12 HEALTHY HABITS & TIPS | change your life + feel better long term
12 HEALTHY HABITS & TIPS | change your life + feel better long term
These life-changing healthy habits will boost your immune system, your overall wellness and will help you feel better long term. Sure, they might seem simple, but the results truly add up over time. Trust me on this one.
A healthy lifestyle is rooted in small, sustainable changes, rather than drastic changes and hacks. Healthy eating and self-care take center stage, along with quality sleep and stress management. So if you want to change your life for the better, start with these 12 healthy habits! And check out the hundreds of healthy recipes on my website.
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Content
0.17 -> - It's a little cold and
gloomy outside today,
2.09 -> so I thought it was the perfect time
3.46 -> to make a cup of warm tea
5.77 -> and chat about some healthy habits.
7.71 -> One of the things I love
about starting a new year
9.47 -> is that we tend to be more introspective,
11.3 -> so it's a perfect time
to evaluate our habits
13.8 -> and assess if they are still
serving us positively or not.
17.15 -> As many of you know,
almost eight years ago now,
19.42 -> I was diagnosed with celiac disease
21.21 -> along with a handful of
other autoimmune conditions
23.82 -> just for good measure.
25.35 -> And ever since then, I've
been on a wellness journey,
27.73 -> figuring out what works
best for me and my body.
30.5 -> So today, I thought I'd share
31.48 -> some of my favorite tips with you,
32.97 -> those healthy habits that I
think are pretty darn important
36.2 -> and will help to boost your immune system,
38.3 -> your overall wellness,
39.47 -> and help you feel better
for the long term.
42.25 -> So let's dive right in.
43.972 -> (mellow music)
46.22 -> You've probably noticed by now
47.39 -> that my YouTube channel is mainly recipes,
49.46 -> and that's because when you cook at home,
51.05 -> you can control the exact
nourishment going in your body
54.02 -> as well as the quality of ingredients.
56.16 -> I get that eating out is fast and easy,
58.14 -> and I'm all for eating
out at a nice restaurant
60.32 -> or grabbing takeout every once in a while.
62.35 -> But when takeout comprises 80%
64.83 -> of what you eat on a regular basis,
66.58 -> it's time to re-evaluate.
68.29 -> Restaurant meals typically
contain higher amounts of sodium,
71.32 -> saturated fat, and they
just have more calories
74.04 -> than home-cooked meals.
75.47 -> And let's be honest,
they're usually not starting
77.59 -> with high-quality ingredients.
79.06 -> That's why studies have shown that people
80.61 -> who cook for themselves
more often than they eat out
83.46 -> tend to be healthier overall.
92.98 -> I've traveled quite extensively,
94.51 -> and I've noticed this interesting thing,
96.3 -> mainly in western culture.
97.81 -> And it's that we have these notions
99.49 -> of what breakfast, lunch,
and dinner should look like,
102 -> mainly because of how
we've been marketed to.
104.47 -> Breakfast is a bowl of cereal
106.31 -> or toast with some jam
or pancakes with syrup.
109.52 -> Lunch could be a sandwich or a salad
112.04 -> or even a slice of pizza,
113.63 -> and dinner could be chicken, beef, or fish
116.43 -> with maybe a side of rice
or potatoes and veggies.
119.57 -> But in other parts of the
world, food is simply food,
122.16 -> and it can be eaten any time of day.
124.36 -> On Instagram, you'll often see me eating
126.2 -> leftover salmon and sweet
potato for breakfast,
128.7 -> or a couple of soft-boiled eggs
and salad greens for dinner.
132 -> The fact that you can eat
any food any time of day
134.71 -> is such a simple mindset shift,
136.71 -> and yet it's so important to remember.
141.29 -> Building on that last point,
142.62 -> you'll do your body a world of good
144.57 -> if you simply eat more
vegetables at breakfast.
147.45 -> Breakfast is often one
of our most beige meals
149.78 -> because of those
previously mentioned foods
151.77 -> like cereal, bread, pancakes,
pastries, or even oatmeal.
156.22 -> So I challenge you to get
creative with your breakfast
158.5 -> and opt for a heck of a lot more color.
160.75 -> Sneak spinach and other vegetables
162.48 -> into a breakfast scramble.
164.19 -> Top your bread with sauteed veggies
166.47 -> or a healthy protein and healthy fat
168.38 -> instead of butter or jam.
170.24 -> Or even better, swap your bread entirely
173.13 -> for sweet potato toast.
177.15 -> Often, you'll hear wellness folks saying
178.7 -> that when you wake up in the morning,
179.87 -> the first thing that you need to do
181.27 -> is drink a glass of water with lemon
183.14 -> or apple cider vinegar.
184.8 -> And if you have lemon or apple
cider vinegar, that's great,
187.58 -> but I wanna simplify
it even further and say
190.27 -> just drink a glass of water,
192.3 -> and drink it not only in the morning
193.92 -> but at several times throughout the day.
196.4 -> Water is essential to life,
198.21 -> and your body needs it
to function properly.
200.69 -> But in the morning, water will
increase your mental clarity
203.52 -> and level of alertness,
204.76 -> and it will jump start your metabolism.
207.21 -> So before you grab a coffee or a tea,
209.49 -> drink a large glass of water first,
211.78 -> and then make sure to stay
hydrated throughout the day.
217.17 -> I tend to get the munchies between meals,
219.08 -> especially as I work from home.
220.49 -> So I've found that it's
super important for me
222.7 -> to keep healthy snacks front and center.
225.62 -> If I open the pantry
226.7 -> and I see chocolate right in front of me,
228.49 -> I'll admit that it would
challenge even my willpower
231.23 -> not to grab it.
232.39 -> So instead, I keep chocolates
234.2 -> low and out of sight in my pantry
236.02 -> and keep healthy snacks
like nuts front and center.
239.22 -> The same goes for my countertop and fridge
241.16 -> where fruit is always visible,
242.71 -> and veggies are meal-prepped
and ready to be eaten
245.39 -> because at the end of the day,
246.6 -> it's about helping yourself
to make healthy choices.
251.72 -> It should come as no surprise
252.98 -> that I'm a huge fan of meal prepping,
254.71 -> as those are some of
the most popular videos
256.56 -> on my channel.
257.66 -> But I do meal prepping
for two main reasons.
260.34 -> First, it helps to save
time in the kitchen
262.61 -> throughout the week,
263.58 -> and second, it also
ensures that healthy food
266.56 -> can be made fast and easy.
268.4 -> When I contemplate what
I'm gonna meal prep,
270.17 -> I'm actually doing mental
meal planning as well,
273.04 -> thinking about what I'd
like eat later in the week.
275.52 -> And I found that planning
ahead is 90% of the work
278.56 -> when it comes to staying
on that healthy path
280.55 -> and making healthy choices.
284.61 -> For many of us, myself included,
286.57 -> we sit at a desk for
the majority of the day,
288.95 -> and that is doing our body no favors.
291.84 -> Movement is critical for
maintaining bone density,
294.38 -> flexibility, and muscles,
295.95 -> but let's not forget that it also helps
297.92 -> to boost our immune system
and reduce stress hormones.
301.18 -> So focus on moving at multiple
times throughout the day,
303.99 -> which could be standing and
stretching at your desk,
306.38 -> going for a walk around
the block, doing yoga,
309.28 -> going on a hike, or riding
bikes with your kids.
312.3 -> The more you can move and
keep the blood flowing
314.02 -> throughout the day, the better,
315.07 -> and there are apps and timers
316.53 -> like Time Out or Pomodoro
to remind you to take breaks
320.42 -> and provide a little gentle
nudge if you need it.
326.16 -> There's this amazing
healing and rejuvenating
328.29 -> that happens to our bodies
329.53 -> when we surround ourselves
with green trees,
332.02 -> lush grass, and blue oceans.
334.01 -> For me, the impact on my stress
levels is pretty immediate,
337.4 -> and I can just feel any stress
or anxiety that I might have
340.49 -> simmer right back down.
342.04 -> That's why you often
see me on nature hikes
344.31 -> through the hills in Orange County,
346.06 -> or you might see me roller
blading along the beach,
348.49 -> just smelling and breathing
in that fresh ocean air.
351.84 -> When we get out into Mother Nature,
353.23 -> not only do our brains get
some much-needed downtime,
355.9 -> but our bodies will get some vitamin D,
357.78 -> and our immune system will get a refresh.
360.23 -> And you'll notice afterwards
361.33 -> that it's virtually impossible
362.86 -> to not feel more calm and centered.
365 -> So I always aim to get at least two hours
367.12 -> of one-on-one time with
Mother Nature every week.
372.53 -> We're all incredibly connected today
374.01 -> with laptops and mobile devices,
375.76 -> and it can be so hard to turn off.
377.97 -> But that's exactly why
we need to turn it off
380.17 -> and make it a priority.
381.54 -> Looking down at our phones
382.66 -> not only causes horrible
posture and spine alignment,
385.11 -> which then throws off the delicate balance
387.03 -> of other things in the body,
388.64 -> but I think we've all read enough studies
390.36 -> to know that it's not good
for our mental health, either.
393.12 -> So set boundaries with your screen time.
395.08 -> Turn off pop-up notifications,
396.97 -> and when you're at home,
try to completely unplug.
399.91 -> Instagram and YouTube will
still be there tomorrow,
402.87 -> but you might find that you now have time
404.78 -> to take that walk, read a book,
406.71 -> or meal prep a few veggies for the week.
411.65 -> Out of all the tips I'm
sharing with you today,
413.44 -> the one I'm constantly working on
415.14 -> and I probably always
will is managing stress.
418.86 -> I always say that there's a reason
419.99 -> that I called my business Downshiftology,
421.61 -> and it's because sometimes we teach
423.47 -> what we most need to learn.
425.25 -> The simple fact is that we
will never live in a world
427.53 -> that's completely stress-free,
429.05 -> but we can learn to manage our
stress better with practice.
433.05 -> Meditation, yoga, and acupuncture
434.99 -> are great ways to reduce stress
436.78 -> and calm both the body and the mind.
439.06 -> And I'm a huge proponent of all three.
441.4 -> But even just five minutes
of closing our eyes
443.65 -> and taking several deep
breaths works wonders, as well.
447.2 -> I always say that sleep and stress
449.02 -> are just as important as food
450.4 -> in terms of the impact
they have on the body,
452.58 -> so if you feel your anxiety or
your tension level is rising,
455.98 -> take that as a signal that
you need a quick timeout,
458.66 -> and maybe sit down and
take a few deep breaths.
464.01 -> So speaking of sleep, it truly is
466.16 -> one of the most important
yet often overlooked factors
469.61 -> of staying healthy.
470.87 -> When we sleep, our brain is
repairing and renewing cells,
474 -> the body is regenerating and
producing critical hormones,
477.1 -> and our immune system
is fighting infections.
479.73 -> There's a whole lot going on in the body
481.49 -> when we're getting shuteye,
482.5 -> and that's why sleep deprivation is tied
484.69 -> to so many different health issues.
487.38 -> For optimal long-term health,
488.94 -> sleep needs to be a top priority,
490.72 -> and we need to remember that
it's absolutely essential
493.75 -> to our emotional and physical well-being.
496.31 -> In fact, I think it's so important
498.12 -> that I've already made a separate video
499.71 -> with some sleep tips,
500.82 -> so if you haven't yet watched that,
502.38 -> make sure to check it out.
506.3 -> If there was one health tip
507.63 -> I could scream from the
mountaintops, it's this,
510.51 -> and that is that there
is no one size fits all
513.19 -> when it comes to diet,
health, and wellness.
515.66 -> A certain diet or supplement
may have been beneficial
518.2 -> for your coworker, your
mom, or your sister,
520.53 -> and it may not have
the same effect on you.
523.09 -> And that's because you have
vastly different genetics,
526.31 -> a different microbiome,
different stress levels,
528.86 -> different ancestry, and different, well,
531.56 -> pretty much everything.
532.79 -> The best thing that you
can do for your health
534.33 -> is to figure out, and I
mean really figure out
537.14 -> what makes you feel your absolute best.
539.75 -> And then remember that what
made you feel good last year
542.02 -> may not be the same thing
543.27 -> that makes you feel good next year.
545.07 -> Our bodies are not static.
546.78 -> They are always changing,
548.1 -> and so we must be open to change, as well.
551.07 -> Now, I'm sure I could go on
with more habits and tips,
553.37 -> but I think those 12 are the ones
554.88 -> that have been most impactful in my life
556.91 -> and changed my wellness trajectory
559.69 -> more than I could have ever imagined.
561.45 -> And I think the takeaway here
562.53 -> is that none of these are
necessarily earth-shattering.
565.11 -> In fact, many of them,
566.22 -> you were probably already aware about,
568.28 -> but it's doing them that's key.
570.46 -> And when it comes to all
of these healthy habits,
572.8 -> it's really a cumulative effect
574.6 -> of a lot of little things
that add up over time.
577.55 -> I hope you guys enjoyed the video,
578.98 -> and if you have additional
healthy habits or tips,
581.68 -> you can share those in the comments below
583.62 -> or over on my Instagram or in
our private Facebook group.
587.53 -> If you like the video, make
sure to give it a thumbs up.
589.86 -> Share it with your family and friends.
591.68 -> It always means a lot when you share it.
593.68 -> And I will see you again next week
595.77 -> with a tasty new recipe.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWF9mGtjju4