5 Tips to Live a Longer, Healthier Life

5 tips for a healthy nourish life

Exercise

It is a well known fact that you should exercise around 30 minutes a day. Exercise doesn’t have to be a chore or an activity that takes up too much time. You can integrate some simple factors into your everyday routine so you shift the negative feeling about exercise.

  • Instead of driving to your local shop try walking or riding a bike.
  • If your local shops are too far to walk or ride why not wash your car instead before heading out for the grocery shopping. Washing your car outdoors in the beautiful sun is a way you can burn some calories and get outdoors.
  • Gardening is not only a great alternative to fresh organic produce you can get fit doing it too. Mowing the yawn, digging the soil and pulling out weeds will keep you fit and healthy.
  • Walking the dog or someone else’s dog. Even if you don’t own a dog you may have a friend or family member that walks their dog regularly. Walking their dog together is a social, fun way to exercise.

Rest & Reflect

  • For a balanced lifestyle, rest is as equally important as exercise. I have been told my whole life that the average amount of sleep to obtain a healthy life is around 7 hours a day. If you are lacking in sleep you may turn into a walking zombie. In my experience under sleeping has weakened my body and I became more prone to falling ill.
  • On the other hand, regularly oversleeping can also be unhealthy and increase your risk of getting sick. Sleep needs may differ over time and from person to person; experts typically recommend that adults should sleep between seven and nine hours each night. (But everyone is different)
  • Reflection and meditation calm the mind, body, and spirit. If you can fit in 10 minutes a day to rest and reflect then you are on your way to a balanced healthier life. There are lots of free guided meditations on YouTube. You may also like to start writing a diary or writing daily affirmations, goals and gratitude.

Family & Friends

 

A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allow you to grow. – William Shakespeare

 

My friends and family are my support system. They are there for me through the hard times and the best of times. When is the last time you called or visited an old friend or family member? If it has been a while re-connect and if it was not long ago remind them of how much they mean to you.

 

Healthy Eating

Sometimes we do not always have the willpower to say “No” to a block of chocolate, a greasy pizza or a can of coke. But, let me tell you that we do not always have to say “no”. Nobody is perfect and we all indulge in a delicious treat every once in a while. But when you start indulging regularly it can impact on your health and your physical and mental state.

Here are some simple tips to stop the constant indulging:

  • Leave your bank card at home and pack your lunch each day for work or school. This way you can plan your healthy meals at the start of the day/week and you won’t be tempted to buy an unhealthy choice.
  • Do not buy junk food when you do your weekly grocery shopping. When I come home for work I tend to look for an easy snack that doesn’t require cooking. If there are chips, lollies or chocolate in the house than these will be my first choice. Now that I plan my meals before I go shopping I buy rice crackers, gluten-free brunch bars, nuts, fruit and other healthy alternatives “no cook, no mess snacks”.
  • Reward yourself! A technique I use when I crave chocolate all the time is to give myself one day a week where I can indulge. I tell myself to wait until Sunday because I will appreciate and enjoy the well-deserved treat.

Some questions to ask yourself before indulging is:

Is this healthy? Am I actually hungry? Is there a healthier alternative?

 

Passions & Work

For me, my work is my passion. I love what I do and I do what I love. But for others, this might not be the case. It is important to have a balanced life. When you focus your time on one aspect of your life your hindering other aspects. This could include family, exercise, health, passions, rest etc.

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