A Beginner’s Guide to Starting a New Healthy Life

Healthy Living Healthy living isn't necessarily something that we’ve all been doing all our lives. It is something, however, that you c...

Healthy Living

Healthy living isn't necessarily something that we’ve all been doing all our lives. It is something, however, that you can start whenever you want to. There are so many different healthy living plans out there that it can get a little overwhelming trying to separate the helpful information from what might be detrimental. We have put together a list of all kinds of healthy living tips to help you. We’ll look at how to exercise on the go, ways to implement healthier eating in your everyday routine, and overall health and wellbeing tips that you can easily incorporate into your life. Let’s take a look!

What is Healthy Living?

Before we move on to healthy living tips, let's take a look at what healthy living actually means. It's a concept that has become something of a buzzword in recent years; it’s been co-opted by unscrupulous companies looking to make a quick buck by capitalizing on the public’s desire to live healthier lives. Real healthy living is something that we as individuals must take on ourselves in ways that make sense for us. Each person or family is unique, so there's no one overall healthy living solution; you have to break it down by what you need.

Physical Health

Unfortunately, exercising is often associated with the desire to lose weight or “slim down.” While losing weight is sometimes a byproduct of exercise, it should not always be the goal. If you are aiming to lose weight, do it because you feel that you need to, to be healthier, not to fit into a standard of beauty prescribed by society. Exercising should be about moving your body because it is good for your body. You don't need to take on a super intense HIIT session every single day; just move in a way that makes you feel happy and fulfilled. For example, one person might like to take fast walks listening to their favorite podcast, while another might like to join an online class to keep themselves accountable. If you prefer flexing your body as a method of exercise, you might consider yoga or pilates. You don't even have to leave your house these days to get fit: there are many subscription services you could try out. You could take walks around the neighborhood with a group or even join a gym if that's your thing. Remember to tailor the workouts to your fitness level or to your goals; you are an individual.

Healthy Eating

There are a vast array of different healthy eating systems to choose from, but remember that you need to take your body and its unique needs into account. If you are iron deficient, you may need to incorporate more red meat into your diet to stay healthy. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you’ll need to ensure that you get enough protein in to keep your body balanced. Stay far away from any system labeled “diet”. Diet culture is highly toxic and only serves to reinforce the body and beauty standards that society seeks to impose on individuals. They are also harmful because some of them recommend very extreme methods or restrictions, usually in pursuit of losing weight rather than becoming healthier. It’s usually best to visit a licensed dietician if you feel that you need assistance. If not, we recommend getting in the required daily servings of each food group:

• Grains: six per day
• Vegetables: three to four a day
• Fruits: four a day
• Dairy: two to three a day
• Meats, fish, and poultry: three to four one-ounce servings a day
• Nuts, seeds, and legumes: three to four a week
• Fats and oils: two a day

Over and above this, if you feel like a slice of chocolate cake, go for it! Of course, everything in moderation: have a slice, not the whole cake. Don't restrict yourself unduly, and don't overindulge as it may end in discomfort or an unhealthy lifestyle. Keep things balanced, and you should be just fine. Look for exciting recipes online to help change things up; this makes changing to a healthier eating plan (if you aren't a big fan of green things) a little easier and more enjoyable.

Self Care

The final factor in healthy living is taking care of yourself. Self-care is a buzzword that refers to a few different things. The mental aspect: taking care of your mental health, engaging in positive self-talk, engaging in activities that promote positive self-image, acceptance of yourself and your emotions, setting boundaries. The physical aspect: taking any meds that you may need, on time (this may impact mental health as well), resting if you need to rest, exercising, and getting out into nature. Do you need oral surgery in Queen Creek? Then, do it as soon as possible. You should never put off taking care of your health.

Some people may think that it's a craze that will pass, but self-care is an essential part of living a healthy life. You need to maintain your mental and physical wellbeing to be in a place to function well in all aspects of your life. Today that might look like getting up in time for work, showering, eating a healthy breakfast, and having a productive day. Tomorrow, it may look like taking a mental health day, running a bubble bath to relax you, and reaching out to a friend to talk or speak to a mental health professional if you feel that you need to. Self-care looks like a lot of different things to different people.

Wrap Up

Healthy living doesn't have to be complicated. If you take note of all the points that we have listed here, you should be able to make positive, healthy changes in your life with immediate effect. It doesn't have to be expensive either: you can exercise in old clothes that you wear at home, you can shop for healthier foods from discount stores, you can make use of free healthy living resources (like this one) on the internet, you can use household items as weights for your workouts, you can make bubble bath out of shampoo if you need some me-time to relax. Healthy living is what you make it!