People tend to believe that the lifestyle switches needed to improve our wellbeing must be drastic, uncomfortable and take staggering amounts of discipline, patience & time.
What if I told you that it doesn’t have to be that difficult?
That you can take small steps in the right direction and develop exceptional improvements to your health?
"No way, I don't buy it!"
"You are crazy!"
"If it was that simple, everyone would be doing it!"
This is what most people will immediately think.
Have you ever had that 'lightbulb'
moment when you’ve adjusted how you done something in your day and the results have been remarkable? It's along the same lines as that.
Let me showcase 5 simple shifts
you can do to produce lifechanging improvements:
1) Drink a glass of water (or two) as soon as you wake up in the morning
According to a recent study, consuming a full glass of room temperature water with an added slice of lemon first thing in the morning can have profound benefits for your health. The antioxidant qualities and high Vitamin C content of lemon will aid in maintaining proper brain, kidney & liver health. Additionally, by drinking water in the morning, your body will get a jump start on keeping your fluids properly balanced, which is essential for optimal organ functioning.
2) Take in bright outdoor light in before 10:00AM
Researchers from Turkey found that getting enough bright light in the early morning from 8:00AM to 10:00AM (for even just a few minutes) for five consecutive days helps to boost the quality of your sleep thereafter. Light plays a key role in your circadian rhythm, which is your internal 24-hour clock. It helps you feel sleepy at night when it's dark and it also makes you feel alert during daylight hours. Light exposure provides your brain with information that helps guide your circadian rhythm.
3) Consume 9+ servings of vegetables each day
Researchers from the University of Iowa showed that enjoying 9+ daily servings of a wide array of vegetables has the power to improve our body's important modulators of both the neuromuscular & immune systems. This will help you move better and stave on sickness more effectively.
4) Get to sleep before 11:00PM
According to research conducted by the University of Arizona, those of us with bedtimes close to 11:00PM report the fewest difficulties with mental health, sleep, & overall functioning. Going to sleep before 8:00PM or after 1:00AM can significantly affect our mood & performance the following day (for most people).
5) Be mindful of your breathing
In the Netherlands, the Nijmegen Institute for Infection, Inflammation & Immunity showed in that brief periods of daily meditation, breathing exercises & cold exposure (such as a brief cold shower) can actually help to down-regulate your sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system and up-regulate your immune system. This will help you better manage stress and become more resilient to illness.
While these 5 steps seem very simple on the surface, they will do wonders to help you manage your blood sugar regulation and maintain the health of many of your body's of organs (including the brain, liver & kidneys, to name a few).
I challenge you to pick even just one
of these lifestyle shifts and to stick to it diligently for at least a week. After a full week, come back to the blog article and post how you feel in the comment section below!
I can almost guarantee that all of these small changes will have you feeling better & better with each progressive week.