I can’t believe it’s already February! Didn’t we all just make our new year’s resolutions to take care of our health, exercise more and be more pro active. But, how many of us slack and fall back into our patterns, whether it’s due to our work, stress, family, or time constraints etc. and before we know it, we find that stress over takes our life.
Here are four simple steps to maintain a better lifestyle!
Be Active!
It is important to incorporate some type of daily exercise into your routine. Not everyone can take time away from work, home or family to go to the gym. But, there are other ways to stay fit. If your job requires you to sit for long periods, get up and walk around. Take a short walk during your lunch time. Park your car the farthest in the parking lot and walk, or take the stairs. Taking a brisk walk for 20 minutes everyday will get your blood circulation moving. Getting outdoors with the kids and doing some type of activity will not only increase your quality time with your children, but will also keep your joints mobile and will release endorphins to help keep your stress levels low.
Take a Breather!
Oxygen plays a vital role in our circulatory and respiratory systems. Just doing ten minutes twice a day of deep breathing exercises can help improve the flow of oxygen through your entire system and help get rid of toxins in your body. Most of us don’t know the correct way of breathing as we breathe through our chest. This can cause waste products to remain in circulation, which ultimately leads to fatigue and stress and deterioration of health. By learning proper breathing techniques, not only do we rejuvenate our internal organ systems, but also counter act the unhealthy effects of stress on our body.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep!
Lack of sleep can have important effects on health and wellbeing. Stress also effects our sleep patterns. Many people lie awake at night, tossing and turning, thinking about the daily stress in their lives. This can lead to exhaustion , which can lead to increased stress levels at work making it into a vicious cycle. There are ways to lower stress and manage sleep. And if you find yourself having difficulties falling asleep, fixing the sleep patterns will also have a beneficial effect in coping mechanisms of stress related issues.
Eat Right!
We all want to eat healthy and keep fit, but how many of us don’t have time to fix ourselves a healthy meal, so we go through a drive through as it’s quick and easy. Or we grab the first thing we see at the deli as we don’t have time to wait and gulp it down.. More and more people are eating processed foods which contain all kinds of preservatives and additives. These foods are high in sodium, sugar and fat and GMOs. This leads to allergies, digestive issues, low energy, and different types of cancer. It is important to maintain a food diary to realize how much junk we are putting into our body everyday. We need to be more mindful of what we put into our mouth and learn to chew and savor every bite. The more we are conscious of what we eat, the better we will start feeling. I always tell my patients to take baby steps in altering their diet as habits are hard to change. Start by packing your own lunch for work, and for your family. Alter healthy snacks instead of potato chips and sodas. Once you take charge of your diet, not only will you start to feel better, but you will also notice that the taste for the foods you once savored will have changed.
Incorporate these small changes into your daily life and you will find that not only will you start to feel better, but you will add more energy and vitality to your health and well being!
-Seema
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