Have you stopped to think about how your life is going? Where are you and where do you want to go? What's missing for this to happen? Improving physical health can be an excellent spark to stimulate improvements in other areas of life. We present here some easy to implement tips for adopting a healthier lifestyle.
Nutrition Tips
One tip for eating healthier foods is to choose "portable" foods that you can keep at hand, so at all times, the most accessible option to eat is the healthy option. Great examples of suitable foods are almonds, cashews, grapes, apples, carrot, celery, and even cherry tomatoes and salads.
Supermarkets have increased their product range of "on the go" healthy food options, practical to carry in a bag and eat at your convenience.
The concept began with the cereal bar and expanded to other products such as ready-prepared fruit and salad that already comes with dressing and a disposable fork. Yoghurt, dried fruits and several other options can replace more caloric snack foods and positively influence your way of life.
Keeping Active Tips
Studies have shown that planning, effective time management, and setting intermediary goals can lead to a healthier life. According to sports doctor Gustavo Magliocca, the most detrimental mistake people are often guilty of is to focus only on the ultimate goal. That is, if we have to wait for results, then we end up unmotivated.
We must also think about the importance of physical activity, Magliocca warned. According to the expert, exercise need not necessarily be in the gym - even the work or home stairs can be an ally to get out of a sedentary lifestyle. To promote enthusiasm for going outside a great tip is to keep a comfortable pair of training shoes right at the entrance of the house to encourage yourself to run or walk as soon as you arrive home.
Sleep and Mood Tips
Sleeping is essential for short and long term wellbeing. Two great tips to try are dimming the lights shortly before bedtime and taking a warm bath before going to bed.
Quality of sleep can cause significant changes in mood the following day. With a good night's sleep, you can avoid irritations and moodiness throughout the day. If you notice that you are irritated or stressed, another tip is to take breaks during work, and let off steam or talk to friends and colleagues.
References
Professor, Department of Epidemiology, National School of Public Health / Fiocruz.
Guttman, Levy, Louis, Shlomit (February 1982). "On the definition and varieties of attitude and wellbeing". Social Indicators Research. 10 (2): 159–174. DOI:10.1007/bf00302508.
Measuring what matters: the role of wellbeing methods in development policy and practice, 2015, McGregor, Coulthard and Camfield, ODI, https://www.odi.org/publications/9657-measuring-matters-role-well-being-methods-development-policy-practice
Tov & Diener (2013), Subjective Well-Being. Research Collection School of Social Sciences. Paper 1395.