When people come to me and ask me about how to “biohack” their way to optimal health (using things like genetics/epigenetics, QEEG, cranial electrical stimulation, hydrogen therapy, and much more), I first get a sense of if they are following some BASIC guidelines for overall health.
After all, you can only get so far by trying to “optimize” on top of a system that is in need of some fundamental repair.
So when outdoor athlete, blogger, and health advocate Jean Deruiter reached out to me to offer some basic tips for the new year to my readers, my response was “Heck yes!”.
Here are Jean’s 7 tips for a healthier YOU at a foundational level:
- Drink Lots of Water
- Be Mindful of What You Eat
- Get Up Early and Eat Breakfast
- Incorporate Self-Care in Your Routine
- Sit Less, Move More
- Get More Sleep
- Spend More Time Outdoors
Guest post written by Jean Deruiter
Often, when one comes up with a list of new year’s resolutions, it’s quite common for them to address issues like their health, spend more time at the gym, or get rid of unhealthy eating habits.
Coming up with a new year’s resolution can be challenging, considering that one-third of people break one by the end of January.
More often than not, some people can’t follow through because they don’t have realistic goals or that they don’t plan for success.
So, if you’re not quite sure how to get started, here are the nine healthy suggestions:
Drink Lots of Water
Just like eating healthy food, drinking lots of water is also essential to a healthy diet.
Drinking lots of water in the morning, afternoon, and evening allows you to fend off cravings, avoid overeating, stay hydrated, alert, and even improve your quality of sleep.
To ensure that you’re drinking enough water, you can include a couple of glasses in your daily meal preparation. You might also consider pre-portioning your water, implement a healthy meal prep in your routine, and stick with a routine that encourages a healthier lifestyle.
Be Mindful of What You Eat
One way to improve your diet is by changing the way you eat. Once you focus on what’s going on in your mouth and slow down between bites, you’re less likely to overeat because you’ve already recognized that you’re full already.
Over time, developing this practice allows you to create more awareness of your body and the types of food you eat.
Mindful eating also allows you to swap unhealthy food choices for healthier options. However, instead of ditching the food that you love all too quickly, you can try to incorporate at least one change at a time.
Let’s say that you’re regularly eating scrambled eggs for breakfast. You can add in spinach or tomatoes when you cook them. You may also try swapping sugary beverages for water.
Once you’ve incorporated these small changes consistently into your routine, this can lead to more significant dietary changes later on.
Need some inspiration? There are tons of healthy recipes here on the Make Everything Fun website.
Get Up Early and Eat Breakfast
The early bird catches the worm. Well, that saying is true. People who do get up early are likely more proactive, happier, and focused overall.
It also reduces the risk of depression, enhances positive mood, and increases productivity. Not only that, people who go to bed later, then wake up later, have a larger body mass index and consumed more calories than early birds.
Incorporate Self-Care in Your Routine
Self-care is often different for everyone, but the idea behind the term is to pick up something you can do each day.
Taking the time to reflect and embrace solitude helps reduce stress levels as well as your overall outlook. It also allows you to set a more peaceful tone throughout the day, especially if it’s the first thing you do in the morning.
If you’re not quite sure where to start, then you might consider starting your day with a little meditation. Drink your morning coffee, or read a novel. Turn off all your mobile devices, and take in your surroundings, like watching the birds or a little bit of nature while eating breakfast.
You can also incorporate at least 10-minutes of self-care activity in your routine. The more you’re used to it, the more you can add more time and activities throughout the day.
Sit Less, Move More
Maybe you have a sedentary job that allows you to sit for more extended periods, or you’re merely inactive. Many people are sitting more than they should, which can negatively impact their health in the long run. Sitting for extended periods increased the risk of overall mortality.
So, to combat this, you can make a resolution that’s both easy and attainable. Something that you can fit in your lifestyle.
Let’s say you’re working a desk job that often requires a lot of sitting. Then, resolve to go for a quick 15-minute walk, or walk for at least 5-minutes every hour. If you want a little more challenge, you can go for a hike in one of the trails near your area. Check out the best trekking poles here.
Get More Sleep
You probably know that getting enough snooze time can do wonders for your mood, as well as to your overall appearance. However, sleep is far more beneficial to your health than you realize (especially during the pandemic).
A lack of sleep can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Sleep is also crucial to strengthening memories stored in your brain.
It also helps you take a nap from time to time, and don’t feel guilty about it!
Spend More Time Outdoors
You’ve probably heard of nature therapy. Well, spending your time outdoors relieves depression, elevates the mood, and lowers blood pressure.
Spending time outside doesn’t have to be that far. You can try to incorporate these practices is your routine no matter where you live. You can opt to walk outside during lunch break, soak in the beauty of your backyard, or go for a hike to a place near you.
There are lots of ways that you can incorporate nature into your everyday routine.
So there you have it. These healthy routines we’ve listed in this article provide you with more sustainable ways to enhance both your physical and mental well-being in the long run. That way, you can be your healthiest and happiest self possible this new year.
