11 Simple Tips For A Healthier Lifestyle

Sometimes it might feel like maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a nearly impossible challenge that doesn't fit within the realities of our daily lives. Beyond the commitments of a full-time job, eating well and training, mixing complicated smoothies and cultivating mindful daily practices can seem to be 'too much' for anyone that already has a full schedule and a lot of responsibilities.

A much more sustainable approach is to make one single change to your daily routine at a time until it becomes an established habit. After establishing a good habit, you'll find that you aren't even thinking about it anymore - it will be on complete autopilot.

So much of what we do on a day-to-day basis is a collage of small habits and patterns we've established. Many of these habits are ones we might not even be consciously aware of.

Below are some simple changes you can start making today to start chipping away at the goal of living a healthier lifestyle.

1. Start your day with a glass of lemon water

Coffee can provide a needed boost in the morning hours, but it's not ideal to drink straight after waking up. One of the things our bodies really crave after we wake up is hydration. Try squeezing a lemon into your ice water for added benefits. Vitamin C regulates the formation of collagen production and can ensure we're giving our skin what it needs to be hydrated and healthy. Cold water also gets our metabolism activated for the day as our body has to burn calories to heat up the water to our body's internal temperature. Try it for a week and see if you notice any differences in how you feel.

2. Use the stairs

The next time you're tempted to get into an elevator, take a moment to reconsider. As we age, we naturally lose muscle tone. Taking the easy route is not usually the best option over the long term. Not only is taking the stairs a simple and effective way to get more physical activity, it also strengthens and tones your legs.

3. Consider a fitness tracker

Using something like an Apple watch or a Fitbit to track your steps every day is a simple way to make sure you're getting enough physical activity every day. Getting in over 10,000 steps per day has been shown to have significant benefits for both physical and mental health.

4. Get your veggies

If you aren't eating veggies, you're missing out. Vegetables are packed with essential vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that are important for your health and longevity. Mixing in a large variety of cruciferous veggies in with each meal will help supply what's needed to cover your nutritional bases.

5. Switch to non-toxic skincare and personal-care products

The ingredient list on some care products can be alarming, especially when you don't know half of what is included on the product you're applying to your skin. Conventional products are loaded with ingredients that we would be better off not putting on or into our bodies. To reduce the burden of these products, start by switching to less toxic personal care and beauty products.

6. Probiotics are your friend

The link between the state our gut and our health cannot be underestimated. Maintaining a healthy gut has major impacts when it comes to digestion, our immunity, mental health, digestion and more. It's even been called the "second brain" by some experts. Taking probiotics with your morning glass of water each day is one of the easiest things you can do to start boosting your gut health, which will do wonders for your overall health.

7. Start eating foods that can spoil

Yes, you heard that right. Foods laced with preservatives can contribute to inflammation and other less than desirable effects in the body. Inflammation is a leading cause of health problems around the world. By eating real foods grown in nature, these unprocessed foods are a sure-fire way to kickstart your journey towards a healthier lifestyle. The next time you feel tempted to go to the center of the nearest grocery store, spend more time considering options at the outer edges instead. Over time, you may start to wonder why you felt the need to devote most of your budgeting to foods that were making you feel far less than what you were capable of on a cleaner, more natural diet closer to the earth.

8. Stand more during work hours

Many desk workers are doing a big disservice to themselves by not taking a few moments to stand and stretch their legs every 30 minutes. This has been shown to improve blood flow and reduce strain on the body caused by less than optimal posture. In the last decade sit-stand desks have become all the rage, and for good reason! Sitting for too long with the wrong posture can lead to a host of problems over time.

9. Get more fresh air 

Nature supplies us with so much. Fresh air is vital to feelings of wellbeing. If you're at work, consider eating outside with a friend or a co-worker during lunch breaks. Fresh air not only cleans the lungs, it can boost moods, lower the heart rate and even improve digestion. Try to make time every day to get outside and in an environment where you can breathe clean air. It can do wonders for your state of mind.

10. Start sweating

One of the wonderful things about exercising and elevating our heart rate is that we begin to sweat. In doing so, toxins in the skin are given a pathway out of our body through our pores, which can make a big difference in how we feel. Sweating has even been shown to expell heavy metals like cadmium, lead, mercury and even arsenic from the body since these contaminants are easily dissolved in water. However, it's important to know that sweat cannot flush out every type of toxin from the body, so it's important to drink filtered water and aim for a diet high in natural food sources to avoid and decrease the chance of exposure.

11. Sleep at the same time every night.

Proper sleep is vital to nearly every aspect of how we feel from day to day. Sleeping is also the time when our body does the most healing. If you are switching up your sleeping schedule often or staying up late on weekends, this can cause disruption in your sleeping habits and lead to more exhaustion during the week. If you're feeling sluggish, sticking to a set sleep schedule every day can improve your concentration and memory.

SUMMARY: Stack up these habits over time until they become second nature and you'll be far head of the pack when it comes to living a healthier, more satisfying lifestyle.