Start Doing These 5 Easy Things Daily to Feel Better and Improve Your Health

Human beings are creatures of habit, and in general we are very resistant to change and added effort. Many of us also have an all-or-nothing mentality when it comes to self-improvement, especially in terms of our health.

For example, you may feel like to truly make a difference and make it worth your while, you have to commit to at minimum one full hour of strenuous exercise in the gym, every day. To lose weight or become more fit, you may think you have to completely redesign your diet and remove every food you love, with no room for error, or else you are a failure.

This sort of mentality sets us up for disappointment before we even begin, since it removes all of the fun, flexibility, and sustainability out of self-improvement efforts. As a Holistic Nutritionist, my approach when I work with my clients—and myself—is gentle and sustainable, since this has been shown to lead to better, longer-lasting results and greater satisfaction.

The saying “slow and steady wins the race” really holds true here. The changes and additions to your daily routine that I’m about to recommend might feel insignificant and like they aren’t making a difference at first, but it’s important to remember that healthy, long-lasting lifestyle changes shouldn’t feel dramatic and intense. You’ll notice over the course of even a few weeks that you’re starting to feel better and have more energy.

To make this approach even more sustainable and set yourself up for the greatest success, save this article and pick one habit to start with for two or three weeks, then return to tackle another, and so on. If you need more time to build each habit, have patience with yourself.

1. Start your day with a tall glass of water.

No, I’m not referring to who you may or may not wake up next to in bed. I’m talking about good, old fashioned H2O. So many of us don’t drink near enough water in the day. Upon waking is one of the most important times to hydrate since the body has just been sleeping and repairing itself for several hours.

Before you reach for that coffee, drink a glass of room temperature or slightly cool water. If it’s filtered water, that’s great, but tap water will do. And no, it doesn’t have to have lemon in it, contrary to the popular pseudoscience-based trend… Only if you enjoy the flavour and therefore it helps you drink more water!

If you’re wondering if you have to drink 8 glasses of water per day, know that this number is arbitrary and not necessarily accurate. A better approach is to hydrate when you first wake up, and when you feel thirsty throughout the day. If you’re the type of person who gets really busy and tends to ignore thirst cues, get in the habit of keeping a water bottle with you and taking small sips in between tasks.

2. Toss a handful or two of leafy greens into at least two of your meals.

Most adults don’t come close to meeting the recommended 7–10 fruit and vegetable servings per day. This is a product of our lifestyles and the wide variety of processed, packaged and fast foods available. Eating mostly whole foods requires more effort than the standard diet that’s available to us. So my advice, of course, is to start small with one or two handfuls of leafy greens added to at least two of your daily meals.

I’m focusing on leafy greens for these key reasons:

• They’re a commonly lacking vegetable type in the average adult’s diet
• They provide a ton of health benefits in even small amounts
• They can be added to foods in ways that makes them undetectable enough for even the pickiest eaters
• Some can be bought frozen for convenience, such as spinach and kale

Examples of leafy greens:

• Arugula (also known as rocket)
• Beet greens
• Bok choy
• Cabbage
• Collard greens
• Dandelion greens
• Endive
• Kale
• Microgreens
• Mustard greens
• Rapini
• Romaine
• Spinach
• Swiss chard
• Turnip greens
• Watercress

My favourite ways to add leafy greens to my meals:

• Blended into smoothies, stews, soups, tomato sauce or pesto
• Tossed in at the end of cooking a pasta or rice dish
• In quiches, frittatas, sandwiches and homemade lasagna
• Roughly chopped and mixed into a pasta salad
• Finely chopped and mixed into cream cheese as a bagel spread
• In a salad

3. Do short bursts of exercise at regular intervals throughout the day.

Many of us (myself included) work primarily sedentary jobs. While the idea that “sitting is the new smoking” is an over-exaggeration, sitting for most waking hours in the day can certainly have negative health consequences.

For a lot of busy adults, getting in a regular gym session isn’t feasible for a variety of reasons, however, exercise doesn’t have to be done all at once in order to be effective. In fact, some research has demonstrated that short bursts of exercise—what has also been called “exercise snacking”—can have greater health benefits than a single, longer workout session.

If you spend most of your day seated, set an alarm once per hour to get up and do some short, invigorating movements. My favourite is 20 jumping jacks, 20 high knees, and 20 jump squats. Sometimes I’ll go through this set two or three times. It’s over in 5 minutes or less and I feel more energized, awake and focused, and can feel an improvement in my circulation.

If jumping exercises aren’t doable for you, you can also try bouncing on an exercise ball, taking a brisk walk around your workspace, or doing a few flights of stairs.

4. Unplug from personal devices before bed and before starting the day.

Constantly being connected to and checking our personal devices not only leads to a state of mental distraction, but also affects the quality of our sleep and increases stress levels, which can wreak havoc on our physical and mental health in a multitude of ways.

In the 1–2 hours leading up to bed, and for the first 30–60 minutes upon waking, minimize your personal device usage or avoid it altogether. If you must use it at night, take advantage of any bedtime settings on your phone which may help reduce the effects of the blue light. I have my “Do Not Disturb” settings turned on between 9pm and 8am, with some exceptions for close personal contacts, so that I’m not bombarded with potentially stressful information when I’m trying to rest.

If you can, avoid social media before bed and immediately upon waking. Social media is an endless scrolling black hole that not only makes us lose track of time, but also affects our self-esteem and confidence, even if only on a subconscious level. If possible, work-related communications should also be avoided. It’s important and necessary to set boundaries between our personal and professional lives for a healthy mental break.

5. Practice going to bed earlier to get at least 7 hours of sleep.

Sleep is an underrated activity. When we wake up after a good, long sleep, we fell rested and refreshed, however the body has actually been hard at work in those late hours engaging in important recovery processes. When we don’t get enough sleep or quality sleep, our body doesn’t have sufficient opportunity for these processes, which can contribute to poorer health and longevity.

Think of it like the after-hours janitor. You probably don’t see them doing their job since you’ve gone home for the night, yet when you arrive in the morning, the building is sparkling clean again for a new day. If it weren’t for them, the place would probably be a mess!

Most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep. If you aren’t even coming close to that mark, again, start small:

• Tackle the habit above, unplugging from your devices, since this will be a huge help.
• See if you can reorganize your evening or morning schedule for a little extra shut eye.
• Avoid taking in content or information that is startling, scary or stressful before bed.
• Avoid drinking coffee after 2pm if caffeine-sensitive.
• Avoid eating a heavy meal within 2–3 hours before bed.
• Avoid drinking large amounts of fluid in the hour before bed.
• Try listening to guided sleep meditations, journalling, or reading a book to quiet the mind.

If you’re looking for one-on-one support, I’m here for you.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch so that we can design a personalized nutrition and lifestyle plan to help you achieve your goals.