The small health changes that can have a big benefit

Taryn Davies
Published: May 8, 2018

Being healthier doesn’t require a drastic lifestyle change, in fact, there are plenty of small habits you can adopt that will provide a big benefit to your overall health and wellbeing.

If you want to make your life a little healthier, these are the small changes that can make a big difference.

Stand, sit and walk tall

It’s important that you consider your posture on a daily basis, slouching not only looks bad because it leads to a bulging stomach and round shoulders, but it can also have affect on your spine and breathing. When you slouch you put unnecessary pressure on the spring, and this reduce how efficient your breathing is.

It’s important that you sit, stand and walk tall, lengthening through the crown of your head, you’ll not only benefit the body but you’ll appear slimmer and taller too.

Take a break from technology

It’s not just our phones that we need to take regular breaks from, it’s pretty much all technology as they can cause electrical sensitivity which leaves to headaches, fatigue, sleeplessness and dizziness.

Electrical sensitivity can interfere with your body’s natural rhythm, so it’s important that you take breaks from it. Things that you might be surprised to learn can affect them include using the hairdryer for more than ten minutes, having a digital clock by the bed and sitting for too long and too close to the computer screen.

Eat your food properly

It’s important that we take time to chew our food properly, a minimum of 30 times for each mouthful is recommended. Chewing helps to helps to stimulate the enzymes that are needed to ensure proper digestion. Chewing this many times also guarantees that the food you’re eating is mixed with saliva and isn’t swallowed with too much gas.

If you don’t break down your food properly, it can lead to many different gut problems, things like gas and bloating.

Start the day with hot water and lemon

You’ve definitely heard this one before, but it’s a good one that should definitely be introduced into your daily routine. Lemons are great for helping to support your digestion, which is a great way to start the day. The fruit can wear down enamel, so it could be best to drink it through a straw, but the fact they help with fat digestion can help your body to absorb certain nutrients better too.

Make more of an effort with your sleep

Getting enough sleep is imperative for good health, plus it makes you feel and look better too. Not only that but quality sleep can also boost your metabolism and memory, reduce the feelings of stress, and decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease.

If you need an extra hand getting some better sleep, a magnesium supplement could help. If you’re deficient in magnesium it could help with your quality of sleep as it can relax your muscles and nerves.

Snack on nuts

Instead of reaching for crisps or chocolate when hunger strikes, keep almonds handy because they’re a great healthier snack option. Not only are the packed with protein, but they also have linoleic acid which is an essential fatty acid, are an excellent source of magnesium, zinc, iron, calcium, copper and phosphorus.

Take a walk on lunch

As well as getting you to stretch your legs, going for a walk on lunch, for around 15 minutes should be enough to get the vitamin D you need from sun exposure. Ensuring you get enough vitamin D is important as it can help with symptoms associated with mild depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder. Plus, it also helps with the absorption of calcium, which is vital for good bone health, as well as helping to boost your immunity too.

Make sex a regular occurrence

Having sex regularly can make you a happier and more confident person, all thanks to the love hormone, oxytocin, that is released during sexual activity.

Fake your burger

Want to cut back on the amount of starchy carbohydrates you eat? Look for fun alternatives to try and make sure you’re not missing out on the foods you love. Portobello mushrooms make great alternatives for burger buns, or to replace the burger itself. Use sturdy greens like romaine lettuce in place of tortilla wraps when having fajitas, and swap out rice for grated cauliflower. These are all great ways of ensuring that you eat plenty of vegetables through the day too.

Introduce a probiotic

A healthy gut can make a big difference to your overall health, and unless you’re eating plenty of foods to support your gut the best thing you can do is take a quality probiotic. These probiotics help to balance the good and bad levels of bacteria in our gut, and help to ensure that we absorb the nutrients we need and work to fight the bad bacteria.

Add in some more greens

We’ve been stressed since we were young the importance of eating our greens, and it still reigns true. If you’re eating plenty of spinach, broccoli, cabbage, sprouts and more, you could try adding in some greens from the sea as well. Try adding in some Chlorella or Spirulina powder into smoothies for an extra dose of vitamin C to help boost your immune system.

Brush your body

Dry brush your body on a regular basis to help stimulate the circulation, as well aiding lymphatic drainage. Spend five minutes dry brushing your body before you hop in the shower or bath, and always brush towards your heart.

Boost your antioxidants

Eat more purple foods like plums, red cabbage, aubergine, blueberries, beetroot etc because they’re an excellent source of anthocyanins which are a potent antioxidant. Antioxidants are essential for fighting the free radical damage that we come into contact with on a daily basis, so eating these foods will help to fight the signs of ageing from the inside.