In the search for more useful knowledge, we’ve compiled 9 interesting lifestyle tips that you can incorporate to increase your health and overall wellbeing. Some of these you probably already know about, but we bet at least one of them is new to you!
1. Stretch in the Morning
Stretching in the morning is often overlooked in the busy modern lifestyle. There are quite a few benefits to stretching in the morning. It improves your posture, increases mobility, and eliminates or reduces pains and aches throughout your body. It also kick starts your day on a positive note. And who doesn’t love that?
Very Well Health recommends these 5 morning stretches.
2. Eat Till You Are 80% Full
This practise gained popularity on the Japanese island of Okinawa. Per capita, they are some of the longest living people in the world with many of them living past 100. One of the cultural differences of this region is the practise of hara hachi bu, or ‘eat until you’re only 80% full’. In modern science, it’s known as calorie restriction. It’s believed this restriction sends your body into a self-preservation mode as it thinks it may starve soon.
The result? Slower aging, lower inflammation, and less age-related diseases. The science is still progressing a lot in this field of study with many scientists still not 100% why calorie restriction has so many benefits.
So, the next time you are eating a meal, eat till you are full but not completely satisfied. If you are struggling with this, drinking 500 ml of water 30 mins before a meal will help a lot.
3. Invest in Health-Conscious Food Appliances
You’d be surprised today how many modern appliances are more health focused then their older iterations.
Take the air fryer for example, it uses 80% less oil then traditional deep fryers with similar results.
Another one which has been out for some time, is a blender. Anything that allows you to blend all sorts of vegetables and fruit can be a massive time saver and health booster. NutriBullet is one of the more popular brand of blenders, but there are lots of great alternatives on the market.
Instead of buying appliances based on what they do, start thinking instead about what they can do for you.
4. Meditate on the Move
You probably know by now that meditation has massive benefits to anyone who regularly practises it. What you didn’t realise is that you can actually meditate while moving (which is one of many types of meditations).
Many people simply don’t mediate because they can’t get in the habit of sitting still for a period of time. This is where walking meditation comes into play.
This involves focusing on the sensation of walking – how your body feels. It also involves acknowledging what you see and hear around you - cars, trees, people and so on. Essentially, you are becoming present and feeling and seeing your environment without giving thought to it. Here is a good guide.
5. Don’t Diet
This may seem counterintuitive, but dieting is actually a recipe for disaster. Transitioning to a healthier lifestyle is far more effective than simply changing one aspect of your life.
For example, if you like watching TV, you might also enjoy eating whilst watching. Essentially, eating is associated with the habit of watching TV. If you were to remove watching marathons of your favourite tv program, you’ll find it easier not to eat too much.
Look to change your lifestyle. Do something else instead of watching TV (or doing other habits where you typically eat a lot) and you’ll find your eating habits will also naturally change.
6. Let Sunlight In
There are a lot of things you can do to make your home more liveable. One of the best things you can do is to let sun into your home. Have windows in the walls and skylights to promote a natural and sunny interior.
When you let more of nature into your home, your body will thank you for it in many ways. This includes more vitamin D, more energy and reduction in stress and anxiety.
Here is a general rule of thumb; the more nature you let into your life the happier and healthier you will be.
7. Drink Coffee and Use the Waste
Being one of the most popular beverages in the world, it’s a good thing that coffee has numerous benefits for its many die-hard drinkers. It’s known to reduce stroke, reduce risk of some cancers and also give you a healthy dose of antioxidants.
Indeed, drinking a cup of coffee in the morning is a great ritual.
Most people have some sort of coffee machine at home. Whether that be a pod or bean machine. And for many of those machines, the end product is a steaming cup of joe along with a waste product known as coffee grounds.
Intuitively, looking at coffee grounds makes you think you can use it in your garden. After all, it does look like nutrient rich dirt. It turns out you can use these grounds – as long as you do it correctly.
The folks from Shopperbytes.com recommends that you first wash the grounds, followed by composting. This breaks down the caffeine (which can actually kill your plants) and ensures your plants only get the good stuff.
8. Drink Coffee Before A Nap
Again, this sounds like it does not agree with logic, but hear us out. Drinking a cup of coffee before a power nap will ensure you wake up more alert then before you went to sleep. See, coffee takes about 15 – 20 minutes to kick in. So if you have a nap that lasts as long as this, you’ll wake up even more refreshed and alert as the coffee does its business.
9. Breathe Deeply
It pays dividends to be a more conscious of your breathing. Deep breathing is one of the easiest and quickest ways to deal with stress and reduce pain in your body. The extra oxygen in your blood stream will increase your energy, and even help your digestion.
Feeling stressed, bloated or tired? Take a deep breath and relax.
