Taking on the responsibility of looking after your family whilst attempting to pursue a successful career is an enormous amount to juggle, so it’s not particularly surprising if you regularly find yourself forgetting to factor your own health and wellbeing into the mix.
Self care is a last priority for so many people, yet the effects that such a lack of TLC can have on both your mind and body are pretty catastrophic. Failing to look after yourself can lead to a variety of different health conditions that affect your abilities as a parent and in general, so it’s vital that you can take the time to implement just a few changes that can promote ultimate wellness for the sake of yourself and everyone around you. Fortunately it doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might expect to adapt your lifestyle to better suit longevity, as there are just a few key tips and tricks that you can utilise to feel a noticeable difference in no time at all! Read on to find out more.
Choose Whole food Over Ultra-Processed
One of the easiest ways to help promote better health is to choose whole foods rather than those which are ‘ultra-processed’, as your diet contributes massively towards the way that you feel both mentally and physically.
Regularly buying ultra-processed foods can lead to a long list of uncomfortable health conditions, including weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, mood swings or depression, sleep apnea and so much more. This is due to the many artificial ingredients that pack out ultra processed foods, as they often contain line after line of unpronounceable substances ranging from chemical preservatives to artificial colours and flavours, leaving nothing natural left for your mind and body to feast on. Ultra processed foods are those which contain any more than 5 ingredients, as this means that they’re likely to have gone through several manufacturing processes (that remove all nutritional value) before they finally reach your plate. If you’re thinking that almost everything you eat is now off the menu, then this just proves how poor your diet truly is!
Adding more natural whole foods to your diet couldn’t be easier, as all you have to do is start to cook more meals from scratch in the comfort of your home kitchen – this way, you can monitor the ingredients that go into your dishes, adding in more of the good and less of the bad. Say goodbye to manufactured muffins and hello to home-baked cakes, banish bland beef burgers and replace them with a delicious sautéd lean steak! The more natural your foods are the better they will be for your body, so if you focus on combining raw individual ingredients, you’ll start to feel as right as rain before you know it.
Use Less Transport and Move More
Another brilliant step that you can follow to help promote ultimate health and wellness is to use less transport so that you can get the chance to move more. In the modern day it’s far too easy to take the bus, grab a taxi or drive your car to wherever you need to go, even if it’s just 5 minutes away. This is no doubt contributing towards the nation’s obesity epidemic, as exercise is a key feature of a healthy lifestyle and every individual should aim to get up and get moving for at least 60 minutes each day.
Taking the decision to walk or use ebikes to reach your destination rather than simply sitting down in the car or on the train will transform the way that you feel both in mind and body, as you’ll gain the chance to work your muscles and get your blood pumping while relieving stress at the same time. Even making the simple choice of using the stairs rather than the lift or escalators will boost your well-being, so there’s no time like the present to start moving more.
If you don’t have to travel to work or don’t move as much as you would like in general, then you should aim to add exercise sessions to your daily schedule. Doing something as basic as following a yoga DVD in your living room can help to strengthen your muscles and burn fat, so you don’t need any special equipment or skills to begin working out.
Making just a few of these simple changes could have a dramatic impact on your health like nothing else can, so what are you waiting for?