Finding the right balance in your wellness routine can be difficult, even more so when it’s your first time changing up your habits. Many tend to turn to food for comfort, and diet books claim that restricting certain foods is the best way to lose weight. In reality, fad diets don’t work, and learning how to eat a healthy diet that compliments your lifestyle is what you need.
Wellness isn’t just about physical fitness, though there are plenty of benefits to leading an active and healthy lifestyle. Wellness also encompasses mental health, emotional health, and spiritual health.
- Don’t skip a meal.
Your metabolism will slow down, and your body will go into starvation mode when you skip a meal. Skipping breakfast decreases your metabolic rate and makes you feel hungrier throughout the day. Skipping lunch decreases your metabolism even more. Your diet is the most important factor when it comes to weight loss, and it’s been proven that skipping meals can lead to weight gain. However, jumping on the newest diet bandwagon-whether it’s a macro-counting, carb-free, vegetarian diet, or a weight-loss drug-can leave you feeling dizzy, confused, and frustrated. The best approach is to develop a wellness routine that fits your unique needs.
- Supplement nutrition.
A healthy diet is always important, but it’s even more important when trying to lose weight. The American Heart Association recommends 6-10 fruits and vegetables per day, plus 8-11 servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy and 6-11 ounces of protein. This may seem like a lot, but you can find these servings in moderate portions-fat-free or low-fat dairy products, including cottage cheese, yogurt, and milk. You can also take non-psychoactive wellness products like CBD, after breakfast is probably the best time to take CBD. Besides the balanced diet, when we think of a “healthy” lifestyle, we usually think of eating right and getting enough exercise. While these are absolutely key to living a healthy lifestyle, they’re only part of the picture. The body needs nourishment in order to function at peak levels, and without proper nutrients, the body can break down, making you more susceptible to illness. While it’s important to eat natural and unprocessed foods as much as possible, supplementing with vitamins and minerals (click here to see some samples) happens to be equally essential.
- Meditate.
With so many health experts telling you how to make a healthy wellness routine that actually works, it can get a little confusing to know which direction to go. If you feel overwhelmed, don’t worry. You start controlling your anxieties by doing meditation today. The simplest way is to concentrate on your breathing. You can also make use of a vagus stimulation device to help you relax throughout the day.
- Workout and Sleep
If you’re interested in learning more about health, wellness, and exercise, you’re in luck-we’ve pulled together a list of everything you need to know about making a healthy wellness routine that works. Consistency is more important than intensity when it comes to achieving your health and fitness goals. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a healthy, active lifestyle should consist of 150 minutes (five 30-minute sessions) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. Moderate-intensity activity includes brisk walking, cycling, or dancing. Exercising at a moderate pace for at least 20 minutes at a time, 6 days a week, and at least 3 days each week is recommended. The American College of Sports Medicine also recommends 2 days of strength training. Strength training exercises should include at least two 5- to 8-rep sets with static holds (such as holding a plank position or curl position in a power rack). Getting an adequate amount of sleep after your workout session is equally important. Ensure that you get quality sleep over the number of hours you sleep. If you wake up exhausted due to lack of sleep, you might need to consult a sleep doctor from a clinic like Gwinnett Sleep. Along with a strict exercise routine, you should also prioritize your sleep hours.
- Keep Hydrated.
Hydration is one of the simplest yet most critical ways to achieve optimal health and wellness. While most people know that drinking water is good for the body, many don’t think of it as a wellness tool. However, staying properly hydrated helps the body more efficiently digest food, transports nutrients to cells, aids in the removal of toxins from the body, and boosts metabolic functions. Staying hydrated is vital to living a healthy life. If you don’t drink enough water, your body will store fluid as fat. A good rule of thumb is to drink eight glasses of water daily. If you’re exercising, you should drink more water.
There are so many options when it comes to nutrition, exercise, and healthy living. How do you know what is right for your unique body, mind, and life? The path to wellness and optimal health is different for each person. The health experts at Intermountain Healthcare have come up with a guide that helps readers create a wellness plan using the six key dimensions of health: diet, physical activity, self-care, social connections, stress management, and a sense of purpose.
Healthy living isn’t about dieting; it’s making mindful choices every day to sustain yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Fitness, nutrition, sleep, stress, and relationships play a huge part in overall wellness, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
