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Five Simple Tips for Staying Healthy

Do you want to live a long, healthy, high quality life? Most people will automatically say "Yes". But some of the more skeptical among us might ask "Sure, but what's the catch?". Well, the catch is that it might take a little bit of work on your part. But this work will yield some pretty high rewards if you do it right.

It's not uncommon to feel emotionally stressed, physically exhausted, and unhappy with what you see in the mirror. Over time, these bad feelings can degrade your health and even shorten your lifespan. But if you follow some of the ForVita simple tips for staying healthy and happy, you can live to a ripe old age - and enjoy every moment of it.

Tip #1: Get Better Sleep!

Notice the specific word choice there: better, not more. When it comes to sleep and human health, scientists are beginning to learn that quality matters a whole lot more than quantity. If you don't believe us, then give yourself this little test: have you ever woken up feeling groggier and more exhausted than when you went to bed the night before, even though you got your recommended 8+ hours? If you answered yes, then you've already proven our point.

Practicing good sleep hygiene can help boost the quality of your sleep. This involves taking electronics out of the bedroom, turning down the thermostat, and doing whatever you can to block out ambient light. This helps your body realize "Oh, it's time to rest now" and release sleep-friendly hormones that promote good sleep quality.

Once you perfect your sleep hygiene routine, the next step is to keep track of your progress. It's hard to know whether or not you're getting better quality rest because, well, you're asleep. It's a bit difficult to observe how well your sleep is improving when you're unconscious.

One solution to this problem is to keep a journal right next to your bed. Make a note in your journal if you remember dreaming. Dreams are a sign that you're getting more REM sleep, which is the portion of your sleep cycle where your brain and body refresh themselves the most. Also, keep track of how often you wake up feeling alert and refreshed. After all, that's the ultimate goal, right? The more frequently you wake up feeling ready to take on the day - instead of crawling back under the covers - the more you will improve your quality of life. Learn more.

Tip #2: Yes, You Do Need To Exercise...

...but it doesn't have to be the grueling, flailing, insane cardio workouts you see people doing at the CrossFit gym you walk past on your way into the grocery store. You have to find the type of exercise that works for you, or else you're not going to do it. If you want to find the right exercise for your lifestyle, make sure that your workout:

  • Is easy - or feels easy, at least. If it's too hard, whether mentally or physically (or both), you'll only be able to force yourself to exercise for so long before you give up.
  • Is fun - what better way is there to get yourself a good workout than to do something athletic which you also enjoy? Whether it's playing a sport, going for a bike ride, or dancing in your underwear in your bedroom, there are lots of fun physical activities that are also good for you.
  • Is not going to injure you - this is especially important if you've been sedentary for most of your life, if you have previous injuries, or if you're carrying so much extra weight that it could stress your joints. Casual activities, like yoga or walking, are great for beginners. Learn More

Tip #3: Incorporate Healthier Food Into Your Diet

In case you haven't noticed, the modern western diet is a big ol' mess. Our food is processed, choc-full of refined sugars, bloated with excessive amounts of salt, and partially hydrogenating our arteries with trans fats. Look, we're not saying you have to completely give up on your favorite foods and restrict yourself to the produce section of your local supermarket from now until forever. But giving yourself a little bit more food variety - especially the green, colorful, freshly-picked kind - can do wonders for your health:

  • Slip something healthy into your regular food. Even if it's as simple as putting raw spinach on your burger or shaved brussels sprouts into your mac & cheese, it'll help get your brain used to healthy food.
  • Meal prep, meal prep, meal prep! It's easy to say "screw it!" and reach for junk food when you're hungry now and don't want to cook. But if the healthy food is already ready, then you don't have an excuse.
  • Drink (or chug) your veggies instead of eating them. If you can afford a good blender, start making vegetable and fruit smoothies. Notice we said blender, not juicer. Juicers take away all the beneficial fiber which is essential for good gut health.
  • Let your slow cooker become your best friend. If you don't have the time for meal prep, a slow cooker is your next best option. Throw some ingredients into a big bucket, let them warm up together over several hours, and you'll have a delicious, healthy meal ready for you by the time you get home from work.
  • Make small, gradual changes - and plan to scale up. Doing too much, too fast will make your body rebel against you. Slow, gradual changes are the best way to make sure your new healthy habits stick! Learn more.

Tip #4: Lose Weight (In All the Right Places)

Everyone is obsessed with the number on the scale. But that's not the most accurate way to measure whether or not a person is in good, healthy shape. Even the ubiquitous BMI, which claims to be a highly accurate measure of health, isn't completely accurate. For example, a professional bodybuilder who's 6' tall and weighs 230 lbs would be considered "obese" by BMI standards. And we're fairly certain that most bodybuilders have a smaller risk for heart disease and/or metabolic disorders than the average person.

Which brings us to the main issue: losing weight to improve your health isn't about hitting lower and lower numbers on your bathroom scale. It's about losing weight in ways that improve your overall health, longevity, and quality of life. Instead of worrying about what the scale says, pay special attention to these very important numbers:

  • Your body fat percentage. There are two important metrics which predict whether or not your extra weight will make you sick; your body fat percentage is one of them. If you have more adipose tissue ("fat") than lean mass (muscle, bones, and connective tissue), it creates a domino effect of physiological changes that will, over time, degrade your health.
  • Your waist-to-hip ratio. The other important metric is where your body stores its fat. Life is all about balance, and this universal truth applies to your body just as much as anything else. If your adipose tissue is distributed proportionally across your entire person, it won't damage your health nearly as much as if it's mostly stored in one specific place, like your abdomen. Learn more.

Tip #5: Cultivate Your Spirituality

Sure, words like "spirituality" may provoke images of Woodstock hippies rolling around in muddy clothes preaching about peace and love - but true spirituality is much more than that. And try not to get spirituality and religion confused; when we say "spirituality", we're talking about a serene sense of inner peace, both with yourself and with the way you relate to the world around you.

Cultivating your spirituality, especially if you currently feel chronically stressed and uneasy, can greatly improve your quality of life as well as your health. Although the data is still relatively young, there are plenty of scientific studies out there showing a direct link between emotional stress and physical illness. So if you want to prevent your emotional turmoil from making your body sick, try following some of these steps:

  • Practice gratitude. Reflecting on that which already brings you joy - as opposed to stressing over what your life is lacking - is great for your mental health.
  • Practice meditation/mindfulness. Mindfulness training takes the brain out of its stressful thought patterns and helps you feel more relaxed more often.
  • Connect with Nature. Humans have lived in harmony with nature for hundreds of thousands of years. It's only within the past few centuries that we've been drifting away from the natural world. Spending more time in nature can help you reconnect with your authentic, primal self - the part of you that you struggle to suppress almost every minute of every day.
  • Nurture Your Social Connections. No matter how healthy you think you are, studies show that emotional isolation is one of the biggest risk factors for early death. Keeping your friends and family close helps you live a longer, healthier life! Learn more.

We hope you enjoyed this article. Please return to ForVita periodically for more tips on a healthier, happier life.