We are living during a crazy time right now. If you're reading this, you have either managed to survive this pandemic thus far without contracting COVID-19, or you have contracted it and have recovered. Nonetheless, this is definitely the time to prioritize your health. So, I'm going to give you a few tips to do just that and boost your immune system. Even though this should be a lifestyle, implementing these habits can be the start of your lifelong commitment to your health.
My Top 8 Tips To Achieving A Healthier You
Get Active: Find a type of exercise that you like and get moving. Whether it's dancing, walking, running or lifting, any movement is beneficial. You can accomplish a lot in 20-30 minutes.
Proper Nutrition: Your body doesn’t just need calories to function properly. It needs basic nutrients, micro-nutrients and plenty of fiber and all of this in moderation.
Vitamins: Vitamins have different jobs—helping you resist infections, keeping your nerves healthy, and helping your body get energy from food or your blood to clot properly. There are 13 vitamins—vitamins A, C, D, E, K, and the B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, B6, B12, and folate).
Mindfulness: Mindfulness improves well-being. Being mindful makes it easier to savor the pleasures in life as they occur, helps you become fully engaged in activities, and creates a greater capacity to deal with adverse events. Mindfulness improves physical health. It can help relieve stress, treat heart disease, lower blood pressure, reduce chronic pain, and improve sleep. Mindfulness improves mental health. It helps to treat conditions such as depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, and anxiety disorders.
Less Stress: Too much of the wrong stress can be deadly. Excess stress can harm your health in the following ways: 1) decrease in immune system function – Stress lowers the production of natural killer cells and seriously depletes T-cells, both of which kill infections and cancer, 2) damage to blood vessels and heart – Stress constricts blood vessels and causes faster heartbeat, thus increasing blood pressure, and 3) weight gain – Stress causes the release of cortisol which triggers overeating and storage of fat.
Sleep: The recommended amount of sleeping hours is 8 hours a day; however, each person is different and the amount of sleeping hours needed may vary from one person to the other. Do not forget to maintain balance among work, leisure and rest.
Drink More Water: Drink two or three liters of water a day and avoid sugary drinks and alcohol.
Stretch: Stretching can help improve flexibility, and, consequently, the range of motion of your joints.Stretching will also improve your athletic performance and decrease your risk of injury.