14 Simple Ways to Be Healthier Every Single Day

It’s probably safe to say we all wish we lived healthier lives, full of many 6 a.m. yoga classes and absolutely zero 10 p.m. ice cream sundaes. Alas, life. Still, bettering oneself is a noble pursuit, and we’re committed to seeking out small improvements that have big impacts. That way, the road to healthy living doesn’t feel quite so insurmountable that we throw in the towel entirely. To inspire you to live healthier each day, we’ve rounded up 14 simple habits that make all the difference. Read on.

Get moving.

Bike to work. Do a set of jumping jacks in the morning. Buy a jump rope and spend five minutes perfecting your double dutch. Put on a playlist of four or five songs, and dance like no one’s watching. Do leg flutters under your desk while you work at your computer (no one will even notice!). Set an alert for yourself for every hour or so and make a point to walk to the kitchen for a cup of tea or stroll to a co-worker’s desk to say hi.

Cool off. 

Though a hot, steamy shower is the stuff of daydreams, it can actually be damaging to your skin and hair health. Because no one really wants to take an icy shower, try to find a happy medium and cool it down a touch, or at least turn the temperature down during the last two minutes of your shower. Even this burst of cold will do your body good, closing your pores and hair follicles (and waking you right up).

Stretch. 

Throughout the day, pay attention to your body, and stretch when you’re feeling cramped, tired, or just generally in need of a pick-me-up. Try a couple of sun salutations first thing in the morning to get your blood flowing, and end your day with a slow, seated stretch of bending at your hips to touch your toes. Hang out in these positions for as long as feels necessary.

Look up. 

The next time you’re walking down a street, put your phone away and allow your eyes to wander. Notice details. Challenge yourself to pay attention to things you might normally ignore. Pause before going inside, and look up at the sky, the clouds, or the moon.

Hydrate.

Drink an extra glass of water every day. Better yet, drink a few extra glasses. To help in this, try drinking a glass of water before every meal. Oftentimes we mistake thirst for hunger, and drinking a tall glass of H2O will actually help you feel fuller, longer.

Commit to citrus.

Drink a cup of warm water with lemon juice in the morning. The benefits of sipping the antioxidant-rich beverage are numerous: It reduces inflammation, aids digestion, and boosts energy, to name just a few.

Be one with nature. 

Whether that means taking a break from your office to stand outside in the sunshine, waking up a little earlier to take a walk around your neighborhood, or beelining it to the beach at morning’s first light, it’s all good. The health benefits of nature are well documented, with studies suggesting being outside can ease depression, improve focus, increase creativity, and even strengthen your immune system.

Take the stairs.

Whether it’s at work or home, there’s always that moment of pause where you can opt to take the stairs instead of the elevator. Challenge yourself to get walking. While you’re at it, inject a little bit of training into your flight climbing. As you take a step, plant your foot more firmly into the floor, allowing the entirety of your foot to meet the step, then burst out of your step and into the next.

Perfect your posture. 

Sit up a little straighter and stand a little taller! Bad posture has all kinds of negative health impacts, including chronic muscle pain, reduced circulation, headaches, and even bad moods. Sitting up straight and assuming the body language of victory actually has a proven-positive impact on your health, both physical and mental.

Practice mindful eating. 

Many of us are in the habit of eating at our desks, in front of the television, or absentmindedly while we do another task (or two or three). Try to slow down the act of eating. Focus on taste, consistency, and your enjoyment. When you can, eat your meals sitting down at a table, where all you are doing is eating and reflecting.

Meditate.

The best times to take a stab at some meditation are first thing in the morning before you’ve caffeinated (but after you’ve gotten up and splashed some water on your face) and in the evening before dinnertime. Take some time to sit quietly and close your eyes. Find a comfortable spot to sit that has back support, and tuck yourself into a cozy blanket. Repeat a mantra, concentrate on positive thinking, focus on deep breathing, or just allow your mind to wander. The benefits of meditation are manifold, and even a “failed” attempt provides a much-needed break.

Wind down.

Turn off all your technology 15 to 30 minutes before bedtime. Even something as harmless as checking your phone just before going to sleep can disrupt your sleep pattern, as the bright screens excite optic nerves and make your eventual sleep less restful.

Give your eyes a break.

Eye health experts recommend the 20-20-20 rule in order to preserve eye health, cut down on eye strain, and reduce eye strain–related headaches. For every 20 minutes you spend on the computer, glance away from the screen for at least 20 seconds by looking at something 20 feet away.

Get enough sleep. 

Not getting enough sleep is one of the most consistent indicators of poor health. Though everyone is different, adults generally require between seven and eight and a half hours of sleep per night. If you aren’t sure how much you require, pay attention to your energy levels and mood each day, and tweak accordingly.

Do you have any simple tricks for a healthier lifestyle? Tell us in the comments, and then scroll to shop some of our favorite products for kicking your health into high gear.

Article published by My Domain and created by Dana Covit

The Complete guide to Working out before Work

Life inevitably gets in the way of your gym date. That’s why people who exercise in the morning are more likely to stick with it, Barbara Brehm, a professor of exercise and sport studies at Smith College in Massachusetts and author of the recently released textbook, Psychology of Health and Fitness, told Quartz. “It’s because they get it out of the way first thing. They haven’t been exposed to a whole day of draining activity and stress, which can leave you feeling pretty depleted by the end of the day.”

Some studies even suggest that working out before breakfast can have some fat-blasting, muscle-building, and disease-preventing benefits. Yet for most, the idea of working out before work sounds like advice from Satan. But it is possible to make a new habit that doesn’t feel like a date with the devil. Here are some tips for rising early and lacing up:

Prepare for success

Start by scheduling your morning workouts just like you would a doctor’s appointment or office meeting. You’re much more likely to complete your early morning exercise if you write it down, Alice Burron, a Wyoming-based personal trainer and spokeswoman for the National American Council told Everyday Health.

The next step, Brehm says, is to adjust your sleep habits to suit your new schedule. “Sleep is just as important as exercise,” she told Quartz. Seven to eight hours is recommended for the average adult.

But before dozing off for the night, eliminate any barriers between you and the door come morning. Experts suggest laying out your clothes (or even wearing them to bed), filling up your water bottle, and placing your keys in your sneakers by the door the night before. It should take no more than 10 minutes to get ready. Fewer obstacles means fewer opportunities to revert to your pillow and a higher likelihood of success.

Read more about this article via QUARTZ,  HERE

6 Simple ways to Boost your Metabolism

Throughout my years counseling clients I’ve seen many achieve fantastic weight loss results, including those who had not had success with other approaches, or thought they couldn’t possibly lose weight due to various circumstances, like being injured and unable to exercise, or being post-menopausal.

Based on my experience, I always believe that results are possible, but I’ve also learned that weight loss isn’t predictable or easy—and it certainly isn’t as simple as a calories in versus calories out equation.  A new study, from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), illustrated this, and backs what I’ve seen in my own practice—one person’s metabolic response to eating less may not mimic another’s, due to biological differences.

NIH researchers studied a dozen obese men and women in a metabolic unit. The study measured the subjects’ calorie expenditures, both before and after a day of fasting, followed by a six-week phase during which they reduced their calorie intakes by 50%. After accounting for factors including age, sex, and starting weight, scientists found that those who lost the least weight during the reduced calorie period were those whose metabolisms decreased most during the one day fast. These people have what scientists refer to as a “thrifty” metabolism. The opposite results were also found: those with “spendthrift” metabolisms, which decreased the least during the fast, lost the most weight.

In a nutshell, the theory behind “thrifty” metabolism is that when faced with a sudden shortfall of food, some people’s bodies quickly compensate to conserve energy, by burning fewer calories. So if, for example, you went from eating 3,000 calories a day to 1,500, a thrifty metabolism would trigger a conservation mode, designed to shrink the calorie deficit. Historically, people with this adaptation were better able to survive during times of famine; but today, it presents a challenge for those trying to shed excess pounds. It’s also one of the reasons why simply slashing your intake by 500 calories a day isn’t a guarantee that you’ll shed one pound in a week.

If you think you may be in this group, and your biology is making it tough for you to see results, don’t give up. Here are six things you can do to maximize your metabolism, and counter the effects of possible “thriftiness.” While your results may be slower than a “spendthrift” counterpart, losing weight isn’t an impossibility.

Keep reading this interesting article Via HEALTH, HERE

6 Spiritual Practices To Balance Your Emotions

Up and down ... up and down. Isn’t this how we feel most of the time? We fluctuate between feeling good and bad, happy and sad. We like this and dislike that. We try to attract joy and we attempt to avoid suffering. We act and react, over and over again ...

These opposite states of experience are described in yoga philosophy as obstacles along our path to freedom. When we feel up we usually want to stay there, so we develop attachment (raga) — the pull toward anything we like or want. When we feel down, we want to get away so we develop aversion (dvesa), the pushing away from something. We experience dvesa when we encounter a relationship or sensation that does not feel good.

Two sides of the same coin — one causes longing if not achieved, and the other causes pain if not avoided. This up and down is a pattern of suffering that we pass through all day, every day, to greater or lesser degrees. And although natural, these emotional swings are inhibitors to our ability to sustain inner peace and lasting happiness.

Raga and dvesa are among the five kleshas or blocks that Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras identifies as states of being that contribute to our spiritual ignorance (avidya). Until we can bring these emotional fluctuations under conscious control, we are at the mercy of our preconditioned patterns.

Just take a moment to consider since waking this morning, how many times you moved toward something you liked, or away from something or someone you didn’t like. It’s easy to see how — consciously or subconsciously — these polarities drive many of our decisions and behaviors. Until we come to a state of balance, where the seesaw of raga-dvesa stops tipping from one extreme to the other, we will not experience harmony in our bodies, minds or emotions.

According to the Yoga Sutras, the purpose of yoga is to still the fluctuations of the mind to perceive our true nature. We will never be able to dwell within our changeless essence if we are always tossed around by that which changes, otherwise known as the ego self.

Keep reading this great article, via Mind Body Green HERE

67 Science-Backed Ways to Lose Weight

Healthy habits can quickly go out the window when we’ve got a tight deadline, no time for 

the gym, and few options but takeout food. Losing weight is no easy task, and doing it the healthy way can be even harder. We’re advocates for making small changes each day, rather than making drastic changes all at once. But it’s important to remember that just because a weight-loss strategy works for some (even if it’s backed by scientific studies) it may not work for everyone. From drinking more water to eating from blue plates, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite weight-loss tips to add to your daily routine.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to be a comprehensive weight loss guide. Each entry may not be right for every individual. We at Greatist believe in providing readers with the information to make their own healthy choices based on a variety of weight loss techniques. What's appropriate for one person may not be best for his or her friend, mom, cousin, etc. As always, consult with a healthcare professional before starting any weight loss program.

Tips for Eating

1. Get the Blues

“I got the blues” may conjure up memories of those macaroni and cheese commercials from the ‘90s, but we’re talking about blue dishware. The color blue can act as an appetite suppressant because it has the least appealing contrast to most food. Research says to avoid plates that match the food served on them (like white plates and fettuccini Alfredo), because there is less of a contrast, which may prompt us to eat more. A small but potentially useful trick!

2. Eat Snacks!

Skipping out on snack time won’t necessarily lead to weight loss, since low calorie consumption can actually slow metabolism  . Eating less than three times a day may benefit those who are obese, but research shows skipping meals throughout the day and eating one large meal at night can lead to some undesirable outcomes (like delayed insulin response) which may increase the risk of diabetes   . Instead of forgoing breakfast or lunch, stick to a few meals a day with healthy snacks in between.

3. Peruse the Perimeter

Next time you need groceries, circle the perimeter of the store before going in. This isn’t a way to stalk out your prey, but actually a tactic to load up on the healthy stuff first. The edges of grocery stores generally house fresh produce, meat, and fish, while the inner aisles hold more pre-packaged, processed foods. Browsing the perimeter can help control how many unwanted additives are in the grocery basket.

Keep reading more of this very interesting article via Greatist HERE