Five ways to improve your health - today
If getting fit seems a world away, here are five ways you can change your habits and start getting healthier right now.
Major life changes like cutting out cigarettes, taking up a daily jog – demand serious commitment. However, there are smaller changes to your habits that you can get started on right now!
What you are eating?
Create a food diary and stripping out the extras – if you tend to finish off the kids’ meals when they’ve had enough, for example. It will instantly improve your diet.
See the funny side
Laughter triggers the release of endorphins. These help relieve pain, boost your body’s production of infection-fighting antibodies and increase blood flow through your heart. It also relaxes muscles and fights stress.
Break the sugar cycle
Processed, high sugar snacks cause your blood sugar to rapidly rise and then dip dramatically setting up a craving for more. Ignore the call of the biscuit tin for a day, and fill up on complex carbohydrates during meals, i.e. those based around starchy wholegrain foods. That bar of chocolate isn’t quite such a life-or-death essential!
Count alcohol units
For the sake of liver, kidneys, heart and brain cells stick to a weekly maximum of 14 units (women) or 21 units (men). But only a glass or two at a time. Remember wine glasses can hold as many as three units – just one small glass (175ml) of ABV 12% wine is about two units.
Get out in the sun
Although you should protect your skin from harmful rays, being out in the sun helps the body manufacture vitamin D. It prevents rickets and some think this hormone-like vitamin can help protect against heart disease, diabetes, tuberculosis, certain cancers and even multiple sclerosis.
Savvy tip
If your BMI (body mass index) is about right but you feel sluggish, consider a new sport rather than dieting or more gym exercise. A sport (badminton or five-a-side football) helps you relax, keep fit and adds zing to an all-important social life.
Pass it on – healthy supermarket swaps
At http://www.mysupermarket.co.ukhttp://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/landingpages/healthy-shopping.aspx you can enter your shopping list and it tallies how healthy your trolley is, offering alternative options.