Photo by Mohamed Nohassi

Originally Posted On: New Year, New You? How To Give Your Body A Health Boost (socialifestylemag.com)

 

There’s no denying that 2020 has given most people a lot of time to think about their lives and what they wish to achieve in the future. One area of concern for many of those individuals is their health.

The sad truth is that it’s been easy to pick up many unhealthy habits during COVID-19 lockdowns and quarantines. If that’s something you’re guilty of doing, you should know that it’s never too late to do a u-turn on those unhealthy habits.

You’ve come to the right place if you want to know how to do a full body detox and give yourself a significant health boost. The following are some inspirational strategies and ideas you can try to reverse things that are negatively impacting your health:

GET PLENTY OF UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP

Everyone needs to sleep at some point. Most people will spend their daylight hours working or engaged in other activities and then go to sleep at night. Of course, some folks work shifts and must sleep during the day and wake up to work in the evenings.

Irrespective of your daily schedules, one thing you must do is get plenty of uninterrupted sleep. If you’re wondering why that is so important, here are some of the benefits:

• Lower susceptibility to illnesses;
• Easier to reach weight-loss goals;
• Improved concentration and productivity;
• Maximizes athletic performance;
• Reduced risk of depression and diabetes.

There is much debate about how much uninterrupted sleep you should have. But, the consensus is generally around 7-8 hours daily. Now that you know why it’s essential to have uninterrupted sleep and how much to have, how can you achieve that goal?

GET CHECKED FOR SLEEP APNEA

If you snore a lot every time you sleep, you might likely be experiencing sleep apnea. In case you wondered, sleep apnea describes when your breathing stops and starts while you sleep.

Other sleep apnea symptoms include making gasping or choking noises while you sleep and feeling lethargic when you’re not asleep. The causes of sleep apnea are usually obesity and excessive smoking and alcohol consumption.

Your doctor can diagnose you for sleep apnea and provide you with treatment options to have a better quality of sleep. Alternatively, you could seek help from a private clinic such as NYBG Sleep Lab.

UPGRADE YOUR MATTRESS

Did you know that you should buy a new mattress every six to eight years? Over time, mattresses lose their firmness, and any foam layers inside of them start to sag. Failing to rotate the mattress when you change your bedsheets can degrade your mattress quicker.

Mattresses are available to suit specific needs such as body shape and size, firmness level, and, of course, the number of occupants. When you buy a new mattress, be sure to check that it’s the right one for you.

You can buy mattresses made with different materials; the one you buy will ultimately depend on your needs and how much you’re willing to spend.

ADDRESS ANY SUBSTANCE ADDICTIONS

Substance abuse can take many forms. Some people assume it only refers to excessive consumption of illegal drugs, but it can also refer to legal substances such as alcohol. In any event, a substance addiction will significantly cause harm to a person’s body and health.

As you can appreciate, addressing substance addictions isn’t something most people affected by them can resolve quickly and easily. That’s why it makes sense to have the right therapy and support from organizations such as Enterhealth.

Regardless of who you choose to support you through your recovery journey, one thing you must do is recognize that there’s a problem and be willing to find a way to resolve it. Don’t opt for substance addiction therapy solely to appease people around you. Do it for yourself.

The good news is you’ve got many treatment options open to you, tailored specifically to your situation. Once you’ve undergone and completed the right therapy for your needs, you’ll instantly notice a marked improvement in your health.

CREATE A HEALTHY EATING PLAN

One of the biggest reasons many people experience all kinds of medical conditions is down to one simple fact: they are overweight. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, given that a lot of individuals eat the wrong foods because of their busy lifestyles.

Work and childcare demands often mean many people don’t have the time to scrutinize what they eat and only consume healthy foods. It’s easier to eat lots of snacks for short energy boosts during the day.

Of course, what that ultimately does is ensure that people’s bodies become heavier due to excess fat. Eating the wrong foods and to excess, coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, will also result in faster weight gain.

With those thoughts in mind, is it even possible to create a healthy eating plan? The answer is yes – but you’ll need to make a few lifestyle adjustments. Here are some examples of what you might need to do:

DEVISE A FOOD TIMETABLE

You should work out a food plan that enables you to lose weight slowly and consistently, rather than quickly and then stopping abruptly. Doing so will virtually guarantee that you’ll get rid of those unwanted pounds from your body.

When you devise your food timetable, you should take into account snacks as well. That’s because there will be times during the day (and night) where you want a snack between meals. You should never starve yourself and wait until your next big meal.

Take a look at the Tastes Better from Scratch website for some inspirational meal planning ideas to use for your food timetable. It’s also got vegetarian options for those on a plant-based diet.

CUT DOWN ON YOUR SUGAR INTAKE

Whatever you choose to eat and drink each day, make sure that it contains little to no sugar. Everyone enjoys the sweet taste of sugar on the things they consume, but excessive sugar intake is harmful to your body.

For example, sugar is a well-known ingredient that significantly contributes to weight gain. It’s also a leading cause of tooth decay and can increase your chances of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even cancer.

It’s important to recognize there are two types of sugars that people consume each day:

• Free Sugars – the type you add to things like meals and breakfast cereals. You can also find free sugars in honey, syrups, and things like smoothies;
• Naturally-Occurring Sugars – the sugar found in milk, fruit, and vegetables.

The ‘free sugars’ are the leading cause of weight gain and increased risk of disease development.

CUT DOWN ON YOUR SALT INTAKE

An issue with excessive daily salt consumption is that it leads to high blood pressure. When you have high blood pressure, your chances of developing heart disease or having a stroke are higher than in a diet with little to no daily salt intake.

Some people also don’t realize that excessive sodium intake is worse than the salt equivalent. That’s because one gram of sodium equates to 2.5 grams of salt. Always check the salt and sodium content of each meal, snack, or drink that you consume.

CREATE A REGULAR EXERCISE PLAN

While some people lose weight with a diet alone, it makes sense to combine healthy eating with a regular exercise plan. You might see exercising as a chore, but it boasts numerous health benefits:

• Reduces your risk of heart disease;
• Helps your body manage insulin and blood sugar levels;
• Improves your mental health and concentration;
• Strengthens your body’s muscles and bones;
• Ensures you sleep better;
• Significantly reduces the risk of some cancers.

The above isn’t a definitive list of health benefits from regular exercise, but it highlights some of the biggest ones. Exercising each day will undoubtedly give your body the health boost it needs this year, and it’s something you’ll find easy to continue once you’ve done it a while.

Even something as simple as taking a 30-minute walk each day can be a great start to your exercising journey. When you devise a regular exercise plan, you must do things in stages (i.e., pace yourself) to prevent your body from ‘burning out’ and feeling out of energy.

Before you create your regular exercise plan, it makes sense to seek professional advice from experts. Consider discussing your requirements with a personal trainer like JSmith Fitness to develop a strategy optimized for your exercise and health goals.

Your local gym will likely have a personal trainer that you can discuss your goals with, plus you have the advantage of using numerous exercise equipment at your leisure.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Investing in your health will offer many advantages to your life. You’ll have more energy to do things, have better clarity when thinking about how to resolve complex problems at work, and you’ll reduce the risk of disease and cancer.

The steps to take aren’t complicated or challenging – they just require a level of commitment from you.

Good luck!