As more people take an interest in living healthy, you may be interested in finding easy ways to enhance your physical and mental wellbeing. We all know the basics of eating right, getting enough exercise, and sleeping well, but there are many specific changes you can make without feeling as though you’re sacrificing your way of life. Here are a few suggestions.
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Eat Delicious and Healthy Snacks
If you plan to eliminate snacking altogether, you might have a hard time meeting your goal. Fortunately, healthy living doesn’t require complete abstinence. Instead, you can change the types of snacks you buy. Bypass the aisles with ice cream, potato chips, and cookies. Alternative snacks can include yogurt-covered raisins, strawberries, or cottage cheese. Any plant-based food, including seeds and nuts, can also be used as a substitute snack.
Use Smaller Dishes
Portion control is almost as problematic as which foods we eat. Researchers have found that people tend to fill up their plates instead of measuring for more accurate portion sizes. This means people who use larger plates will eat more food with every meal. The reverse is also true, so you can eat less by using smaller plates and bowls. If you’re trying to lose weight, taking in smaller portions with reduced calorie counts can help you lose weight faster.
Boost Your Gut Health
Inside the large intestine, there’s a community of microbes called the gut microbiome, and it serves as the home to trillions of beneficial bacteria. The bacteria in your gut can influence immunity strength, gastrointestinal health, and can help prevent diabetes, heart disease, and other health conditions. You can help the good bacteria in your gut thrive by eating a broad range of plant-based foods. Fruits and vegetables contain special bacteria that we call probiotics, but these helpful strains of bacteria can also be ingested in a daily supplement. The benefits of probiotic pills include helping your digestive system function better, so conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome may be alleviated.
Take Better Care of Your Teeth
Research in recent years has found that oral health affects physical health and vice versa. The mouth contains harmful bacteria that interact with sugar and other food particles to create an acid, which attacks the teeth and gum tissue. If you’re not combating this process with regular brushing and flossing, you’ll be allowing that bacteria to flourish. Eventually, the bacteria will be ingested through the airway and bloodstream, allowing it to attack organs throughout the body. Alternatively, some medical conditions can be diagnosed early by examining the mouth. For instance, people with HIV usually develop mouth sores as early symptoms. People with diabetes are also more likely to suffer from gum disease so make sure you brush.
Schedule Exercise Breaks
Everyone should be getting a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate to high-intensity physical activity every day, but people often think they don’t have the time to spare. This shouldn’t be considered an optional choice. If you feel you’re too busy, schedule an appointment in your calendar or day planner. When you set aside the time to go for a walk, take a bicycle ride, or hit the gym, you’ll be less likely to pass it up.
Change is never easy, mostly when you’ve spent a lifetime engaging in bad habits. However, you don’t have to change everything at once. Making small changes that don’t seem difficult can help you live healthier at a more gradual pace. As you begin experiencing the positive effects of making these small changes, you’ll feel more motivated to make more significant changes in your life.