Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be difficult in the hustle and bustle of life. But incorporating some simple beneficial habits in your daily routine can make a big difference in your overall health.
Eating well, exercising, limiting alcohol intake, not smoking and getting enough sleep all add up. In fact, a study found that following these five habits can add a decade to your expected lifespan.
1. Eat a Healthy Breakfast
Eating a balanced breakfast every day is important for a healthy lifestyle. Research shows that those who eat breakfast tend to be leaner and have lower serum cholesterol levels than those who skip it. When choosing foods for breakfast, look for items that are high in fiber and protein to keep you full. Avoid those that contain too much sugar and add fat-free or low-fat milk to your meal to provide a source of calcium and vitamin D.
Instead of the traditional cereal, bagel or pastry for breakfast, choose options that are packed with nutrients like egg whites and veggies or whole wheat toast and nut butter. Eating a healthy breakfast can help you focus at work and school and maintain your weight. In fact, a study in 2021 found that those who regularly eat breakfast are 82% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 65% less likely to die from cancer than those who skip it.
2. Make Exercise a Priority
Regular physical activity has been shown to increase life expectancy. But it doesn’t just add years to your life, it also helps prevent a number of health problems.
Experts recommend at least two-and-a-half hours of moderate-intensity exercise per week, combining cardiovascular and muscle-strengthening activities. Getting the recommended amount of exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, as well as high blood pressure.
But it’s not easy for most of us to make it a priority to exercise regularly. For many, it requires innovation and perseverance. Start by parking farther away in the grocery store or at work to force yourself to walk, take the stairs instead of the elevator and try a new sport. Then keep adding small healthy habits until you get to the point where exercising is second nature, check this site out.
3. Set a Bedtime
A good night’s sleep boosts immunity, helps maintain a healthy weight and promotes mental wellbeing. Getting enough rest also helps prevent disease, lowers stress levels and increases productivity.
Children who regularly experience poor sleep are more likely to have cognitive problems and become overweight during adolescence compared to children who get enough rest. It is important to set a bedtime for the entire family that allows everyone to get enough sleep each night.
Cross-sectional studies have found that the presence of a bedtime routine is associated with an earlier child bedtime, shorter sleep onset latency and longer nighttime sleep duration in caregiver-reported samples. However, it is necessary to tailor the content and length of bedtime routines to each child and family in order to maximize effectiveness.
4. Pick Up the Pace a Little
While we know healthy habits like eating more vegetables, exercising, watching our alcohol intake and not smoking are good for us, it’s often hard to stick with them. After all, the workweek, social obligations and the occasional dietary lapse can be overwhelming.
One way to stay motivated is to make new healthy habits more manageable and attainable by starting small, according to Gauffin. She suggests incorporating one healthy habit at a time until it becomes a natural part of your routine before adding another.
One simple but effective healthy habit is picking up your walking pace. Instead of just walking at a normal speed, try taking strides by running quickly for 15 seconds and then jogging for the rest of the straightaway, repeating eight to 12 times.
5. Eat More Vegetables
People who eat more vegetables and fruit are at lower risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity and have a lower cholesterol than those who do not. You don’t have to overhaul your diet in one go to get more veggies into your meals; you can simply add a little leafy greens or colourful root vegetable to your regular meal choices.
Vegetables also provide fibre which helps keep your digestive system working normally and decreases the risk of weight gain, which is associated with many diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes and high blood pressure.
Conclusion:
And eating more vegetables can help reduce your environmental footprint; vegetables are less processed than other foods and produce fewer greenhouse gases. Try to swap higher calorie, meat-based foods for vegetables and cut back on packaged products like crisps and biscuits.