It is no secret – the simplest things are often the best if we want to feel good all year round.
Hypertension, obesity, anxiety, stress and burnout are the common issues which plague the lives of many individuals in today’s world. This is because we so many of us tend to have crazy schedules with irregular meals and equally irregular patterns of sleep, coupled with loads of stress, deadlines and unhealthy eating patterns.
The end result being more burn outs than ever, high levels of blood cholesterol, diabetes and heart diseases at very early ages.
Thus, it’s very necessary to embrace a healthy lifestyle.
May these 10 tips for a healthy lifestyle inspire and guide you along the way.
Drink more Water
Most of us simply don’t drink enough water during the day.
Water is essential for our body to function. Did you know that over 60% of our body is made up of water?
Water is needed to carry out our body functions, remove waste and carry nutrients and oxygen around our body. Since we lose water every day through urine, bowel movements, perspiration and breathing, we need to replenish our water intake.
The amount of water we need depends on various factors such as the climate you live in, your physical activity, your body type and so on.
For most people, about 8-10 glasses per day should be fine.
One way to tell if you’re hydrated or not is by checking your urine. It should be colorless or slightly yellow. If it’s not, you’re not getting enough water. Other signs of not getting enough water may include: Dry lips, dry mouth and little urination.
So, did you get your daily dose of water already today?
You might need to get a glass of water before continue reading 
Meditate
… in the broadest sense of the word. Whether you label it as meditation, mindfulness, mindful meditation or chilling around a bit; more importantly is that you do it! Allowing yourself that 1-minute, those 5, 6, 12, 21 or 30 minutes of tuning out with the world and tuning in with yourself.
Want to start with meditation, and maybe check out why it isn’t working for you?
Interesting stuff to read in previous blog posts on meditation.
Subtle shifts will happen if you stick to it. You might not notice them so much yourself in the beginning but there will be less worry, more focus and more joy.
All you need to do is Trust.
Get enough Sleep
For most people, the advice here might simply be: Get More sleep!
Getting less than seven hours’ sleep at night triggers higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can lead to stress, anxiety, depression and weight gain.
You can get to sleep more easily at night by turning off the TV, laptop and your smart phone at least an hour before bedtime… their bright lights can fool your body into staying awake.
Also during the night, put your phone on flight mode for a bleep free experience.
Move your Body
As a yoga teacher, I’m an advocate of yoga of course. But also other types of physical activity can help us prevent or manage a wide range of health problems and concerns, including back pains, diabetes, arthritis, metabolic issues and many more.
Especially when getting older, we want to stretch that body and be able to still jump out of bed in the morning! Just 30 minutes a day of brisk walking every day will stimulate various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed.
Just a couple of sun salutations and downward doggies will improve your muscle strength.
No need for huge goals, be gentle, just move a bit, every single day.
And the best thing being, you may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.
Who said Healthy Food needed to be boring?
Eat your Veggies
Experts suggest that we should have 5 to 9 servings of fruits and veggies per day.
No time, don’t like veggies?
Put them in a smoothie, juice it all up, make a stew, … whatever works.
And, don’t hold back on spinach, kale, broccoli, berries, avocado, beets and kelp! Some of the healthiest and most nutritious foods on the planet.
On our yoga holidays, the meals we serve play a crucial part as they support our yoga practice. In many locations, we now fly in expert chefs to secure balanced and nutritious food feasts.
If you are interested in healthy food, and want to really zoom in? Then make sure to check out our Deep Dive in Yoga programs! During these weeks, we will zoom in deeper on asanas, meditation, and healthy nutritious food!
Practice the Art of Gratitude and Being Gentle
Ahimsa or non violence all the way!
Non violence, especially towards yourself.
You Are good enough, you don’t need to reach this or that to be loved, to be important, to…
More, faster, quicker, bigger, … Often we find ourselves chasing an ever-growing list of goals, many of which are usually material. The majority of us could do with spending more time on what we do have instead of what we think we are missing. Which brings us to Gratitude.
Our mood can be lifted by giving thanks for anything, from our friends and family, to a beautiful landscape or sunset.
For some, it can be hard in the beginning to be grateful, especially when you have so much “stuff” going on and you think life is giving you a hard time.
In that case, go slow and start small.
In the evening, see if you can be thankful for just one thing. Something that happened during that day, something general or something small. It can been an ‘ok meal’, or not having spent any time in a traffic jam on your way to work.
Do this for a couple of nights in a row. Just being thankful for one thing. It can even be the same thing for a while. Trust the process. Trust yourself. And notice, how, after following this routine for a while, you will find more inspiration. No doubt about that.
Breathe. Deeply
Oxygen is a vital source of life.
You know how to breathe, we all do it at night, but are you breathing properly?
During my yoga classes, lots of people realize that they only take shallow breathes and that they are not using their full lung capacity.
A full breath is one where your lungs are completely filled, your abdomen expands and there’s minimum movement in your shoulders. Take three long full breaths when you feel anxiety and see what happens.
On our yoga holidays, quite a bit of attention goes to breathing properly as Pranayama (breathing exercises) can heal and help you relax in any given circumstance.
Avoid Alcohol or at least Be Moderate
While some people consider a moderate amount of alcohol good for our health, most people tend to end up drinking far more than desirable so that kind of takes it far away from being ‘healthy’.
It is repeatedly proven to have negative effects on our body and health, impacting the proper functioning of our brain, liver, lungs, and other major organs. If you drink alcohol regularly, it’s time to start cutting it out more regularly.
Awesome meals and great dinners without alcohol, it is possible 🙂
Get Out More Often
If you have a regular job with ‘normal’ hours, chances are you spend most of your times holed up in the office and not a lot of time going out and having fun.
Sunlight, and the vitamin D this can make in the skin, is associated with a wide spectrum of benefits for the body including a reduced risk of several forms of cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis and osteoporosis, as well as improved immune function.
While burning is to be avoided at any time, get as much sunlight exposure as possible for optimal health.
Oh, and whilst doing so… please put your phone on flight mode…
If you truly want to benefit from your free time and have your heart sing, turn off the damn thing! Digital free weekends, digital free afternoons. Just try it and notice the difference.
I assure you there will be less anxiety and more peace of mind when checking your Facebook and Instagram accounts just a little bit less.
Go on a Yoga Holiday
The best way to bring it all into practice, to start again, to take a break form it all in a safe environment, with like minded people around is to go on a yoga holiday every now and then. No high fly spiritual stuff, just a week or a weekend of Relaxation, Me time and yoga to get back in tune with you body and mind.
With the Revealing Vajra yoga holidays and retreats, you are assured of daily yoga classes and meditation, awesome locations, nutritious, balanced and yummie food and like minded cool people.
I hope these 10 tips for a healthy lifestyle have inspired you and/or got you back on track. Curious to hear which health tips are most applicable for You right now so do share your experiences
Feel free to share these health tips with your family and friends as well to help them stay healthy, using the social media buttons below.
Transformation and Growth come when you make a big commitment to yourself – to living your best life, here and now.
With gratitude,
Rachel
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