5 Quick Changes To Your Daily Routine For A Healthier Life

Do you ever wonder why people always fail to stick to something that challenges them, such as losing a large amount of weight or getting fit? It’s because they never start with small things at a time, they go ‘all in’ straight away; for the majority of people, changing everything straight away normally results in changing nothing at all. Don’t get us wrong, we completely understand that there’s always a temptation to stop doing everything at once, take weight loss as an example… Losing weight can be really hard. So, the decision made by most people is to take on a complicated or vigorous program of exercising and a diet that means you need to make large changes to your life. Within a few days, the diet will start to feel quite brutal and sticking to every change begins to feel almost impossible. Then, you start to slip; starting small, you could be running late on a morning where you have had no time to prepare your breakfast, so you decide to pop into the local café for something a little unhealthier. Eventually, you’ll find yourself making excuses not to go to the gym or exercise at home. Does this sound familiar? If so, we’ve put together some handy tips on how you can change your daily routine to give you a healthier life.

The 5 Changes

#1. Eat At Least One Healthy Meal Per Day

It sounds so simple but can be one of the hardest things to achieve. You just have to pick a meal (Yep, just one!), and make changes to what you were going to eat. If it’s for lunch, try changing your meal by opting for protein of some sort with a piece of fruit or vegetables, and a good source of fibre, like almonds. Now, we know that it doesn’t sound like a large amount of food but there’s a good chance that it’s going to be a healthier choice than what you were planning to eat and it helps you make small steps to becoming in control of your portions at each meal.

You can also do something as simple as cooking some chicken and pair it with some tomatoes and cucumber. Just remember to prepare food ahead of when you need it so you don’t make an excuse not to eat healthily.

#2. Be Active On Your Lunch

Eating your lunch doesn’t take half an hour, so why not make your break more productive? Instead, consider going for walks around the area that you work and, if possible, try taking a ‘walking meeting’. You can even try stretching, doing sit-ups or push-ups too. At the end of the day, as long as you’re doing something active, it won’t really matter as long as you’re up and about rather than sitting. Burn some calories, reduce stress and you’ll feel much better when you sit back down at your desk ready to work. If you make this change, you will introduce exercise into your day-to-day life without changing your busy schedule. Exercising regularly can also reduce the amount of time that you go for a gp check-up.

#3. Drink Water

Yes, it’s really that straightforward! Drinking more water, especially having a glass before every meal, will help you to feel fuller and stop you from eating past the point of hunger. Water helps to dissolve minerals and nutrients, making them more accessible to your body. It also helps to remove waste products from your body; it is essential for the kidneys to function. If the kidneys do not function properly, waste products and excess fluid can build up inside of the body, causing some serious health issues.

#4. Try Meal Replacement Bars

You’re probably thinking, “but they taste like sawdust!” and you’re right, most do. However, most of them are very nutritious and good for you and are low in calories, meaning that mid-afternoon snack may become a thing of the past. It’s important not to get too hung up on the nutritional values of the bars, just choose one that is high in protein (protein bar, doesn’t have to be an energy bar) and you’re good to go. Eating one in the morning or afternoon doesn’t just bridge a gap between meals, as you could find yourself getting into a habit of eating smaller meals more often (which is a habit that you should eventually embrace).

#5. Commit To The Change

As we’ve mentioned above, you don’t have to change everything all at once. However, committing to making little changes will eventually turn them into one large lifestyle change. You could even make a promise to someone that you don’t want to let down, and they will help you to get through the tough parts of the lifestyle changes. Having people around you who will support you and help you not ‘fall off the wagon’ can really help you when making tough changes to your daily life and habits.