Healthy diet, regular sleep, daily activity, and a moderate approach to life’s stressful moments will all lead you in the right direction to a healthy lifestyle. Pursuing a healthy lifestyle offers instant gratification as well, and increases your chances for longevity. People who practice a healthy living look their best, they have a clear skin, they feel energized, they’re in control of their lives and have an overall zest for life.

 

Proper nutrition:

Good nutrition and healthy weight work side by side. Getting the vitamins, minerals, fibre and protein your body needs within limited calories supports the optimal growth and maintenance of skin, organ, muscle and bone tissue. Restricting your intake of trans fat, saturated fat and cholesterol keeps your weight down and your cardiovascular system working efficiently. Choose healthy fats such as olive oil, avocados and nuts. These products contain omega-3 fatty acids that can help prevent heart disease, dementia, improve your skin and even improve your mood. To preserve your nutritional levels, choose a variety of foods from each of the grain, vegetable, fruit, dairy and protein food groups every day. The food that you eat, directly influences communication within the brain. The key to improving your mood with food is to cut back on processed snacks, in favour of whole foods, fruits and vegetables.

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Quality sleep

Mental and physical activity takes a toll on your body, which uses sleep time to rebuild energy stores and repair cellular damage. Ideal sleep habits include relaxation before bed, a set bedtime, and between seven to nine hours of sleep nightly. Getting enough sleep allows you to perform well in work or school, take part in healthy lifestyle activities and improve your overall quality of life according to the National Sleep Foundation. Inversely, more and better-quality sleep can make you feel happier. Quality sleep improves your skin’s health and provides a glow – that’s where the term Beauty Sleep comes from.

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Daily exercise:

Putting physical stress on your muscles and bones also gives your heart and lungs a workout. The overall body benefits from regular exercise and gives you a better chance at a longer, more mobile life. Increased heart rate and perspiration leaving the body, releases toxins from your skin. Get 30 minutes of aerobic exercise on most days; this reduces your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and falls that result in broken bones, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling and sports play also contribute to stress reduction. Exercise can help reduce anxiety and improve mood, which in turn can improve allergies and lessen skin conditions. Working-out may make you happier, by releasing feel-good brain chemicals; raising your body temperature, which may have a calming effect; and reducing immune-system chemicals, which may contribute to depression symptoms. Exercise also builds your confidence, distracts you from worries and helps you interact with others.

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Worrying less:

Worrying, stress and pressure has sadly become part of our daily lives. However, this has a negative effect on our physical and mental health, which in turn affects how we feel and our over well-being. We need to make a conscious effort to minimize and reduce stressors in our daily lives as much as possible.

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Spend time outdoors

Nature has a calming effect on a person. Taking some time every day, to have a cup of coffee outside, take a walk around the garden, feed the birds and water the garden can do wonders for a healthier lifestyle. “Research has shown that if you expose yourself to nature and exercise, there’s a significant influence on mental outlook”. Studies found that people who exercise in “green environments” have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol than those who exercise in an urban environment. Vitamin D is a wonderful source of health, too.

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Make contact

In the digital world we live in today, we tend to use platforms such as Facebook and Skype to feed ourselves with social support. However, the importance of face-to-face contact has a positive effect on our mood and lifestyle.

Our busy lifestyles can be hard on our, and on our family’s health. Rushing to and from school and work can make it hard to find time to be physically active. We can also slip into the habit of choosing unhealthy snacks and take-away foods or spending our free time watching TV or in front of the computer. However, these choices can be dangerous for our health, both now and in the long-term. That’s why it’s so important to stop, take stock and make a conscious decision to follow a healthy lifestyle. With good eating habits and daily physical activity you will be well on your way to a healthy life.  Easy to say, but sometimes not so easy to do!