WellBunny
Bounce back from bad habits

50 Ways to Improve Your Health

I know I’m guilty of taking an all-or-nothing attitude to health, exercise and diet sometime. However, doing small things, and doing them most of the time, will go a long way to improving your health and happiness. Here are 50 to get you started. Try one a day, one a week, etc. and see how much better you feel.

1. Wear a pedometer. Just wearing a pedometer will make you more aware of how much you exercise, and make you more likely to walk more.

2. Eat 9 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. You’ll get more of the vitamins and anti-oxidants you need. Bonus, you’ll be too full to reach for junk food.

3. Declutter. Whether it’s your desk, your living room, or your whole house, clutter can cause you to feel overwhelmed and unhappy. Pick one spot and clean it up, right now.

4. Get some sunshine. Enjoy being outdoors, feel the warmth on your skin. Remember, your body needs some direct sunlight to make enough vitamin D, and you’ll feel more cheerful afterwards.

5. Do some weight training. You’ll feel stronger and look more toned. As a bonus, muscle burns more calories than fat, so you’ll have an easier time losing weight.

6. Avoid white rice, bread and pasta. These all trigger blood sugar spikes and drops, which can make you feel tired and hungry again quickly. Go for the whole grain versions instead.

7. Take the stairs. You’ll get in a little more exercise and tone your legs and butt.

8. Eat several vegetarian meals per week. You’ll be doing something good for yourself by skipping high fat animal products. You’ll also be doing something good for the environment, since raising meat animals is a big drain on resources.

9. Meditate. Whether you do a formal meditation time or you do something meditative like walking, jogging, knitting, etc., you’ll help calm yourself and eliminate stress.

10. Devote time to learning something new. Studies show that keeping our minds sharp can help prevent dementia. Besides, you’ll experience the enjoyment of learning new things.

11. Do something nice for others. It may seem paradoxical, but focusing on others’ needs is a wonderful way to make yourself happier.

12. Give up soda. Regular soda has lots of sugar, but diet has also been shown to cause weight gain. There are also questions about whether the artificial sweeteners used in diet drinks are really safe.

13. Have a little dark chocolate. It’s delicious, and it provides anti-oxidants that are good for you.

14. Cut back on sugar. Processed sugar can wreak havoc with your blood sugar, causing you to feel tired and hungry later.

15. Take a multivitamin. It’s no substitute for eating right, but it’s a good way to ensure you’re not missing any needed nutrients.

16. Have a cup of coffee. Coffee in moderation has been shown to be safe and even healthy. Did I mention it’s also the elixir of life?

17. Drink tea. It’s loaded in anti-oxidants, and nothing is as relaxing as a cup of hot tea after a hard day.

18. See your doctor regularly. This is common sense, but it’s also an important step in taking care of yourself.

19. Take a walk. It’s good exercise, and it’s a great way to relax and unwind. Take someone you love along, and it’s a good way to catch up on what’s happening for each of you.

20. Take off 10 percent of your weight. Too often people focus on getting down to an ideal weight, but the reality is that even small amounts of weight loss can benefit your blood sugar and blood pressure, not to mention your self-esteem.

21. Isometric exercise. Many isometric exercises allow you to use your own body or objects as resistance. These are good choices for someone who would like to be able to work in a quick bit of exercise during the day, at the office, etc.

22. Turn off the the television. There’s nothing inherently wrong with t.v., but turn it off sometimes, and you’ll often find yourself doing more interesting and healthier things.

23. Snack only on healthy choices. It’s difficult to eliminate snacks altogether, and some would argue unnecessary. Try making healthier choices when you do snack. Good choices are fruit, low-fat cheese, nuts, vegetables, yogurt, etc.

24. Spend 15 minutes working on something you’ve been worrying about. Often that little bit of time is enough to ease your mind. For one thing, it’s easier to tackle a big project after you’ve done a little work on it, even if it’s just 15 minutes.

25. Eat more green leafy vegetables. Add them to your soups, casseroles, etc. Put raw spinach in your salad. Experiment with different options and see what you like.

26. Don’t hyper focus on your weight. As my doctor said, focus on eating right and getting some exercise. Your weight will naturally gravitate to where it needs to be.

27. Cook more, eat out less. It’s healthier, obviously. You’ll also save money and probably spend more time having dinner with your family.

28. Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. Some studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption is beneficial, others show that it can be problematic in women. If you do choose to drink, keep it light!

29. Eat more whole, real foods. Whole grains, real fruits and vegetables, lean meats and dairy are good options. If you’re not sure what’s in it, you probably ought not to eat it.

30. Do something new. What’s life if you do the same old thing day after day? Go somewhere new, meet new people, do something different.

31. Make smart food substitutions. Eat a whole grain cereal instead of a sugary kids’ cereal. Drink lower fat milk rather than whole milk. Eat more chicken and fish and less red meat. You’ll find that you can still enjoy great food and sneak in healthier options.

32. Replace one meal with healthy alternatives. Spend the week only eating healthy foods for breakfast, for example. Or pack lunch every day and skip the fast food and vending machines. You’ll be surprised at how much better it can make you feel.

33. Eat locally grown food. Until you’ve compared local fruits and vegetables to what you buy at the supermarket, you won’t realize the difference in taste. You can also buy locally raised beef in some areas if you have a freezer to store it.

34. Eat more fish. Fish and seafood are a healthy option for most people. If you’re pregnant, avoid those that are high in mercury.

35. Foster your spirituality. You can join an organized religion if you like, or just take time to do something you find spiritually gratifying.

36. Leave your desk at lunch. If you’re eating lunch at your desk, stop! You deserve and need a mental break. Take a walk, have lunch with friends, read a book. Do anything except sit at your desk and work.

37. Pursue hobbies. Take time to do something you enjoy. It’s good for your overall well-being and to help you relax. If you do something that helps you meet other people, then that’s even better.

38. Take a vacation. Even if it’s a short weekend mini-vacation, it’s important to get away from work and wind down. It’s even more important to take that time to spend time with your family.

39. Cut your hours at work. Most of us work more hours than we’re technically required to. Focus on leaving work on time and not getting sucked into working weekends. Work on being more efficient, not on spending more time to get your work accomplished.

40. Foster your creativity. Write, paint, take photographs. Do whatever you enjoy doing that gives you a creative outlet.

41. Do your own yard and house work. You’ll save money, and you’ll get some exercise to boot.

42. Give exercise a purpose. I hate to exercise just for the sake of exercising. If you’re like me, then give a purpose to your exercise. Walk to the store or post office, make some extra trips up and down the stairs when you do house work, etc.

43. Breathe for relaxation. When you feel stressed, take a few minutes and focus on your breathing. Concentrate on taking deep breaths and letting the stress dissipate as you do so. Do this a few times each day to center yourself.

44. Never let yourself get extremely hungry. Getting too hungry is a great way to eat something you shouldn’t. Instead, grab something healthy when you start to feel hungry, before you lose your willpower.

45. Ride a bike to work. If you’re close enough, walk or bike to places that you’d normally drive to. You’ll feel better, and you’ll be doing something good for the environment too.

46. Do an exercise you’ve never done before. It’s easy to build up a certain tolerance for exercises you’ve been doing for a while. Challenge yourself by adding an exercise to your routine that you haven’t done before.

47. Pack lunch. You’ll have more control over what you eat, and you’ll save some money. Put the cash back to do something enjoyable later!

48. Take care of your most stressful task first thing in the morning. Instead of dreading it all day, you’ll be able to feel good that you’ve finished it already.

49. Get a pet. A pet will give you something to care for and to keep you company. Studies show that pets can help reduce blood pressure and depression.  If you go for a high-energy pet, then you’ll also be getting some extra exercise.

50. Avoid multitasking. It may sound like a good idea, but it often makes tasks take even longer, and it adds to your stress. Instead, focus on completing one thing at a time.

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Tags: diet, fitness, health, productivity