It's important to drink more water. Many people don't consume enough water on a daily basis, even though it's a vital component for our bodies to function properly. Did you know that over 60% of our body is composed of water? It's needed to perform essential body functions, remove waste, and transport nutrients and oxygen throughout our system. Since we lose water every day through a variety of means, such as urine, bowel movements, sweating, and breathing, it's crucial to replenish our water intake. In addition, drinking water can help with weight loss. According to a Health.com study, overweight or obese individuals who drank water lost an average of 4.5 pounds more than those in a control group. This is believed to be because drinking water can help you feel full, reducing your hunger and the likelihood of overeating. The amount of water you need depends on several factors, such as humidity, physical activity, and weight. However, in general, you should aim for 2.7-3.7 liters of water per day. Since food contributes to about 20% of our fluid intake, it's recommended that we drink about 2.0-3.0 liters of water or roughly 8-10 glasses daily. A simple way to determine if you're hydrated is by checking the color of your urine, which should be slightly yellow.

If your urine isn't a light shade of yellow, you may be dehydrated. A lack of water can also cause dry lips, a dry mouth, and infrequent urination. Take a break from reading and hydrate yourself before continuing.

Get enough sleep.

If you don't get adequate sleep, you tend to overeat, typically unhealthy food. Resting well can eliminate the need for snacking to stay alert. Furthermore, insufficient sleep can accelerate the aging process, which is not desirable. To ensure a good night's sleep, try meditating. Meditation has a soothing effect on your mind and spirit. If you're unfamiliar with meditation, don't fret. You can learn how to meditate in five easy steps.

Exercise.

Movement is life.

Studies have revealed that incorporating exercise into our daily routine can have a multitude of positive effects on our health, such as reducing the risk of diseases, boosting bone density, promoting weight loss, and even extending our lifespan. One way to increase physical activity is by choosing to walk short distances instead of relying on transportation or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. You can also join a dance or aerobics class or pick a sport that you enjoy. The key is to select exercises that you find enjoyable as it will motivate you to continue. Exercise should be a fun and healthy activity, not a punishment. To keep things interesting, try incorporating different exercises into your routine. It's also important to work out various muscle groups, so sports like trekking, hiking, swimming, basketball, tennis, squash, badminton, yoga, and frisbee are excellent choices. Finally, don't forget to eat fruits, which are rich in vitamins and minerals. For example, oranges offer more health benefits than vitamin C pills.

It's best to get your daily dose of vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat instead of relying on supplements. Personally, I start my day with a mix of different fruits that help me feel more alert and focused. Some of my favorites include bananas, papayas, kiwis, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, peaches, apples, grapefruits, pomelos, mangoes, and oranges, which not only taste great but are also packed with nutrients.

Eat vegetables.

Vegetables offer a wealth of essential nutrients and minerals, such as vitamin A, folate, vitamin K, potassium, and manganese, as well as dietary fiber that promotes good gut health. Vegetables can be divided into two types: starchy, such as sweet potatoes, yams, pumpkins, and potatoes, and non-starchy, such as arugula, kale, spinach, brussels sprouts, long beans, cucumber, tomato, and mushroom (which is technically a fungus). Some vegetables fall in between, like legumes, corn, carrots, artichokes, beetroot, and cauliflower. Regardless of type, all vegetables are crucial for a healthy and nutritious diet. My usual lunch consists of raw salads with a variety of veggies, followed by a cooked dinner featuring grains, sweet potatoes/potatoes, and other scrumptious vegetables. A diverse vegetable intake is crucial in fortifying one's immune system.

Pick different-colored fruits/vegs.

It's important to have a diverse range of fruits and vegetables in your diet, including those of different colors. This is because the colors correspond to different types of antioxidants that help remove harmful free radicals and fight inflammation in the body. Additionally, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables creates a healthy gut microbiome, which helps boost the immune system and improve overall long-term health. To ensure a good mix of colors, try incorporating white (bananas), yellow (pineapples, mango), orange (oranges, papaya), red (apples, strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, watermelon), green (avocado, kale, lettuce, cucumber), and purple/blue (blackberries, prunes) fruits and vegetables into your diet. However, if you have existing gut issues, be cautious about consuming too much fiber, as it may cause constipation and other digestive problems. To help your gut heal, consider consuming low-fiber foods, juicing your fruits and vegetables, and gradually increasing your whole fruit and vegetable intake over time.

Cut down on processed food.

When it comes to nutrition, processed food falls short for two main reasons: (1) the creation process strips away most of the valuable nutrients, and (2) the added preservatives are detrimental to our health. Moreover, processed foods are often high in salt, leading to serious health issues like hypertension and heart disease. If you're looking for healthier options, it's best to choose less-processed foods like baked potatoes instead of chips, fresh fruit instead of canned, and intact grains over refined. Intact grains are those that retain the bran, germ, and endosperm, providing a richer nutritional profile with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Some examples of intact grains include steel cut oats, barley, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and millet. Conversely, refined grains such as white rice, white flour, white pasta, quick oats, and cereals have been stripped of their essential components, making them less nutritious. Remember, the more processing a grain has undergone, the more refined it becomes.

In the beginning, it's not necessary to completely eliminate refined grains. The secret is to practice moderation. You can start by replacing refined grains with intact grains for one or two meals per week and gradually increasing it over time. This will help you transition to a more intact-grains-focused diet.

Love yourself.

Having a positive self-image is essential for maintaining good mental health. A negative self-image can weigh heavily on your outlook and well-being. Assess your self-love on a scale of 1-10, and consider ways to love yourself more. Check out the "How To Love Your Body" series and Day 13: Appreciate Yourself from the Be a Better Me in 30 Days Program for inspiration.

Try walking or running barefoot for a range of benefits, including better posture and less stress on your feet and joints. If your neighborhood terrain isn't suitable, consider wearing barefoot shoes. I've been running barefoot since May 2010 and have never looked back. For more information, read "10 Reasons to Run Barefoot."

To maintain positive mental health, it's important to purge negative people from your life. Don't let toxic individuals bring you down. If you have a friend who is overly critical or negative, it may be time to let them go.

Purge negativity from yourself.

It's important to avoid negativity from yourself as well. Take note of any negative thoughts and work to eliminate them. When you feel frustrated, try brain dumping as a way to release your negativity. This involves writing out your deepest thoughts so that you can confront them. Don't keep your negative thoughts bottled up inside, as it's unhealthy. Check out this video on how to stay positive all the time. Additionally, it's a good idea to stay away from trigger foods. These are foods that cause you to go on a binge after you eat them. Everyone's trigger foods are different, but generally, they are foods high in refined sugar, salt, or flour, such as candy bars, chocolate, confectionery, chips, or cookies. These foods cause a blood sugar imbalance, leading to more eating. Identify your trigger foods and eliminate them from your diet. Finally, remember to breathe deeply. Oxygen is essential for life, and most of us don't breathe properly. We tend to take shallow breaths and only use 1/3 of our lung capacity.

To achieve optimal performance, it is important to take a deep breath that fills your lungs completely, causes your abdomen to expand, and minimizes any movement in your shoulders.

Improve your posture.

A good posture has various benefits such as improving your breathing (as explained in tip #17) and making you appear more intelligent and attractive. If you find yourself eating when you're stressed, bored, or frustrated, you may have emotional eating issues. Emotional eating is when you eat to satisfy an emotion rather than actual hunger. However, this won't bring you happiness since you're trying to fill a void that food can't fill. Food is just food and cannot replace love or happiness. Identify the root cause of your emotional eating and address it. To maintain your energy levels and prevent stomach discomfort, opt for several small meals instead of large ones. Don't wait until mealtimes to eat, but rather listen to your body and eat when you're hungry. Remember to stop when you're full .

Stop eating when you feel full.

not mix proteins and starches in the same meal, and it’s best to eat fruits on an empty stomach. This can help prevent digestive issues and promote better overall health. Instead of relying on societal norms or external factors to determine when to stop eating, pay attention to your body’s internal signals. By following food-combining principles and listening to your gut, you can improve your digestion and overall well-being.

1. stick to simple meals,
2. eat fruit as the first meal of the day,
3. never eat fruits after cooked food, even if many hours have passed,
4. only mix grains/starch with vegetables in a meal (it’s okay to add some fat),
5. never mix protein with starches in a meal,
6. only mix protein with non-starchy vegetables.

David Klein’s book, Self-Healing Colitis & Crohns, offers valuable insights into enhancing gut health, especially with respect to food combining principles. While I don't endorse all of his recommendations, I do believe that his overall advice can benefit anyone who seeks to maintain optimal gut health, not just those with colitis or gut-related diseases. Purposeful living is essential for longevity and well-being. Blue Zones, areas around the world where people live the longest and healthiest lives, have nine shared characteristics, one of which is having a purpose. Whether it’s called ikigai or plan de vida, the concept of living with purpose is universal. Living a purposeful life has brought me immense joy, and you too can experience this by discovering your own unique purpose. Check out our Discover Your Purpose in Life series for more information. To reduce your risk of cancer, limit your intake of deep-fried foods. This is because deep-fried foods contain acrylamide, a substance that can cause cancer. According to a BBC report, a bag of crisps may contain up to 500 times more acrylamide than the highest level allowed in drinking water by the World Health Organization (WHO).

When I consume greasy cuisine, I become lethargic. It's best to opt for healthier cooking methods like grilling, steaming, stir-fry, or even raw dishes. Decrease your consumption of fast food, chips, fries, doughnuts, wedges, and deep-fried items. Limit your intake of sugary food and drinks. Sugary treats like candy bars, cookies, pastries, cakes, and jelly donuts don't satiate your hunger and can lead to overeating because of the sugar rush. It's acceptable to indulge occasionally, but not every day. Instead, choose nutritious snacks. Sugary beverages, like soda and sweet drinks, are prevalent nowadays, but they contribute to weight gain. Select plain water, green tea, or vegetable juices for a healthier option.

Don’t drink alcohol.

Alcohol functions as a diuretic, causing your body to lose water. Additionally, alcohol has been scientifically proven to be detrimental to our physical and mental well-being, impacting critical organs such as the liver, lungs, and brain. If you regularly consume alcohol, it's time to either eliminate or reduce your intake. Select organic options whenever feasible. Organic food is produced without synthetic chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers, and it's free of genetically modified organisms, irradiation, industrial solvents, and chemical additives. While organic food tends to be more expensive, would you rather sacrifice your health for the sake of saving money? I make an effort to purchase organic products when possible, depending on my budget. Be cautious of vegetable oils. I've discovered that many vegetable oils, which are prevalent in numerous food products and most restaurants today, are toxic after learning more about healthy and unhealthy eating habits over the years.

Vegetable oils, such as canola and olive oil, are often marketed as "heart healthy," but they are not natural foods. These oils are highly processed and lack the nutrients, fiber, and protein found in their original form. Additionally, many commercial oils contain omega-6 polyunsaturated fat, which can be inflammatory. Vegetable oils only became prevalent in the 1900s due to aggressive marketing efforts, and corporations use them in food production because they are cheap and increase shelf life. However, they are not healthy and can cause toxicity in the body. To reduce oil consumption, consider preparing your own meals and choosing oil-free or low-oil options when eating out. Salads can be enjoyed without dressing since most commercial dressings contain oil. Research the topic for more information,

Prepare your meals.

As often as possible, I cook my own food. By doing so, I am able to have full control over the ingredients I use rather than settling for unsatisfactory choices at a dining establishment. Investing in top-notch kitchen appliances is well worth it. A blender is especially helpful for creating fresh fruit and vegetable juices. Additionally, owning both an oven and an instant pot can simplify the cooking process.

Learn to say no.

Avoid eating just to fit in with friends or because others offer you food. Politely decline and state that you’re not hungry. To stay hydrated and avoid sugary drinks, bring your own water bottle when going out. It’s important to eat in moderation and according to your energy needs, rather than overeating and trying to burn off excess calories through exercise. Overeating can strain your digestive system, while excessive exercise can harm your body. Quit smoking to reduce the risk of lung cancer, kidney cancer, esophageal cancer, heart attack, and other health issues. Even “lite” cigarettes are harmful. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. Avoid being around smokers to minimize passive smoking.

It's a little-known fact that inhaling secondhand smoke can lead to many of the same chronic illnesses as smoking directly (Wiki). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that there is no safe level of exposure to passive smoking, and even brief encounters can pose a risk to your health. Your best bet is to distance yourself from smokers and steer clear of areas where cigarette smoke lingers.

Have healthy snacks.

When hunger strikes during work hours, opt for wholesome snacks such as fresh fruits, vegetable juices, and yogurts. These options provide essential nutrients without causing a sugar high. Keep them easily accessible, so you can satisfy your cravings and avoid overindulging. Avoid indulging in cookies and candy bars.

Try juicing/blending.

The swift way to acquire vitamins and nutrients from produce is through juicing or blending. Juicing requires a juicing machine to extract the juice and disregards the fiber. On the other hand, blending keeps the fiber from the produce. Juices and smoothies complement one another - juices give the digestive system a rest while blending preserves the fiber that feeds the friendly gut bacteria. I, personally, enjoy both juices and smoothies regularly. If you're a novice, educate yourself here and browse some sample juicing recipes. It's necessary to have regular checkups as some diseases don't manifest symptoms until it's too late. Routine blood tests for blood sugar, vitamins, and minerals along with urine tests are crucial. Women should also consider mammograms and PAP smears at recommended intervals. If test results aren't optimal, swift corrective action can be taken. If they're great, that's fantastic, and you'll have peace of mind! A vegetarian diet is worth trying.

Exploring a vegetarian diet can lead to healthier choices, as meat consumption has been connected to inflammation and other health concerns. Additionally, it is an opportunity to make a positive impact by reducing animal cruelty. A properly executed vegetarian diet has been shown to offer several health benefits. It's not necessary to commit to a vegetarian diet indefinitely; even trying it out for a couple of days a week can be an enlightening experiment. Avoiding processed soy products, refined carbohydrates, fried vegetarian dishes, and sugary desserts can make the transition smoother.

Try a vegan diet.

A vegetarian diet involves avoiding all animal products, while a vegan diet takes it a step further by eliminating animal-derived products as well. This includes staples like cheese, milk, eggs and even honey. In a society where meat is a prevalent part of the culture, veganism may seem like a strict diet, but it is believed to have more health benefits than a vegetarian diet. You can learn more about veganism by checking out these resources: here, here, and here. If you're not quite ready to commit to a vegan diet, experimenting with it for a few weeks or dedicating two days a week to it is a good start. However, if you do decide to become 100% vegan, it's important to keep an eye on your intake of certain vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B12 and omega 3 (DHA/EPA). These can be easily incorporated into your diet through the right foods and/or supplements.

Try a raw vegan diet.

A raw vegan diet consists of uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. As you progress from vegetarianism to veganism to raw veganism, you shift towards consuming whole foods that occur naturally. There are numerous benefits to switching from veganism to raw veganism, such as increased energy, weight loss, youthfulness, and health benefits. Personally, while I enjoy eating raw meals and attempting to maintain a high raw diet, it is challenging to go entirely raw vegan in our modern society. Cooked food is too prevalent, and consuming enough calories on a 100% raw vegan diet can be difficult. However, experimentation is possible. I have completed several 21-day raw vegan trials and felt incredibly energized each time. Nowadays, I consume around 30-40% raw (vegan) food each day. You can find more information about raw veganism here, here, here, and here. As needed, supplement your diet. Even when we eat healthily, certain vitamins and minerals may be lacking due to man-made processes that have permanently altered our food supply chain. Common nutrient deficiencies include iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D (for those who live in places with winter), calcium, and magnesium.

Although supplements are an option, it's important to note that they aren't always the best solution. Various supplements, such as B12, have been linked to acne, and research has shown that calcium supplements may not prevent fractures in healthy women and can even lead to calcium deposits in arteries. The ideal approach is to conduct research and obtain necessary vitamins and minerals through a well-balanced diet, either through whole foods or fortified options. Only when it's not feasible should supplements be considered.

Consume prebiotic food and fermented food.

1. Prebiotics.Prebiotics are important for gut bacteria to flourish.

Consider them as nourishment for your gut microbes. Studies continue to reveal a connection between our gut bacteria and our overall well-being. It's best to prioritize prebiotic foods over supplements. Examples of prebiotic foods are uncooked onions, uncooked leeks, uncooked garlic, potato starch, and green bananas.

2. Wild Fermented Food.

To enhance your gut health, include fermented foods in your diet as they are an excellent source of probiotics. Some examples of fermented foods are kefir, pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha. Instead of purchasing commercially fermented foods, opt for wild fermented foods. When purchasing from a health store, ensure that the product label reads "wildly fermented." Commercially fermented foods have a minimal number of probiotic strains, which is ineffective for a healthy gut environment that requires approximately 20,000 to 30,000 species of gut bacteria. Continuously consuming commercially fermented food or probiotic capsules (which typically contain between three and forty species) may result in a monoculture of gut flora. Conversely, wild fermented foods (created at home or in your garden) have the potential to provide you with thousands of bacteria species. Check out Dr. Zach Bush's article "Why Probiotics Don’t Always Work" to learn more. To get started, learn how to ferment your food by making homemade sauerkraut.

Experiment.

The best way to know what works for you is to experiment.

Instead of committing to one specific diet, experiment with different foods and observe how your body responds to them. It’s crucial to conduct research and adjust your diet based on your findings. Personally, I find inspiration in stories and studies of individuals who have successfully reversed health conditions rather than relying solely on medical advice, which I’ve discovered to be flawed.

Don’t spend all your time cooped up in the office if you work a 9-5 job. Take the opportunity to get out and enjoy yourself more often. Even if you’re busy on the weekends, make it a point to go out with friends at least once a week. Changing up your environment and getting some sunshine can do wonders for your body and mind. Check out these 7 tips if you’re feeling stuck indoors.

Maintaining good dental hygiene can enhance your health and make you more attractive. Brush your teeth twice a day, rinse your mouth after meals, and floss after each meal if possible.

Use toothpaste without fluoride to safeguard the health of your gums.

Hang out with healthy people.

The company you keep has a strong impact on your overall well-being, with the average of your five closest companions reflecting your own tendencies. To improve your health, surround yourself with like-minded individuals who prioritize healthy living. Joining a workout group or sharing meals with health-conscious friends can add an enjoyable social element to your wellness journey. :)