How to Be Healthy

Author: Luba Lee / Source: wikiHow

Many people think that being healthy is a difficult task that involves lots of dieting and time at the gym, but that’s not actually true! By making some simple tweaks to your routine and setting small goals for yourself, you can be on the path toward living a healthier, happier life.

Start a daily habit of making healthier choices when it comes to eating, relaxing, being active, and sleeping. Soon, you’ll start to see your healthy life taking shape!

1 Drink more water. Adults should drink 2–3 liters (0.53–0.79 US gal) (or roughly eight 8 oz glasses) of water per day, while children should drink 1–2 liters (0.26–0.53 US gal) (or roughly five 8 oz glasses).^[1] That is in addition to other drinks like tea or coffee. Water keeps bodies at the correct temperature and removes toxins.
- It also keeps you from drinking unhealthy beverages like soda and juice, which are high in calories. The body barely registers the intake of these unhealthy drinks and yet you still feel thirsty hundreds of calories later.
- Drinking hot water (aka tea) can help stimulate your digestive system. Hot water also helps your body naturally detoxify itself. Make sure the water is comfortably hot and won’t burn you.
Tip: If you dislike the taste of water, splash some lemon, lime, or 100% juice into your water.
2 Eat breakfast. A light, healthy breakfast is sufficient enough to reap the benefits of eating early. If it’s comprised of lean protein and whole grains, then it will keep you from gorging at lunch.
Research shows that breakfast-skippers actually eat more! So, to curb your appetite, don’t skip the first meal of the day.
- Instead of two chocolate doughnuts and a coffee that’s more cream than anything else, opt for eggs, fruit, and for a beverage like skimmed milk, fresh orange juice, or tea. The healthier and filling your breakfast is, the more energized you’ll feel throughout the day.^[3]
3 Eat well throughout the day. If half of your plate is vegetables and fruit, you’re on the right track.^[4] Add in lean protein, low-fat dairy, and whole grains. Once a steady eating pattern has been established, your body will feel more comfortable. There may be a period of time when your body is wondering where the sugary foods went, but once you’re over the hump, you’ll feel better than ever.
- Remember that not all fats are bad for you. Good fats can be found in fish like salmon and tuna, avocados, nuts, and olive oil. These are essential to a well-balanced diet.
- Make an effort to eat regularly timed meals throughout your day. However, avoid grazing all day.
4 Eat at the right times. A good time for a healthy, easy-to-digest evening meal is between 17:00 and 20:00; it’s best to avoid late night snacks because they fill you with unnecessary calories and can disrupt your sleep. If you do need that midnight snack, stick to unsalted nuts, seeds, fruits, and veggies.
- Try not to eat 3 to 4 hours before you go to bed if you find that eating at night is causing you trouble sleeping.
- Snacking isn’t bad for you if you do it right. In fact, eating “constantly” can keep you from feeling deprived and going for that third piece of cheesecake when the cart rolls around. Just make sure it’s all in moderation.^[5]
5 Consider going meatless at least a few days a week. Being vegetarian is a good way to reduce your calorie intake and get loads of vitamins and minerals. It can also improve your cardiovascular health. If you don’t want to go fully vegetarian, you can improve your health by eating less meat. Choose a few days a week to go vegetarian, and switch out red meat for chicken, turkey, and fish.
- When you eat a vegetarian diet, base your meals around non-starchy vegetables rather than grains like pasta or rice. When you do eat grains, choose whole grains. Eat protein at every meal, such as eggs, low-fat dairy, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu, or other meat replacements.
- For example, you might eat scrambled egg whites with tomatoes and spinach in a whole grain tortilla for breakfast, black bean soup with a small side salad for lunch, Greek yogurt for a snack, and vegetable lasagna for dinner.
- A high-fiber diet is easily had without meat. Fiber has been shown to lower your cholesterol, control your blood-sugar levels, improve your bowel health, and make you less likely to overeat. The recommended fiber intake is 30g a day for men and 21g for women; after the…