Do you want to live a healthier life, but often find yourself struggling to find changes that actually fit your lifestyle? Well then, this is the article for you. Here, we’re going to focus on a select few changes that you can make that can have a massive positive impact on your health and well-being.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to change too many things at once – if you do, you’ll probably find that your new lifestyle choices become too disruptive for their own good; as a result, it’s harder to stick to them altogether. So if you want to live a healthier, happier life, what is the best route forward? I’m of the belief that, if you make a select few decisions that you can actually stick to, then you’re more likely to get the results that you want.
A Better Night’s Sleep
Most of us aren’t consistently getting as much sleep as we should, and it is spelling disaster for our health. One of the best gifts that you can give yourself is a good night’s sleep. By that I mean a sleep that is 7-9 hours long and consistent – going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day will cement your sleeping pattern for the better and has an unbelievable amount of benefits for your mental and physical health.
Doing so will set your circadian rhythm, which regulates your metabolism and sleep, for starters. But on top of that, it’ll reduce the risk of heart disease and anxiety, as well as strengthen your immune system and help with weight loss.
Granted, there are plenty of people out there who want to sleep better, but how can you actually get that elusive ‘good night’s sleep’? First off, screen time before bed needs to go down. When we look at a backlit screen, our brains often mistake it for sunlight, which prevents us from becoming tired. In addition, eat your evening meal a little earlier, at least two hours before bedtime if possible, just to minimise the risk of acid reflux and any digestive discomfort that could keep you awake.
Improve Your Gut Health
Far too many of us underestimate the effects that improved gut health can have on our wider health. Your gut isn’t really like any other part of your body. That’s because it’s unapologetically its ownbustling ecosystem, packed with trillions of tiny microbes that help to break down food. Your gut is also linked to other aspects of health, like your immune system, your skin health, and your mental health.
If you recognise that your gut could use a health boost, there are multiple ways that you can go about it. The first step is almost definitely going to benefit you: eat more fibre. You should be eating 30 grams of the stuff every day, but unfortunately, hardly anyone is. If you eat more fruit, vegetables, and legumes (like lentils), you’ll give your good gut bacteria more fuel to break down the rest of the food that you’re eating, reducing your chances of constipation, among other digestive woes.
Step two is probably to embrace probiotics – these work by giving your gut more of that good bacteria to help break down your food. On top of that, they balance the diversity of the bacteria in your gut, reducing the proportion of bad bacteria and, with it, your chances of inflammation. Probiotics sources include natural yoghurts, kimchi, and sauerkraut.
Stop Smoking
This one doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone, but it would be remiss of me not to address arguably the unhealthiest (legal) habit that millions of people still struggle to walk away from. Having been a smoker myself, I can verify that quitting is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But it’s possible; I did it, just as millions before me did.
Nicotine replacement therapy was my biggest saviour, with pods from Nicopods UK reducing my cravings to almost unnoticeable levels. Aside from that, it was just a matter of breaking the habit. I rejigged my life to remove any shadows of my former smoker’s life – like the morning and afternoon smoke breaks and frequent trips to the pub.
Closing Thoughts
Lots of us want to be healthier, especially when we live in such an unhealthy world. Most of us spend eight hours a day sitting at a desk, then five hours in the evening sitting on a sofa. What’s more, there are fast-food restaurants on every street corner and available for delivery at our fingertips, as well as cigarettes and alcohol remaining, for the most part, as prevalent as ever.
It isn’t exactly an easy environment to live in if you’re trying to be serious about improving your health, and that’s why finding simple, impactful changes that you can stick to really matters. No shortcuts, fad diets or supposed miracle drugs are necessary, just sustainable choices.
