How to Stay Young and Healthy

10 Great Tips on How to Stay Young and Healthy and Feeling Really Good

Recent research has indicated that the old saying “you are as young as you feel,” could very well turn out to be true.

Stop and think right now about how young do you feel? If you are feeling a bit older than you would like, keep reading the following tips.

Turn these tips into daily habits and you will start to see some serious improvements in your health and be on your way to having a happier & healthier lifestyle.

1. Stay Hydrated

We all know the importance of drinking enough water, but did you that water can increase your energy level? Yes, next time you are feeling tired and sluggish, drink a big glass of lemon water and see the difference it makes!

Add some lemon to that water! Lemons are a natural source of vitamin C, potassium, calcium, and magnesium and can also help to energize.

Our bodies are largely made up of water, and to keep everything running smoothly and functioning just fine, we need to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

2. Cut out most ALL added Sugar

The NHS found that the link between sugar and obesity is indeed very real, and is caused because sugar is loaded with empty calories (energy) that your body stores for later days. Only, the later days never come and eventually all that built-up energy is turned into fat. Sugar overload is linked to many health problems and one of the biggest is diabetes. The recommended daily intake of sugar for men is 38 grams and for women it is 25 grams. Read more on sugar addiction here.

3. Drive away from Drive-Throughs

Stop the drive-through madness and make it a rule to avoid this costly meal planning strategy. If you take only one hour every Sunday, you can easily plan some quick and healthy meals for the week. If you set aside a few hours, you can actually cook 3-4 of your meals in advance. Save a zillion dollars & your health and eat more meals at home.

4. Eat or Drink your Greens

We hear this all the time, but it really does pay to put serious effort into eating your daily greens! Find the ones that you love and work them into your daily diet. Fix a big bowl of healthy salad greens and enjoy them all week long.

5. Eat or Drink your Reds

We hardly ever hear about the importance of eating our reds like we do our greens, but they are just as important to our health. Read up on adding more red foods to your diet.

6. Eat Clean Most of the Time

Clean eating means eating foods in their natural state. Nothing processed or artificial. Avoid “fat-free” foods, these foods often contain lots of added salt and sugar.

Do away with all processed foods for at least one week and start to see how much better you feel!

Learn how to “sniggle” more vegetables into almost all of the foods you eat. Read more about clean eating and how to start right here.

7. Get your 10,000 Steps a Day

“Being physically active is one of the most important steps that Americans of all ages can take to improve their health. ~ health.gov.” If you continue to increase your daily activity you will burn more calories and maintain a healthy weight. Being physical active can help to prevent certain chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The key is to start doing something you love and sticking with it.

Stop Sitting! The more active you can become, the better off you will be in the long run.

A great technique to get you on your way to being physically fitter is to set goals that are small and then achieve them.

Once you truly understand that creating building blocks of smaller goals to reach a bigger goal is the best way to snowball your accomplishments. Take small action steps outside your comfort zone and you will begin to build confidence. Once you see taking smaller steps outside your comfort zone as a way to grow into what you want to be, you’ll be taking giant leaps before you know it.

Walking with friends everyday, hiking, biking, or even walking around your house are great starting points for exercise.

Your goal should be 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate to intense activity. A fitness tracker has so many health benefits and you can read about that here. Put those shoes on! You can do this!

8. Sleep More

Don’t burn the candle at both ends we were always told, and for good reason! Our bodies repair themselves during sleep so always try for the full 8 hours. With enough sleep, you will wake up rested and refreshed and ready to conquer the day.

9. Laugh More

Laughter actually does help to improve our health by giving our system a little workout while we use up all that energy it takes to laugh. Laughter helps to give our immune system a boost helping to prevent colds and illness. When you are laughing you are happy! Happy people tend to live longer than unhappy people. So let go of as much anger as you possibly can and stop hanging on to it for dear life. Let it go .. let it go…

10. Love More

Healthy relationships play a vital role in maintaining our mental and physical health. If you find yourself struggling with relationships then it’s time to take a look at what is going wrong. Relationships can be the cornerstone of good health so choose them wisely.

Self-love and self-nurture – When you find there is a shortage of someone to give to you, then give to yourself. Everyone is multi-tasking and busier than ever these days. Give yourself a treat. It doesn’t have to be extravagant. It could be something as simple as a chocolate bar or a cup of coffee with a magazine. Always remember, treat yourself how you want other people to treat you. Love you more!