Living a healthier life: Cultivate these 14 habits today

Some changes in life can change our destinies for good. Good transformations generate positive impacts that prevent diseases and the harmful consequences of ageing. 

Despite the wide availability of fast food and situations that lead people to become sedentary, there are many alternatives to follow that improve quality of life, starting with information and adopting new habits that can change the course of life.

Here we’ve listed a few practices to change now that can lead to a healthier future and greater longevity: 

Everyone knows that drinking water has numerous benefits, such as keeping the skin and body hydrated, maintaining a normal temperature, lubricating and cushioning the joints, protecting the spinal cord and helping to filter urine and other body fluids.

Even though it’s common knowledge, adopting this simple habit is challenging, as the routine of the day and constant trips to the bathroom can be a challenge to overcome. 

One tactic would be to set alarms on your cell phone, telling you to drink a glass of water every three hours or to drink water when you wake up and before meals.

Our brain is a part of the body that gets used to dopamine very easily. Anything that induces instant pleasure offers our mind a momentary satisfaction that can be costly in the long run. Here are some examples of destructive habits that cause addiction and self-destruction in the long term:

Tobacco use can slowly generate various malignant consequences for the human body, such as damaging some defense and sensory nerve endings, it can activate chronic disease triggers, and it can be the beginning of diseases such as thrombosis and cancer.

Quitting smoking is not an easy habit to kick, as there are psychological and cultural variables in each individual that prevent success. However, an action plan can be put in place to stop this habit for good, such as replacing this addiction with a healthy practice like running, reading and meditating.

Not moderating the consumption of alcoholic drinks and soft drinks causes too much sugar to accumulate in the franks, thereby accelerating the process of obesity, inflammation and increased blood pressure.

The ideal is to replace these drinks with homemade soft drinks, flavored water, juice, coconut water… in short, there are several more natural possibilities that add nutrients to the body.

Fast food and ultra-processed foods don’t do the body any good and increase the risk of obesity and even psychological problems such as dementia, anxiety and depression. 

Because they are cheap and accessible, they are difficult to give up completely, unless you live in the countryside. However, making small substitutions for meat and eggs, fruit, fresh vegetables and nuts most of the time can greatly improve your quality of life. 

Excessive stress in everyday life is harmful, it releases the hormone cortisol (responsible for “fight or flight”), which in the long term can lead to weight gain, decreased concentration and a reduced immune system. 

To control it, practices such as meditation, gratitude and proper breathing help to reduce stress levels. 

A calm mind governs the body well. That’s why meditation or cultivating prayer practices maintains a better balance and control of actions, because the brain starts to listen more to the body, and what you do for your well-being no longer becomes an obligation, but a desire to be well with your inner self.

As well as considerably reducing stress levels, maintaining blood pressure and deep breathing techniques help oxygenate the brain when making decisions.

Regular exercise has beneficial effects on health in general, such as preventing cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, building muscle and strengthening bones. During Physical, it promotes the release of endorphins, responsible for the feeling of well-being, reducing signs of depression and anxiety. It also helps relieve stress. It also promotes a good night’s sleep. 

Put rules on what you eat. You’re not a piece of garbage to be disposed of, you need quality food! Program your day with food that will do you good, with professional help from a specialist who will draw up a varied menu, but also think about what you are eating and for what purpose it is being eaten, to nourish or to satisfy a craving? 

This can improve your relationship with food and you’ll no longer see it as the villain of your weight and consequently you’ll have better results on the scales and better performance in your personal life.

Stretching has many benefits for the body and mind, such as improving your flexibility and range of movement, as well as helping with muscular endurance, and these simple factors add up to a systemic advantage.

Stretching causes total relaxation of the body, calms the mind, reduces muscle tension and prevents body aches.

Sleep is a holy remedy against various diseases. If it is of the right quality and quantity, it can increase life expectancy and repair various damages to the body.

It prevents obesity, heart disease, stroke and even dementia. 

It also helps relieve stress, improves the immune system and personal productivity.

Exercise your learning. It’s never too late to learn new things and there’s always something you don’t know about but are curious to learn. 

This will help keep your brain going, reduce the risk of dementia diseases and add new meaning and fulfillment to life.

Our evolution has gone against the grain. Technology has made people’s daily lives screen-oriented and a little bent over. 

Many forget how good posture, both aesthetically and health-wise, improves self-confidence, reduces the risk of depression, helps with breathing and reduces the risk of back problems. 

Try to take refuge in a square, even if it’s near your home, but with a green field, where your mind can escape the virtual world for a while and relax with new ideas. This improves your serotonin levels (the happiness hormone) and for a long time, you’ll feel lighter to face life.