It is highly important to maintain healthy lifestyle habits in order to feel good. Little things you can do throughout the day will help you to stay healthy. Take note of these tips!
HAVE A BALANCED BREAKFAST It is the meal that activates you and should
provide you with 25% of your daily energy and nutrients. A great breakfast
cannot lack a plant-based drink, wholegrain cereals, fruit, seeds and
olive oil.
PROTECT YOUR SKINProtect your skin before leaving home. A good
moisturizer and sunscreen are essential in our skin routine. In addition,
it is utterly relevant to protect cells against oxidative damage. In order
to do so, you can take food supplements with antioxidants such as
resveratrol, which is quite abundant in the skin and black grape seeds, or astaxanthin,
which is a substance with a high capacity to neutralize free radicals.
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLEIf you are going to face an exhausting day and
you are lacking force, natural products may give you the energy you need.
Take royal jelly, ginseng, green tea, pollen or Siberian ginseng. They
will help you increase your physical and intellectual performance as well
as fatigue resistance.
IN THE OFFICEA proper posture and short breaks, and standing
up every hour and a half to stretch your legs, are essential to withstand
the workday in front of the computer without any kind of discomfort. Use
an ergonomic chair and lean your entire back against its backrest. It is
also a good idea to use a footrest and keep your legs straight at a 90-degree
angle.
THE POWER OF WATER Water is essential for the functioning of
our bodies since it transports nutrients, helps to eliminate wastes, and regulates
body temperature. Moreover, blood is composed of 83% water. Stay hydrated
by drinking at least two liters of water a day.
PROTECT YOUR STOMACHIn case you have an unavoidable date for an
excessive lunch that will result in heaviness, bloating and other
digestive disorders, use suitable food supplements with enzymes (in order
to enhance digestion), and probiotics, inulin and soluble fiber, which
contribute to gut flora balance.
WE ARE WHAT WE EAT The World Health Organization estimates that
a poor diet causes 50-60% of chronic diseases. Therefore, it is necessary
to maintain a balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, legumes,
whole grain cereals, olive oil and fish. Reduce meat, animal-origin fat
and sugar intake.
WALKINGIt is
one of the healthiest activities and you can do it every day! It can be
adapted to any situation, no matter if you are on vacation, traveling for
work... It will make you feel good since walking makes your brain release
serotonin and endorphins, the hormones of happiness.
HAVING A SHOWER: A RITUAL OF WELL-BEING Start your day with a shower to help you
face it with energy. Use a gel with proper pH levels. Do not take a shower
lasting more than 10 minutes, since it would take a toll on your skin and
the environment.
AVOID USING ELEVATORS Use the stairs, which is an easy activity
that will increase your physical activity without you noticing it. If you
live in a building with many floors, you can use the elevator but we
recommend stopping it some floors before yours in order to use the stairs
too.
MEDITATETake a
break and spend a few minutes connecting with yourself. Stop, leave the housework,
job and mental workloads behind, and spend some time for meditation. Five
minutes may be enough. It will help you discover yourself while contributing
to controlling blood pressure and improving memory.
HAVE DINNER EARLIERYou should allow your body enough time before
going to bed. A light dinner with vegetable foods and proteins will
improve the sleep and lower the risk of being overweight.
OFF MODETurn your
mobile phone off at night since it will help you free yourself from social
media and WhatsApp, which stimulate your brain and interfere with
rest. Before going to bed, replace your phone with a book or a
conversation with your loved ones.
SLEEP LIKE A BABYTry to make your bedroom the ideal place for rest:
cool, quiet and dark. If you find it difficult to fall asleep, you can
take melatonin, which will reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. Some
plants with sedative and calming properties, such as valerian, passionflower
or California poppy, are also good supplements.
HAVE AN INFUSION AT ANY TIMEHaving an infusion is like having a cup of health
at any time since they help us keep ourselves hydrated. Moreover, medicinal
plants will help us with their active principles. A cup of green tea at
mid-morning will provide us with energy and antioxidants; a chamomile and
anise infusion will ease digestion after having lunch and before going to
sleep; a cap of lemon balm will help us relax.
HUG
EVERYBODY!Is there anything more comforting than a hug?
Just a 20-second hug produces oxytocin and serotonin, the hormones associated
with well-being. A hug calms anxiety, increases confidence, and alleviates
stress.
SUNBATHE Sunbathing
is essential for our bodies to maintain suitable vitamin D levels. This
vitamin, which we associate with bone maintenance, also takes part in immune
function, reinforcing our defenses and helping us to prevent infections. Sunbathing
should always be done in moderation and should be avoided during the
hottest hours of the day.
SHARE YOUR CONCERNS Talk about them with people you trust. Putting
feelings into words helps us give them the importance they need and analyze
what they actually mean.
DETOX PLANAt least twice a year, after periods of excess —such
as summer or Christmas— our body needs aid to detoxify.
EAT FRESH AND SEASONAL FOODS Increasing the intake of fresh foods with easy
preparation improves our microbiota diversity, entails a great supply of
fiber and vitamins, which are degraded by cooking, and reduces the calories
provided in more complicated recipes. Choosing seasonal foods contributes
to enjoying better flavors in a varied diet. In addition, going on a walk to
the supermarket is a good way to do physical exercise and save fuel.
TRAIN YOUR BRAIN The same way we do physical exercise to keep
our bodies fit, our brains also need some training. Learning to play an
instrument, practicing a language, reading or doing hobbies are activities
that will keep your brain exercised.
AVOID SUGAR Replace
it with other sweeteners for your dishes, such as stevia, a plant with high
sweetening power. Try to be also careful with sugar camouflaged in certain
foods, mainly in ultra-processed foods.
READ THE LABELS Learn
to read the labels on products. This way, you will control your calorie,
fat and sugar intake. Bear in mind that ingredients appear ordered
according to quantities, meaning, the most abundant ones appear first. Do
not buy mechanically.
DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS We are unique and different. For that
reason, the important thing is to get to know oneself, analyze your strengths
and weaknesses, and learn to improve yourself. Do not compete,
collaborate.
PAY ATTENTION IN THE KITCHEN Choose the easiest cooking methods and
prioritize raw and fresh foods if possible. If you cannot do that, choose
steaming, griddling or baking, instead of stews and fried foods.
PRACTICE YOGA Yoga has important benefits for our physical and
mental well-being. The different poses help tone muscles and heal the
spine while also helping to increase flexibility and develop balance, as
they are associated with conscious respiration, and its benefits for stress
management and concentration improvement.
FEED YOUR MICROBIOTA Prebiotics and probiotics are responsible
for maintaining and restoring the normal functioning of the intestine. They
help us strengthen the gastrointestinal barrier and contribute to
maintaining the microbiota balance.
SET PRIORITIES Revise
your task list and be sincere to yourself, categorize them and decide in
what order you are going to tackle them. Learn to say “no” to some of them
and do not try to do everything at once. If you manage your time and
goals, you will avoid frustration and energy loss.
TRUST THE POWER OF PLANTS Nature is the greatest ally for your well-being.
Phytotherapy provides us with multiple solutions to enhance the proper functioning
of our bodies and prevent possible traumas.
TAKE VEGETABLE PROTEINSReplace the intake of meat with vegetable proteins,
which contain low fat and high fiber, are easier to digest, and are
satiating without containing many calories.
CONTROL YOUR WEIGHTBeing overweight and obese is one of the main
risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. They can also
trigger bone and joint problems or sleep apnea.
DO NOT SMOKE Tobacco
causes cardiovascular, lung and cancer diseases.
SAY “NO” TO ALCOHOLAlcohol intake is harmful to our physical and
mental health. Moreover, drinking alcohol too often may cause certain
social problems.
SURROUND YOURSELF OF PEOPLE WHO GIVE YOU
POSITIVE ENERGY Get away from toxic
people that bring you problems, stress and pain. They are tipically nitpickers,
jealous and arrogant. Stay away from them and get closer to people that add
positive things to your life and give you positive energy.
BE AN ORGANIZED PERSON Your home, your desk, your wallet, your closet...
If they are organized, they will instill harmony and well-being. Try to
organize one different thing each day. Organizing your surroundings
instills mental organization.
BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR FINANCIAL WELL-BEING A good balance among incomes, expenses and
savings is essential to maintaining our general well-being. Economic
problems may cause stress and other mental health disorders. If necessary,
revise your spending habits in order to adjust them.
BE A CARING PERSONLook for activities where you can help and be always
a generous person. Solidarity and happiness are closely linked. Several studies
show that helping others makes you feel better physically and mentally and
will increase the connections you have with your community.
JOIN THE SLOW MOVEMENT This cultural trend promotes calm living.
It is about getting away from accelerated paces, and it puts faith in
well-done things, enjoying the process of doing them, and adapting to the
natural rhythms of each step.
PLAY MUSIC Music
is able to change our mood since it makes our brain release dopamine, the
hormone of pleasure. Play your favorite playlist to include a
soundtrack to your daily activities, which will make you feel better.
SMILEA nice
smile and a cheerful look will make you pleasant to others, and you will
also feel happy. Be nice and respectful; say “hello”, “please” and “thank
you”; visit your family or phone your loved ones. The attitude with which
you face your routine influences your mood and your well-being.
