Small Lifestyle Changes to Make for a Healthier You

WORDS: PHOTOGRAPHY

Old habits die hard, but if you want to see a change in your life, you have to make it happen. Start small, make simple changes to daily habits, and you’ll start to see significant results in the way you feel and look. Here are a few simple lifestyle changes to get you started on the path or a healthier, happier you.

Watch Your Mouth

The old adage goes, you are what you eat, so if you want to have a healthier lifestyle, you need to watch what you put in your mouth. To start with, your diet has a significant impact on your health and quality of life in general. Quit the fad diets, and choose a lifestyle change instead, based on a generous variety of delicious foods that are fresh and healthy. Make sure you include plenty of vegetables, which are low in calories and high in fibre and vitamins; meat and fish, nuts and seeds, dairy products, and fruit – which is also a great way to combat those 3pm sugar cravings.

When it comes to drinking, water is your best bet. Your body is made up of 60% water, so it makes sense that you should be adding more to it throughout the day (at least 2 litres a day, in fact).

Switch Your Vices

If you enjoy a glass of wine with your dinner, or a beer as you unwind at the end of the week, switching from a high percentage of alcohol to a lower percentage will give you the same great taste, with less impact on your health. By drinking less alcoholic units per drink, you’re less likely to feel drunk, so you’ll sleep better and feel better the next day. Less alcohol, in any form, reduces your risk of cancer, heart disease and so on – as long as you reduce the units of alcohol in total.

If you’re a cigarette smoker, it’s time to quit. By quitting cigarettes, you can lengthen your life expectancy, decrease your risk of cancer, heart disease, and high blood pressure, reduce your risk of respiratory complications, improve your sense of smell and taste, and feel healthier in general. If you can’t quit cold turkey, consider switching to vaping. Choosing vaping over smoking can reduce your chance of heart attack and stroke, according to a study by the University of Dundee. For a large selection of vape kits and e-liquids try Vape Store, one of Australia’s leading suppliers.

Take Care of Body & Mind

Eating better, quitting smoking, drinking less alcohol and more water is all good, but it’s just the start of taking care of yourself. Exercise has been proven to reduce the risk of premature death, giving you an overall healthier outlook, preventing obesity and limiting the risk of heart disease. That doesn’t mean you have to start running 20km a day or boxing up a storm. A simple walk, for 40-50 minutes, 3+ times a week is enough to change your health, in both body and mind. And of course, exercise tires you out, which in turn promotes sleep – again, enhancing your health.

Adults aged 18 years require a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night. And it’s good quality sleep in particular, so that you feel rested the next day. If you don’t generally get enough sleep, try heading to bed earlier each night. Turn off your technology at least 1-2 hours before hitting the pillow, avoid eating too close to bedtime and if necessary, have a cup of calming tea, such as peppermint or chamomile.

Changing your life isn’t easy, but it is possible. Follow our advice to get started.