If you want to get healthier, it can often be really hard to know where to start, especially if you are at the start of your journey. There is so much advice out there that can often be very difficult to follow, or it can be hard to know what to trust, so we are here to make things much more simple with a few positive changes. You won’t need to compromise on anything in your current lifestyle, but these are about adding more positive things that will help you to gradually change your habits and create a sustainable and healthy lifestyle, whilst also helping your mental health. So, let’s get into it and find out a few simple things you can do to become healthier!
Get More Sleep
The first thing you can do to improve your health is to get more sleep. This is such an integral part of being healthy, as it is the time when your body and brain recovers to give you more energy the next day. Over time if you consistently don’t get enough sleep, then it can increase your risk of chronic health problems. So, make sleep a priority and you will feel so much better for it!
To do this, you should aim for a minimum of 7-8 hours each night. So, think about your schedule and work out if you can add an extra hour or two either by going to bed earlier or by getting up slightly later in the morning. Either way, getting more sleep will massively benefit your health and wellbeing overall, plus it won’t require huge changes to your routine.
Eat More Fruit and Veg
Another thing you can do to make a healthy change to your lifestyle is to eat more fruit and veg. Rather than starting by saying you’re going to cut out all unhealthy foods, a much better place to start is to focus on adding more healthy things to your diet. So, when you next go to your food shop, pick up 5 new types of fruit and veg. This could be 2 pieces of fruit to eat throughout the week, like some grapes and pineapple, then a few types of vegetables to add to your meals, like broccoli, peppers and carrots. Rather than taking anything away, you are simply adding, then after a while you will find you are choosing more variety of fruits and vegetables and likely to be snacking less on other things.
A great tip to save money and to make sure you always have fruit and veg in the house is to choose frozen, like frozen berries and tropical fruits, or frozen peas, sweetcorn, peppers, broccoli and carrots. This way, everything is all prepped and ready to add to any recipe making it so simple, plus it won’t go out of date and go to waste!
Another great way to eat more fruit and veg is to start your day with a smoothie. Use some of your favourite frozen fruits, then add half a banana (you could use a frozen one), a splash of fruit juice and some water. You could also add a few superfoods if you wanted to, like chia seeds or flax seeds. Give it a good blend and this is such a quick, delicious and healthy way to start your day that might prevent you from snacking throughout the day.
Go To Your Dentist
Next up, another thing you can do to get healthier is to visit your dentist. When it comes to health, often people’s oral health is pushed to the very back of their priority list. However, it is so important as you only have one set of adult teeth so you really need to look after them. Also, when you have oral health problems, it can cause serious problems with the rest of your health, so it is vital that you look after your teeth properly at home and go to see your dentist Leamington Spa or London based regularly!
Between appointments, make sure that you are brushing twice a day with an electric toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, flossing once a day and using fluoride mouthwash. This will help to prevent the buildup of plaque (which can turn into tartar and cause so much damage), remove any build up of food and remove any sugars from your teeth. Then, every 6 months, you should visit your dentist, as this is the perfect amount of time to make sure that if you do have any problems that come up, they can be identified and resolved before the issue gets too serious. However, of course, if between appointments you find anything that is a concern, make sure to see your dentist.
Increase Your Steps
Our last tip to help you get happier and healthier is to increase your steps! Getting your body moving is so important when it comes to your health and walking is one of the best ways to get your exercise in. It is completely free, low intensity and it is easy to build up depending on your current fitness level. Rather than aiming for a really high number of steps that you might not be able to sustain everyday, start by adding 2,000 steps a day (about 15-20 minutes of walking extra a day). So, if you do 1,000 steps at the minute, increase that to 3,000 by going for a lunchtime walk. Once this has become a regular part of your routine, try to increase it a bit more.
Not only does walking help you to lose weight and reduce the risk of developing serious health conditions, but it is also fantastic for your mental health, helping to boost your mood and reduce stress and anxiety. Start small and build your way up and you will soon feel a huge difference in how you feel, both mentally and physically, whether you’re a complete beginner or someone who is already quite active!
