5 things for a healthier lifestyle you can start today

Are you concerned about your health but don’t know where to start? Do you dislike intimidating rules and diets? Well this one is for you.

Diets often don’t work as they put us on a regimen that doesn’t work for changing real-life schedules, plus once the time is up you are back to where you started (aka off-the-wagon) and you won’t necessarily know what worked and what didn’t.

It’s all about “baby steps” when it comes to changing your habits to a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle. When you take the change step-by-step, you have a chance to get used each change and incorporate them into your daily routine without feeling overwhelmed, deprived or miserable.

Instead of focusing on what you have to give up -- let’s look at how you can incorporate habits into your personal routine that you will be able to rely on even when life gets crazy… which, let’s face it, happens all the time! These pointers can be useful to anyone, no matter what lifestyle you may be following, from Vegan to Paleo or anyone in between, everyone can benefit from these suggestions.

1. Hydrate in the morning

Drinking water first thing in the morning gives your body a chance to hydrate after a (hopefully) long night’s sleep which helps in the elimination of toxins and fights off hunger. To upgrade your morning routine, drink more than one cup of water, drink it warm and/or with some lemon or lime to get those toxins moving out of the body easier.

2. Drink your coffee as a treat

...and do not let it become a day-long habit. Waking up to a steaming hot coffee can be very tempting. But too many people rely on the caffeine kick to start-up their “engines”. Coffee, however is dehydrating and highly acidic. Drinking coffee in the afternoon or all day will also result in poor quality of sleep and therefore feeling more tired - which can get us into a “catch-22” situation of drinking more coffee to keep us going. This also easily results in adrenal fatigue that leads to further health issues.

Enjoy coffee as a treat: make it delicious, drink it from a nice cup and enjoy the real taste!

3. Build your plate right

Filling your plate with 65-75% veggies will leave little room for inflammatory foods such as empty carbs or too much protein. Ask yourself: “what veggies am I going to eat” rather than, “what will I have with my chicken or pasta”. This is a great way to ensure your calories are in check and you won’t binge on the wrong type of carbs.

4. Eat more vegetables

Try to always eat greens with your meals, they are highly anti-inflammatory and alkaline, they are a great source of fiber and loaded with chlorophyll, a plant pigment that heals and detoxes your body. I’d also encourage everyone to try to balance raw and cooked veggies - they both are very important and eating both will give a balanced digestive health.

5. Stop eating 2 hours before bedtime

If you are peckish around 9:30-10pm, it means it’s time to go to bed. Don't stay up late as you'll end up munching on something that’s likely to give you a restless sleep.

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