Health is wealth. When your body is healthy, your mind benefits, as well. Thankfully, you don’t have to invest in expensive treatments or participate in controversial trends to attain good health—there are a number of ways to accomplish this organically by maintaining a balanced lifestyle.
Using a number of natural methods, you can achieve great health without having to use chemicals. By using organic strategies like eating and sleeping well, you can improve your health and minimize negative side effects (Bonus: You can use the Aaptiv app to help you accomplish this). Plus, organic methods help you to stay healthy from the inside out so that you experience longer-lasting benefits.
Here are some organic ways to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle:
Stay hydrated throughout your day
More than 60 percent of our body is made up of water, which makes water an essential element for the proper functioning of our bodies. It helps to carry nutrients around the body, maintains the structure of our cells, and removes waste from the body. “When you drink enough water each day, you give your system the support needed to optimize physical and mental performance,” says Dr. Seema Sarin. “Muscles can achieve peak performance, for example, and brain processes operate at optimal levels, as well.”
You lose water from the body through multiple ways, including excretion, perspiration, and breathing. To help replenish the water that gets lost, you should drink ample amounts of water so as to stay healthy. It is advisable to drink between eight and ten glasses of water every day.
Get enough quality sleep
One of the most underrated healthy activities is sleeping. Your body needs to get enough sleep so that you can function normally. If you do not get enough sleep, your immune system becomes weaker, and you run the risk of developing problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
“Only when people sleep does the brain and body start to process the prior day’s activities and repair the damage from it all,” says Dr. Sarin. “While sleeping, your body releases the hormones and white blood cells required to repair muscle tears, wounds, and other forms of tissue damage.”
Therefore, getting good quality sleep every night is important. Try to get eight hours of sleep per day, and avoid stimulants or strenuous exercise before bedtime to help you fall asleep quicker and enjoy a better quality sleep.
Eat fruits and vegetables
“Eating fruits and vegetables can boost your health, since they not only provide the body with key nutrients that may have a protective effect against certain chronic conditions, but they may also improve cardiovascular and gastrointestinal health,” says Dr. Nesochi Okeke-Igbokwe. Our bodies need ample amounts of vitamins and minerals, and you can get healthy doses of these nutrients from fruits and vegetables.
Consuming fruits such as strawberries, cantaloupes, watermelons, bananas, apples, and oranges can provide you with a wealth of beneficial nutrients. Other foods such as lentils, spinach, kale, carrots, kidney beans, asparagus, and cabbage are also rich in vitamins and minerals. A good rule of thumb is to consume fruits and vegetables that are colorful in nature, as those tend to be the ones filled with the most nutrients.
Breathe deeply
Breathing seems like a habit you wouldn’t need to think about, but many people only take shallow breaths that fill just a percentage of their lungs. Getting enough oxygen is important, and taking deeper breaths can help increase your intake. “When you make it your goal to breathe deeply throughout the day, your brain and body receive the full amount of oxygenated air the lungs can bring in at once,” says Dr. Sarin. “From the lungs, oxygen molecules flow through the bloodstream to all the cells in the brain and body.”
Take the time to breathe in deeply multiple times throughout your day. This can help reduce stress, lower your blood pressure, and even deliver pain relief.
Avoid drugs and alcohol
Drugs and alcohol are best avoided, as they can have serious side effects that can lead to dependence and death. For instance, we all know that cigarettes can cause cancer, while alcohol can lead to liver failure. “Using drugs and alcohol can have a profoundly negative impact on your brain and body,” says Dr. Sarin. “As addiction takes over, as it often does, behavior and relationships can suffer, as well.” By avoiding drugs and alcohol, you can help ensure that the body is healthy and strong at all times.
It is quite possible to achieve a healthy lifestyle in an organic way. These habits are effective and ideal, and they are easy to perform and incorporate into your daily life. By following them, you can improve your physical, mental, and emotional health all at once. If you need assistance with any of these, you can always use the Aaptiv app to for workouts and meditation exercises that benefit both your body and your mind.