2. Get Enough Sleep: The reasons why enough sleep is paramount to good health are endless. From brain function to physical and emotional health, it is crucial to get enough sleep each night to preform optimally each day. According to the National Institute of Health, the recommended amount of sleep for Newborns is 16-18 hours/day, Preschool-aged children is 11-12 hours/day, School-aged children is at least 10 hours/day, Teens is 9-10 hours/day, and Adults is 7-8 hours/day. Commit to creating a regular sleep schedule for yourself, and if you have trouble winding down at night, turn off electronics and media an hour before you plan to head to bed. Here are 16 Tips for Better Sleep. If this isn't enough, it would best to add some meditation in during this time. Here are some quick tips on how to start an easy mediation routine.
3. Eat Enough of the Right Things: We all know eating 3 healthy and balanced meals each day is easier said than done, and at times can feel like an unsurmountable task. You need to know that it's not, and it's much easier than you think. Here are just 2 things you'll need to make this an effortless part of everyday life. First, you'll need to know what your nutrient preferences are for a balanced daily diet, and you can get that info by checking out this easy chart. Second, you'll want to download the Loseit app to your smartphone and set up an account today. There are many tracking apps out there, and whether you're looking to lose weight or not, I suggest this one as I find it the most comprehensive, accessable, and easy to use. If you don't have a smartphone, you can always login on their website Loseit.com. From here, you'll be able to track the nutrients you eat each day, compare it to the nutrient preferences you need, and adjust accordingly. If you have questions, feel free to ask in the comment section.
4. Eat Real Food: There is nothing that disrupts the healthy functioning of your body more than artificial ingredients, stimulants (caffeine), depressants (alcohol), and medication entering your system. Avoiding this 100% of the time and eating all organic, real, whole food, is of course ideal, but not always realistic. Even with all of the planning and prepping you can do, sometimes life gets ahead of us and we are stuck making choices we'd prefer not to make. In those times here are 5 Ingredients to Unconditionally Avoid and 8 Tips to Get You Through the Supermarket. Remember to limit the amount of alcohol you consume, and don't rely on caffein for energy. Sleep, the right food, and exercise should be exactly what your body needs for the energy you need everyday.
5. Exercise: Last but certainly not least, you need to exercise. From stress reduction to heart health, exercise is an undeniably important component in your everyday life. Whether it's an intense workout, or just figuring out how to add more movement to your day, it needs to be done, and you don't need to go to the gym to do it. Here are some previous posts that can help make sure exercise happens everyday: 5 Full Body Exercises You Can Do Anywhere, 6 Ways to Jump Rope, 6 Ab Exercises You Can Do Anywhere, and 40 Ideas for Outdoor Exercise. Everyone has an ideal exercise time that is unique to them, check out the post Find Your Peak Exercise Time to determine yours.
