Let’s be honest with ourselves: at one time or another, we’ve all at least partially subscribed to those trending gimmick diets (or at least wanted to believe in them!) You know the one. It’s packaged with promises that include growing taller, looking like models, losing weight overnight, and making us eternally happy.
The reality is this: acknowledging that wellness almost never works this way is a step in achieving it. Cold-turkey dieting and extreme exercise regimens rarely see success or reward self-satisfaction. The right routines don’t ask you to obsess over what you can and can’t eat, or when. They don’t ask you to fit a three-hour workout into each and every day, either.
Consider what changes you can make to improve or augment your day-to-day life, and you’ll feel empowered to lead a healthier life in the long-term. This can’t be rushed.
The list below is not a recipe of shortcuts or miracles. They are the fundamental elements of any healthy lifestyle – building blocks that represent a phenomenal place to start.
Sleep
Sleep! It belongs at the top of every wellness list. Without enough of it, you’ll be affected in a number of unpleasant ways. Productivity worsens, agitation is more frequent, and things like depression and weight gain become a possibility, among others. Seven to eight hours is the recommended amount of sleep, and for good reason.
Plan your activities
Many of us make exciting plans. The challenge with most is follow-through. Beds are too comfortable, bodies are too tired, and inspiration tends to be a fleeting ally. Instead, consider setting a weekly schedule rich with objectives as opposed to one-time aspirations. Building a routine is a sure-fire way to work towards those harder objectives, like the 5AM run. Things like writing your schedule down will help you commit, and seeing something on a calendar creates a sense of obligation.
Become a morning person
Jumping out of bed to prepare for work and rush out is the last way you want to be starting your day. Experiment with giving up an extra hour of your evening so you can rise an hour earlier. Things like planning the day ahead, meditation, and exercise all set the tone for a healthier day in general. Research has shown us that one can burn up to 20% more body fat by starting the day with a routine. How’s that for an incentive?
Meditation
Meditation is simply one of the best things you can do for both your body and your mind. Case studies and research are plentiful, showcasing how meditation creates a positive sense of calm, systematically managing stress. Bonuses like lowering high blood pressure are icing on the cake.
More can be better
When you’re planning meals, attempt to allot for seven smaller meals rather than three large ones. As a rule of thumb, try to keep these meals three hours apart. Keeping your body fuelled all day long helps to keep blood sugar healthy and to avoid feeling sluggish and tired.
Gettin’ Busy
You may or may not know that intimacy is critical to leading a healthy life. It helps to combat stress, lowers blood pressure, improves sleep, boosts immunity, and lowers your risk of heart disease. Not to mention it burns between 70-100 calories!
Proper vitamins
A variety of factors can make it difficult to land at the recommended daily vitamins and nutrients. Celiac disease is a more recent example of complications to that expectation, but there are many ways to ensure you’re giving your body what it needs. Though recent research suggests that your supermarket’s multivitamins may not be doing the trick (they’re loaded with problematic micronutrients), the right dispensary will be carrying vitamins of higher quality. Pharmaceutical-grade supplements like fish oils, probiotics, complexes, and vitamins are what you want to be on the lookout for, alongside botanicals, topical creams, meal shakes, and food bars.
Wrapping up
As good a tip as any is this: don’t get wrapped up in any given list of recommendations. You know your body and your routine better than anyone, and harnessing information that’s beneficial is as important as ignoring what’s not. There are hundreds of ways to improve your lifestyle and your health, and consulting the experts you trust is a practical way to identify the ones relevant to you.
For a full list of the Cornerstone services that may be applicable to your health and wellness aspirations, visit our dedicated page and consider how our injection services or dispensary can be an asset on your journey to better health.
