Healthy living can sometimes be like a minefield. With so many suggestions for how to live a healthy lifestyle online, it can seem a lot more complicated and confusing than it needs to be! Stripping it all back down, the healthiest lifestyle is the one that works well for you - the one that you can stay consistent with and that makes you feel your best.
1 – Feed your body with whole foods.
"Eat food, especially plants" Michael Pollan, American author. It's one of our favorite quotes. Food doesn't have to be complicated. Feed your body with real food: food that will give you energy, is satisfying, but importantly - food that is tasty and colorful. Get as many green leafy vegetables into your diet as possible and opt for natural foods over processed and refined foods.
2 – Get enough sleep.
Sleep is so important for the mind and body, and it is often one of the most overlooked factors when creating a healthy lifestyle. Adequate sleep is necessary for daily functioning. Getting too little sleep can leave you craving sweet foods, feeling sluggish, and probably a little grumpy. Creating a healthy lifestyle must be realistic. So if you're snoozing your alarm every morning before that workout session you've planned, and you need that morning coffee just to say “hello,” then you may need to revisit the quality and timing of your sleep.
3 – Move daily.
150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. And there's no "one size fits all here"; movement comes in all different shapes and forms. Don't like running? Take a dance class. Not a fan of the gym? Go for a long walk first. Exercise is just as important for our physical and mental well-being in both the short-term and long-term health. So get out, go for a walk, get some fresh air. It will do wonders for you. Trust us.
4 - Reduce time looking at screens.
Ahhh, time looking at screens. It's undeniable that most of us are addicted to our phones. While there isn't a huge amount of research on the long-term effects of screen time, reducing the time spent on your device each day is certainly a healthy habit to create. It’s great for your mental health, it frees up a huge amount of time (if you’ve ever found yourself in an Instagram “black hole” induced by endless scrolls, you’ll know how much time we’re talking about here), and it allows you to be more present. Life is so fast-paced, so taking a step back from the immediacy of being accessible 24/7 is certainly not a bad thing.
5 - Find your fun.
And that brings us to the final point. With more time on your hands, why not find your fun? Do something creative. Live the moment. Find a new hobby. Creating a healthy lifestyle shouldn't be an easy task, and you're certainly never too old to start something new, so why not start something today? Why not learn to cook? Learning a new sport? Just start.