesson out of every situation, even a negative event can have a positive outcome if you choose to see it.
17. Learn to Say No
A lot of us have trouble saying no to people. Someone asks us to do something and we feel obliged to say yes.
Saying yes isn’t a problem if it isn’t going to impact us too much. But if you are the type of person who will often put themselves out and overload themselves by saying yes, then this is a problem.
It is ok to say no! If you really can’t help or don’t have the time to help then say no.
18. Switch Off Your Devices Every Now and Again
Information overload doesn’t just happen to young children. Screen time is impacting all of us.
If left unchecked it can disconnect us from the people around us, being bombarded by negative stories can have a real impact on your mental health.
Give yourself a break every now and again, switch off your device and enjoy what is around you.
19. Sleep
Throughout our lifetime sleep is important. It’s important for babies, children, and teenagers to get enough sleep so that their bodies develop.
As we get older it is just as important for us to get enough sleep. Sleep is the time when our bodies heal and recharge.
Not getting enough sleep has an impact on our mental health and our physical health. Not to mention when you are tired you are more likely to hit the caffeine and sugary snacks!
20 Learn to laugh
This is definitely one of my personal favorites, nothing makes you feel better than laughing! Whether it’s watching a funny movie or just chilling with family or friends, it’s very underrated in my opinion.
Laughter not only lifts your mood, but it can also reduce pain! Try to see the funny side of things in life, you will definitely feel a lot better for it.
I hope you enjoyed these 20 health tips and found them helpful. Please feel free to leave any comments or additional health tips that have helped you, we love feedback
