Congrats! You’ve committed to start a healthy lifestyle.
But setting the goal is the easy part. Now you need to know where to begin.
Transformation doesn’t happen overnight. You implement new better habits one at a time. And step by step, you become healthier, and start feeling great in your skin.
So you’ve decided to start a healthy lifestyle. Here are 17 simple things you can do starting today.
1. Drink more water
Water is great for your skin. It helps carry nutrients to your body and your brain while flushing out waste. Plus, it helps make you feel full so that you eat less.
It’s easy to forget to drink. So fill a water bottle in the morning and try to drink it by your lunch break. Then fill it again and finish it by dinner.
2. Park further from the entrance
You’ve always thought that the great parking spot was the one by the entrance. But perhaps it’s time to rethink that.
It’s not just about what you do at the gym. You want to build more movement into your entire day. That way you’re constantly burning calories and toning your body.
Build opportunities in your day to walk. This is a healthy habit you’ll want to keep.
3. Stop buying temptation
It’s nice to think that you’ll just have a chip or two and then hide the bag in the back of your cabinet. But it won’t happen. If you have it in the house, you will eat it.
And inevitably you’ll give in and then blame your willpower. So avoid the temptation.
The only way to avoid a junk food binge at home is to not buy junk food. So don’t.
4. Start reading food labels
The food might look healthy. But you won’t know for certain unless you bother to ready the ingredients. Just because the label says it’s natural or organic, doesn’t mean that it’s good for you.
When you start a healthy lifestyle, you need to understand what you’re eating. So don’t just look at the calories on the label.
Look for ingredients that you can identify. If you see more vegetables in the ingredients, you’re good. If you see lots of ingredients that look processed, stay away.
5. Cut back on sugar
You probably eat more sugar than you think. Excess sugar can cause you to gain weight. It can increase skin problems. And it can even contribute to diseases like type 2 diabetes.
So while you’re looking at the food label, make sure to look for added sugar. You want to keep that to a minimum.
Even sugars like fruit juice and honey can be bad for you when consumed in excess.
6. Sneak in more vegetables
You know that you should eat more vegetables. But it doesn’t always happen. Especially when you’re busy and eating on-the-go.
So find ways to sneak more vegetables into your day.
- Blend them into a smoothie in the morning.
- Grab a bag of baby carrots for your afternoon snack.
- Give yourself a treat like celery with some almond butter.
7. Cut back on diet soda
Diet soda can be so addictive. But the truth is that it’s filled with all sorts of chemicals that aren’t good for you. Plus fake sugars can make you crave more sugar.
Try drinking seltzer water with just a squeeze of orange, lemon, or lime. This can be a great soda substitute.
Additionally, drinking seltzer will allow you to up your water intake. Which, as already mentioned, is so important when you start a healthy lifestyle.
8. Breathe more
So often, we go through the day being stressed and not properly breathing. Stop every once in a while and take a few good breaths.
Put your hands under your ribcage. Breathe in and feel that area expand. And then exhale slowly and feel your body relax and release tension.
When you’re feeling stressed, stop and take 10 deep breaths to help reduce stress.
Related reading: Learn How to Meditate: For Beginners
9. Set a bedtime
You thought you were done with a bedtime once you finished elementary school. But all those late nights can start to take a toll. Especially if you have early mornings.
Sleep deprivation takes away from you fully enjoying your day. And it can contribute to food cravings for fattening foods. Plus, it’s even been associated with memory loss and dementia later in life.
So set a time to wind down each night and stick with it.
10. Swap fruit for candy
If you’re the type that craves sugar, you want to fill those cravings in healthier ways.
So make sure your fridge is stocked with fruit. Seek out the fruit that grows naturally in the season you’re in. That’s when fruit tends to be its sweetest and juiciest.
If you’re not sure what’s in season, take a trip to your local farmer’s market. This is food just picked off the farm.
11. Limit computer and tv time
It’s easy to spend your non-work hours plopped in front of the television or computer screen. But especially if your job is sedentary, you must move more
So set a time limit. And when you’ve reached your limit, get up and do something different.
Even in bad weather, there are tons of other things you can do at home. So find a new healthy habit.
Related Reading: How to Be Healthy When You Work at a Desk Job
12. Laugh more
You know that eating more vegetables is good for you. But did you know that laughter can be equally important?
Stress management is crucial for a healthy lifestyle. Laughter can soothe tension and can even give a boost to your immune system.
So take time to chat with your friends. Watch a funny movie or a stand-up comedian. Listen to a funny radio show or podcast. And don’t even worry that you look silly laughing to yourself.
13. Try a healthy meal delivery service
Don’t use the excuse that you don’t have the time to delay starting a healthy lifestyle. Meal delivery services can help simplify healthy eating.
Get pre-made meals delivered to your home. Find a company that specializes in healthy food. Then all you have to do is heat the meals up.
This is great for the late nights when you would usually grab a burger. Or for those lunches on days when your schedule is packed.
14. Chew your food well
Parents tell us when we’re little that it’s important to chew our foods. But it’s something that we rarely think about as adults.
First, eating quickly can cause digestive discomfort. For instance, when you gulp down your food, you’re also likely to gulp down air. And this can cause lots of burping or acid reflux.
Plus, when you eat slowly, you eat more mindfully. This helps you appreciate your food more so that you feel more satisfied after you eat. And hopefully, this prevents you from overeating.
15. Find exercise you enjoy
If working out is a chore, you probably won’t do it.
Let’s say you’ve always run for exercise, but you hate it. Well, then it’s time to find something new.
Perhaps you want to start dancing. Or you’re thinking about taking a HIIT class. Or perhaps you live near an ice rink and want to try curling.
You need to feel free to experiment. Try different things. The secret to sticking with an exercise routine is to do something that you find fun. But you won’t know what that is unless you are open to trying new things.
16. Stop being a workaholic
It’s fine to work hard. But it’s also important to build in time into your life for play.
So beware if you find yourself becoming a workaholic. Vacations and free time aren’t a luxury. They are a necessity for your health.
So give yourself permission to enjoy your downtime. Your good health depends on it.
17. Stretch
When you start a healthy lifestyle, you focus on things like feeling the burn and eating more vegetables. But stretching seems low on the priority list. After all, it doesn’t burn calories.
However, stretching is one of the most important things you can do.
When you stretch, you invest time into feeling great in your body. Not just for today, but for many years to come. When muscles get tight, they can cause pain and injury which will keep you on the sidelines.
Start a healthy lifestyle today
Getting healthier doesn’t have to mean an overnight overhaul of your entire lifestyle. Sometimes, slow and steady wins the race.
You have to start somewhere. So pick a few off this list as a place to begin.
Once you realize how great you can feel with a few changes, you’ll just want to make more. And before you know it, these small changes will be healthy habits for life.
