A healthy lifestyle can often feel like an uphill battle.
There are so many factors to consider if you want to keep yourself physically and mentally healthy that it’s easy to find yourself overwhelmed and resolving to give up. Half of the sentiment is correct there. After all, you need to take care of yourself, but it shouldn’t feel like a chore. If it does then you’ can end up doing more harm than good to your mental wellbeing. So, what’s the answer? Well, you need to find ways to form healthy habits that become natural additions to your existing lifestyle. Let’s start with the things you might be neglecting. Here are some aspects of your health that might need work.
Your diet.
Let’s get the tough bit out of the way. Eating healthily can be difficult, so it’s no surprise that many of us fail to do so. We’re surrounded by an abundance of options in supermarkets, which can be great, especially if you're a foodie like me, but it also isn’t necessarily a good thing. It can in fact result in making more informed choices more stressful. What are we supposed to eat? Even when you read the labels on items of food, you probably find yourself wondering what it all means. Should you be worried about all the additives you see listed on the packaging? Shopping can quickly become a nightmare once you start overthinking every single purchase.
A good rule of thumb is to opt for whole foods. All modern foods are a little unnatural in the real world; there’s a manmade process involved in the processing or packaging of everything you see in the supermarket. Still, organic foods such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and beans are all good options. They’re as natural as possible, and they’re much better sources of nutrients than many of the mass-manufactured options you’ll see in stores. You might even want to take the vegan route and start replacing meats with plant-based protein alternatives. You don’t have to entirely give up meat or desserts in order to maintain a healthy diet. Everything in moderation is fine. You just need to ensure you’re getting all the vitamins and nutrients necessary for a healthy lifestyle and aim to also drink plenty of water rather than artificial beverages.
Your dental hygiene.
Another area of your health that might need work is your dental hygiene. If you brush your teeth at least twice a day then that’s a good start, but it doesn’t guarantee healthy teeth and gums. Your diet takes a toll on your oral health, for starters; following my tips for healthy eating should help you in that regard but of course, you can go further than this if you want to look after your teeth. You should floss daily. This will help to stop plaque from building up, and will protect your gums. If you can stop receding gums then you’ll reduce the risk of tooth loss. Receding gums is also ageing to the appearance of our face visually so It’s important to take preventative measures to look after your teeth. But you might want to look into treatment for dental issues if you already have problems. This is an aspect of health that more people need to take seriously.
Your vices.
As I said earlier, you’re still allowed treats in life. You just need to maintain a balanced lifestyle if you want to be able to enjoy a few snacks whilst you chill on the sofa and binge watch your favourite Netflix show. Nevertheless, some vices can quickly get out of hand, and this might be an aspect of your health that needs work. If you think you eat too much junk food, consume too much alcohol, or smoke cigarettes excessively then talk to one of your friends or family members. Make an appointment with your GP. You might even want to see a therapist if you think your behaviour has become addictive.
Opening up is the first step towards kicking your bad habits for good.
Love T x
•Collaborative Post