In the fast-paced world that we live in, it can be easy to neglect our health and wellness. We’re so busy racing through our day-to-day lives—family, friends, work, social engagements—that we don’t take the time to look after ourselves. It’s really no wonder that so many of us are tired and run down.
But don’t worry; below, we’ll cover five simple things you can do to improve your quality of life, starting today!
Drink Water
You’ve heard it a million times and you’ll probably hear it a million more—drink more water!
Think about it: The human body is 72% water. A 5% drop in fluids creates a 25-30% loss in energy. A 15% drop in fluids causes death!
At this point in time 66% of us aren’t drinking enough water, so over half the population isn’t running on all six cylinders to begin with—and that’s before things like bad air, bad food, and stress take their toll.
It’s not really a difficult thing to remedy. Just drink one glass of water every half hour or so—or 10-12 glasses of water per day—and you’ll notice a huge jump in your energy levels.
Eat More Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
A little-known fact is that heating food above 116°F destroys much of the nutrient content. Considering that we already aren’t eating enough veggies, that’s a fairly substantial problem. Nutritionists recommend five servings of fresh vegetables per day. How many of us are actually taking that advice?
A great way to get the nutrients found in fresh veggies without spending all day at the stove or eating raw celery sticks is to juice your veggies or make smoothies. Grab some fresh fruits and vegetables and drink your way to good health. It takes a fraction of the time (there’s no cooking involved, for one thing) and it’s convenient. You can take your juice to work and even give some to the littles for school lunches!
Wheatgrass, in particular, is an excellent source of nutrition. It’s high in chlorophyll (sometimes described as “plant blood” because it closely resembles human red blood cell molecules) and has over 100 elements that the body needs. Fresh grains are another excellent source of vitamins and minerals.
Exercise Regularly
“Exercise” is another dirty word for most of us. The thing is, exercise doesn’t have to be horribly time-consuming or mind-numbingly boring. There are plenty of options.
If you have a homestead, like me, you don’t live close to a gym—nor do you have time for one. Most homesteaders get exercise walking around the farm, tending to animals. However, if you are like me, I still need to get the heart rate going more often.
Once you’re physically unfit, and particularly if you’re also unwell, it can be a mammoth battle to do the most minimal amount of exercise in a day. The danger is that inactivity leads to further loss of energy, which becomes a self-perpetuating cycle until you can barely get off the couch.
An excellent way to get back into a physical routine is to start slowly. Ridiculously slowly, it may seem. For the first couple of weeks, walk/ride for 5 minutes per day—exactly 5 minutes, no more, even if you think you could continue. When the two weeks are up, increase to 7 minutes, then 10 minutes, 12 minutes…continue to gradually increase your activity until you’re at a level you’re comfortable with.
It may sound a little silly, but it works. In effect, you trick your body into producing more energy. You’re building your exercise time up so slowly that your body doesn’t really realize what’s happening. Follow this method and, before you know it, you’ll be comfortably exercising within your limits every day.
Set Aside Time for Yourself
Meditation or prayer is an excellent way to minimize stress. You don’t have to sit around for hours; just give yourself 5 minutes of quiet time every day—even in the shower, if that’s the only place where you can get time out—and have a little catch up with yourself.
Outside of that, don’t forget to find a way to laugh! Feeling your best self and your happiest makes you feel healthier overall.
Take Advantage of Aromatherapy
Using essential oils can provide relief from stress, give you energy, liven the mood, boost the immune system, relieve occasional pain and tension…the list goes on and on.
Final Thoughts
You’ll be amazed at how much such a simple thing can improve quality of life! Want to do more to improve your health and lifestyle? Here’s a Ted Talk worth checking out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsC0fhplGcE.