Improve your health one change at a time

The message is loud and clear – in order to improve your health, you need to make lifestyle changes.  But making changes can be hard and can feel overwhelming.  You know there are things you should improve upon – dietary habits, weight, or exercise – but tackling them all at once is often unrealistic and sometimes self-defeating.  But here’s a better way – like any journey, all it takes is to put one foot in front of the other, one step at a time.  The power is not in how many changes you make at once; rather it’s in starting off slow and small, making powerful changes.

By starting off with only one change at a time, you will find it less daunting as opposed to jumping into several major lifestyle changes simultaneously.  Approach this by starting with a lifestyle change you are most interested in changing first.  Try this for at least one week, only concentrating on this one change.  If you like it, keep going. Then, once that change has become a habit, tackle another lifestyle change and continue to keep going from there.

Here are a few examples of making healthy lifestyle changes and easy ways it can be done:

·      Walk for 10 minutes a day

One of the most effective and easiest ways to become more physically active is to walk.  Our bodies are meant to move and the more you walk the better for your health. It has been well-documented that moderate-to-brisk walking can help lower the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, strokes, obesity, and diabetes.  Walking is also a weight-bearing exercise meaning your bones will become stronger and denser, lowering your risk of osteoporosis, the brittle bone disease.  While you’re walking your way to health, you will also be burning calories and boosting your mood chasing away feelings of depression.

Try walking for 10 minutes a day for one week.  Start off slowly for a few minutes to warm up and then walk briskly for a few minutes to get your heart pumping.  Walk slowly again for a cool down.  If you like walking and look forward to it each day, gradually increase your walking time a little more each week.  Your ultimate goal should be to walk at least 150 minutes of brisk walking each week.

·      Improve sleep habits

A good night’s sleep is incredibly important for health.  In fact, it’s just as important as eating healthy and exercising.  Getting a good night’s sleep plays an important role in your physical health.  For example, sleep is involved in healing and repair of your heart and blood vessels.  Ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. 

Trouble sleeping at night may signal you need to change your sleep environment.   With the rise in the use of the internet, many people are sleeping less than they did in the past and sleep quality has decreased as well. 

These problems can be fixed by making improvements to your sleep hygiene.  Resolve to keep a regular sleep-and-wake schedule, which can improve your circadian rhythms.  Keep your room cool at night, and turn the lights down low.  An hour and a half before bedtime, shut off electronic devices such as computers and televisions.  Limit alcohol intake after dinner; even though it can help you fall asleep at first, it can also interrupt sleep repeatedly.  Avoid eating food, especially spicy food, close to bedtime, as it may cause heartburn. 

·      Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables

A healthy eating pattern is a no-brainer in reaching better health and a great way to start the process is by eating more fruits and vegetables.  Higher produce consumption can help lower your risk of heart attack and stroke and may even play a role in preventing common causes of vision problems.  The benefit comes from the many vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other naturally occurring compounds found in plants.  The World Health Organization recommends eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.  An easy way to work toward that goal is to double the amount of either fruit or vegetables for the day.  Snack on fruits.  Add vegetables and legumes to omelets, sandwiches, or wild rice.  Try it for a week.  If the menu feels sustainable, add another fruit or vegetable the following week, until you get to five or more servings per day.

·      Stay well-hydrated

Many people fall short on staying well-hydrated.  Proper hydration begins with making sure you are consuming at least between 6-8 cups of fluids per day. This helps to keep every system in the body functioning properly.  Besides drinking fluids, water-rich foods, such as soups, fruits, and vegetables count.  When you fail to drink sufficient fluid throughout the day, this may keep your body from getting nutrients to the cells, flushing bacteria from the bladder, and making the bowels move normally.  Increase your fluids by using a bigger glass and filling it up each time you have a drink.  Have a glass of water with each meal and snack.  If your urine looks a pale yellow with little to no odor, you are likely well-hydrated.