Health is a universal concern. It's something all kinds of people from all parts of the world worry about. After all, no matter who you are, where you're from, or what you do for a living, your body is still the same as everyone else's. It's fragile, sensitive, and unpredictable. You can have countless of doctors run checks on you every other day and still, you will never know for certain if your health is in tip-top shape. The way our bodies are wired is amazing. It's a truly marvellous yet delicate thing.
So despite our age, we constantly try to look for ways to make ourselves better - physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually. We want to enrich this vessel that has been blessed with life and we'll go to various lengths just to ensure that we are growing closer to our ideal selves every day. Well, maybe not all of us think this way. But generally-speaking, I believe self-improvement is something we can all relate to and reflect on.
While there is no exact guide to follow when it comes to bettering yourself, there are a few tested and proven ways that can help you achieve your better self. And I'm going to share two of those ways today. If it isn't obvious enough (I mentioned them in the title, by the way), I'm talking about eating healthy and daily exercise. These are two quid pro quos you absolutely must follow if you want to lead a better lifestyle.
"So you're basically telling us to lose weight right?"
Well, you are both right and wrong about that. True, losing weight is an eventual outcome of eating healthy and exercising but that isn't all there is to it. And mind you, I'm not telling you to diet and workout just so you can look better in Instagram and Facebook profile pictures. I'm telling you to follow these two things because you need them in your life. Actually, scratch that. You don't just "need them in your life." You need them to live - if you are ever hoping to lead a quality lifestyle, that is. Eating healthy and having substantial amount of exercise can lead to many things - losing weight is just one of them.
To give you a better idea of what I am talking about here, let me just tell you a few of the many benefits you can gain from leading a healthy lifestyle. Starting with:
1. Feel Lighter
Yes, losing weight is great but the best part of it is actually the feeling of being "lighter" than you were before. Back when I didn't know https://www.dietfitnessking.com and I was 20 pounds more than what I weigh today, I had a hard time walking around for long periods of time. My family and I would be at a mall and I'd suddenly go "Ooof, hey can we rest for a little while?" after just 20 minutes of walking. My feet would also be usually sore just because I was standing in line for too long. As you lose more weight, you get lighter and when you get lighter, you start to feel better. You start to enjoy life with much ease. Pains go away and so does exhaustion. Nowadays, I can wait in line for hours (not that I want to) and not feel a thing!
2. Enjoy A Clearer Mind
Another thing I really want to point out is that you don't just get physical benefits from eating healthier and exercising more often. You also get mental and emotional perks. You see, too much fat deposits in your body can really inhibit the secretion of happy or good hormones. This often leads to a foul mood, irritability, disorganized thoughts, and emotionality. The same thing goes when you're not working out frequently. If you don't like the you who acts like a deranged beast at times, I really suggest that you let go of the old ways and start welcoming a change of lifestyle. Trust me; you'll enjoy the perks of having clearer thoughts and emotions.
3. Reverse The Effects of Aging
Eating greens and food with lots of nutrients can do wonders for your skin. It will definitely help you maintain your youthful look without the help of cosmetics and overly expensive night creams. I have this one friend, who's now 40 btw, looking like she's in her 20's. I suspected that she followed a strict skin care routine but it turns out, she was just following a veggie-heavy diet. Exercise, too, has been studied to reverse or at least delay signs of aging. When you sweat, your skin is encouraged to stay hydrated and movement signals your skin ducts to produce more collagen.
4. Have Better Sleep
Suffering from insomnia? Having trouble sleeping because of anxiety? Then switching up your lifestyle may just be what you need. Eating good food and moving your body frequently will definitely improve your sleep-wake cycle. If anything, it's going to restore your body to its "defaults" - like how it was before you began experiencing such problems. Also, exercise tends to make you crave rest so you'll definitely fall asleep a lot faster if you increase your physical activities.
5. Lower Levels of Cortisol
A higher level of cortisol in your body is bad news. Cortisol is what you'd generally refer to as "stress hormones" and it usually escalates when your body isn't getting enough rest - or when it's not taken care of well. Exercise and healthy food promote happy hormones. These hormones are known to counter the effects of stress and are terrific mood stabilizers. A change of lifestyle is definitely what you need if you constantly feel stressed out without knowing the reason why. Cortisol levels naturally drop when the body is receiving more positive attention.
Eat healthy and exercise plenty. These two rules are not hard to follow in life. All you need to do is teach yourself discipline and you'll definitely be happier!
