We are almost halfway through this year and I’m sure each one of us made those New Year Resolutions of staying fit & healthy through this year. Well, for those of who did stick around to the plan & those who were unable to, it’s not too late to restart with the same enthusiasm as you did as the beginning of the year.
Here are a few easy to follow habits that will help you reach your goals and keep you active, young, nourished & energetic enough to chase your dreams.
- Get a good night’s sleep :I cannot stress enough on how important a good sleep is for health. Body’s important processes of repair, growth & regeneration take place during sleep. If you wake up tired & often forget things, try getting 6-8 hours of deep sleep & see how you wake up fresh, energetic & with a better memory.
- Meditate & Plan your day’s activities: Start the day 10-15mins early than your usual time & invest sometime in a small meditation/prayer & quickly chalk your daily planner. This will keep you focused & save a lot of time.
- Start off with a good wholesome breakfast: A well balanced breakfast will help you fuel up for the day & boost your metabolism so you burn more calories through the day. Besides that it will ensure constant energy supply till the next meal & prevent unnecessary cravings.
- Consume healthier mid meals: Most people tend to cheat here. When hunger pangs strike between the major meals one tends to fall prey to snacking on unhealthy foods like chips and biscuits that may put your healthy lifestyle goals down the drain. Instead choose to consume a variety of fruits, nuts, coconut water & buttermilk as a healthier alternative.
- Cut down on the tea & coffee intake: Tea & coffee contain tannin & caffeine respectively which inhibit the absorption of vital nutrients & overconsumption of these may lead to hyperacidity. If you are addicted to these try & reduce your coffee/Tea intake to 2 to maximum 3 small cups a day.
- Include at least 1 serving of greens in your meal: Green leafy vegetables & dark green leafy vegetables contain vital minerals like calcium, iron, vitamins like Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, folate, antioxidants & dietary fibre. Minimum of 1 serving of these can serve as a natural multivitamin dose.
- Choose whole foods rather than refined ones: Consume whole grains cereals & millets rather than refined ones like sugar, maida, rava . Whole grains contain more protein & fibre that will gradually increase blood sugar levels & keep you fuller for longer.
- Do not consume your meals in a hurry (especially major meals): It takes 20 mins for your brain to receive the message that you are full. So haste in eating is a complete waste as you mind end up overeating. Also when you eat in a hurry you tend to gulp food down without chewing the food properly which may lead to indigestion & malabsorption (disorder that occurs when people are unable to absorb nutrients from their diets, such as carbohydrates, fats, minerals, proteins, or vitamins).
- Increase the number of home cooked meals: Home cooked meals are the best. No matter how healthy you try to eat outside nothing can be compared to a good home cooked meal. So if you’re lacking time & need some quick recipes, we will share a link to the quick 7 easy breakfast & lunch recipes that we have curated especially for you.
- Hydrate yourself well: Hunger can be misleading & sometimes you may confuse hunger with thirst. So if you have eaten a while back & feel hungry at odd times try hydrating yourself with some infused water/coconut water/buttermilk, chances are that you may not be hungry.
- Keep yourself active: If your lifestyle is sedentary try to move around more often, it could be a short walk just to sip some water or freshen up or speak to your colleague instead of sending an email. You may also stand up and work on your desk just for a few mins to help better blood circulation. NEAT(Non-exercise activity thermogenesis) is a great way to burn calories at work especially those who do not have time to workout because of their hectic schedule.
- Take short breaks to stretch & relax: If you job involves working for long hours you must find some time to do some stretching exercises that will help you better your posture & concentrate better.
- Find time for some physical activity: It is important to involve yourself in some kind of physical activity, you may not necessarily hit the gym but opt for simple workout routines that can be done at home or play a sport/dance any exercise that interests you is the best suited for you. A minimum of 45 mins to 1 hour will help you stay fit.
- Food labels while purchasing packaged foods: Most people do read the expiry date while purchasing packaged foods. Investing a few more mins in going through the ingredients & the nutritional contents table will facilitate better food choices.
- Anti-ageing Solution: Who doesn’t want to look young? Challenging yourself with a new activities or hobbies of interest increases endorphins that release happy hormones & keep you young for longer.