We all know the importance of maintaining a healthy diet – especially as the holiday season approaches – but what about living a healthy lifestyle?
Lifestyle health, which includes your diet, your sleep schedule, your residence, and much more, can be more complicated to maintain, but with a few quick tips you can achieve your best habits yet – and feel all around better than ever!
1. Drink more water
Did you know about half of all Americans don’t drink enough water? Staying properly hydrated is the key to helping your body function properly. It can be tough to remember to get those 8-10 glasses in, but luckily there are plenty of easy (and even fun!) ways to ensure you’re getting enough H20. You can download a hydration tracker app, where drinking enough water means you can take care of digital plants or color in a cartoon llama. If you don’t want yet another app, you can try infusing your water with fruit for a yummier flavor, or drinking out of a marked or high-tech water bottle to track as you go!
2. Eat the rainbow
Some days, getting all your food groups in might seem impossible! But one fun way to make sure you’re getting a good mix of fruits, veggies, and other food groups is by trying to eat colorfully. Different colors of produce represent different health benefits. Plus, making sure you’re eating across the rainbow ensures you aren’t only eating carbs – beige is only one color, after all!
3. Live sustainably
We’ve all heard of the Marie Kondo method: Only keep (or buy) items that spark joy. Whether you only own things that make you happy, or you only purchase what you need, cutting down on waste in what you buy is important for everyone. Instead of buying cheap things you need to replace often, invest in products that will last longer. It’s good for you, the environment, and your budget!
4. Track your steps
Adding an exercise regimen into an already busy life can feel impossible – but what if you’re already halfway there? You’re likely already walking thousands of steps every day! Tracking your steps is the first, well, step in getting more exercise. Every iPhone comes with the Health app, which automatically tracks your steps, but any step-tracking app will do the trick. Once you know how much you walk, you can start holding yourself accountable to walk more: take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk to the grocery store instead of drive, whatever will do the trick!
5. Switch to non-toxic and organic
Even some of the ways we try to be healthy can be harmful. Many cleaning products are made with harsh chemicals, and non-organic produce and food can contain pesticides and other potentially harmful additives. By making the switch to a reduced-chemical lifestyle, you’re reducing your exposure to ingredients that could negatively impact your health.