Habit Changes to Shift to a Healthy Lifestyle

Healthy Lifestyle With These Habit Changing Shifts

At Vision Quest Wellness we write a lot about developing good habits. We feel that good habits create a positive life foundation to live your best life. Habits are a part of daily life, from the moment of waking up to the moment we go to sleep each day. By focusing on creating good, healthy habits we set up ourselves up for success.

There are tons of different ways to gradually shift to a healthier lifestyle. Everyone talks about eating healthier and exercising more, but it can often be overwhelming when these are not already habits in your daily life. Below are a few tips for easing into a healthier lifestyle that you will actually stick to and feel good about.

1. Eat Real Food

Although you hear all the time how important it is to eat healthier and you are constantly hearing about the latest diet trends, we all know how difficult it is to stick to a consistent diet plan. One of the most important ways to stick to a healthier diet is to eat real food and yes organic is always the best choice. This means that you are not sticking to a one-month plan or a strict diet, but rather creating a habit.

As US News argues, it is crucial to have a variety of real foods. Paying attention and buying real foods for your meals will be an important part of developing your healthier habit, preparing your food in your own kitchen will definitely be a healthier habit.
This might mean that you begin to learn new ways of cooking at home. We suggest to our clients if cooking at home is not a habit begin by learning 3 new recipes and become an expert at cooking them. Then begin to learn 3 more new recipes. In one year you will have learned how to be an expert at 36 real food recipes. We recommend EAT MORE, BURN MORE COOKBOOK http://go.earlytorise.net/SHm (affiliate link)

If your friends are all going out to dinner and there are very few healthy choices on the menu, you can always order a green salad with olive oil and lemon on the side to make your own salad dressing and add a piece of chicken or steak to your meal. This is a way to enjoy a real food meal when you are out socially. This is our go to meal if the menu is limited.

2. Develop a Fitness Routine

Getting an adequate amount of physical activity each week is crucial to improving your mood and your physical well-being. According to Mayo Clinic’s recommendations, getting at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week is necessary for your well being. We believe that good movement matters in our life.
Whether you walk after work each day, take workout classes at a local gym, or ride your bike to work, you will notice an enhanced mood very quickly and over time you will begin to see how you have improved how you feel, more energy and vitality. Exercise also allows you to clear your mind and step away from the daily stresses that life brings.

We wrote about developing a fitness habit and you can read more about this here. 

Many studies link physical activity and a proper fitness routine with reduced risk of depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses. Make time in your schedule to exercise at least a couple of days a week and you feel happier and healthier overall. If you want to workout at home we recommend The Home Workout Revolution System http://go.earlytorise.net/SH1X (affiliate link) and the system we have in our home gym

3. Make Time for Meditation

Knowing you will have a busy day at work or school, it is very easy to make meditation a very low priority and neglect to take time for yourself. However, studies show that it is one of the most important ways to change and improve your lifestyle.

Research discussed in The Art of Living links meditation with a more balanced and healthy diet, a better quality of sleep, more energy and happiness, and productivity.
By clearing your mind of negative thoughts and stress, you will be more efficient and productive, and your health will improve drastically. Even if you start with ten minutes of meditation per day, you will notice yourself making healthier choices in all aspects of your life.

4. Get an Adequate Amount of Sleep

Sleep tends to be the throw away Pillar of Health. Meaning many people today do not see sleep as an important part of a healthy lifestyle. There are tons of ways that sleep improves nearly every aspect of our lives. Going to sleep at a reasonable time and sleeping for at least 6-8 hours every night is so important when committed to improving your health. With proper sleep, you will have more energy to go about your day while feeling good.

When you set up a specific sleep routine, your body will adjust which will improve the quality of your sleep and make it easier to wake up in the morning. In addition, WebMD states that with lack of sleep, people often tend to overeat sugars and refined flours to provide short term energy. These highly processed foods will eventually cause you to crash leading to an unhealthy cycle.

When beginning to implement change we suggest you begin with one new habit. Get the WIN, and once that new habit is a part of your daily routine begin developing another new habit. You might want to begin cooking one real food meal a day in your own kitchen. Do this for 30 days and understand that anyone can do anything for 30 days. This will help you achieve your new healthy lifestyle and the habits that form it.
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Be sure to get in touch to let us know how we can help you.

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