Five SIMPLE Ways To Start Boosting Your Health Today!
There are so many things that we can do daily to improve our health without breaking the bank. Sometimes clients are so surprised at how much better they feel just by simply making some small adjustments in their daily lives.
Are you ready? Let’s go!
1. Drink more water!
Water is the most important nutrient in the human body. It makes up around 60% of our total body mass! Water has so many more important roles in our body than I once knew.
To name a handful, water:
transports nutrients throughout the body
removes water and flushes out toxins
improves oxygen delivery to cells
helps to cushion bones and joints
regulates body temperature
The daily amount of water recommended will vary from person to person, but a good starting point would be aiming for 1/2 of your body weight in ounces:). Listen to your body and see how you feel! Adjust accordingly when necessary.
2. Sleep.
Sleep is an absolute MUST to support your body’s natural detoxification system and overall health. Quality sleep helps with the rejuvenation of cells, and also with removing toxic waste byproducts that you have accumulated throughout the day. During sleep, your brain is able to “recharge” and reorganize as well. Super cool, huh? Basically, a nice sleep helps the body repair, regenerate, and recover. A few other tips to help improve sleep? Wearing blue light blocking glasses when the sun goes down, turning off the screens an hour or more before bedtime, and charging your phone in another room (from where you sleep) at night can all help you get a better night’s snooze!
3. Get out in the sun!
Getting natural light into our eyes and onto our skin is actually way more important for our health than we have been led to believe over the last 40 years or so. Did you know getting natural morning light into your eyes can improve your sleep? I know it sounds strange, but it helps to calibrate your circadian clock. When you expose your eyes, face, and body to sunlight in the morning, your body starts to release serotonin (the “happy” hormone that helps us to feel calm and focused). After 12 hours or so, that serotonin is then converted into melatonin-which helps us to sleep better at night.
And of course sunlight is the absolute best way to increase vitamin D, so what are you waiting for? Get outside and catch those rays:).
4. Eat more colors!
Do you ever wonder why they say, "Eat the rainbow"?
Eating a variety of brightly colored fruits and veggies (more veggies!) is a great tip if striving for optimal health. We NEED a variety of nutrients, and the bright and deep natural colors of vegetables and fruit indicate specific nutrients found in that plant. Consuming different colored plants helps to ensure that you are getting as many essential nutrients as possible ("essential" means that your body cannot produce it; you must get these nutrients through the foods that you eat), as well as antioxidants, fiber, and more. For example, orange and yellow vegetables tend to be higher in vitamins C and A. Green fruits and veggies are higher in vitamins K, E, and Bs. So eat the rainbow!
5. Slow down and chew your food!
Did you know that digestion actually starts in the brain? Think about it…when you smell yummy things cooking, or see a delicious looking meal, what happens? We begin to salivate:). This saliva not only helps us to mechanically break down our food in our mouths while chewing, but it also contains an enzyme called salivary amylase. Salivary amylase breaks down carbohydrates into smaller molecules, which helps the body to digest starchy foods like potatoes, rice, or squashes. Taking the time to thoroughly chew our food is very important. Here are some good reasons why:
Chewing helps to boost nutrient absorption. When you take the time to properly chew your food, it will be digested and metabolized more effectively.
Smaller food particles are much easier to digest. Large particles can sit in the intestines and putrefy (yuk) leading to bloating, gas, and discomfort.
Taking the time to chew slowly gives your brain time to signal that you are full, which helps you not to overeat:).
Chewing will help you to relax and enjoy your meal, which is what we definitely want!
So there you have it! Five SIMPLE ways to start boosting your health today. Just pick one to start with, or jump into all 5 if desired;). You just may be surprised at how much of a difference small steps can make. Thank you for reading!
Jaime:)
Ready to learn more and make sustainable changes? Join my next Restart class.