Our lives are fast paced, hectic and leave us with no time to pursue health. Our days consist of very little sleep, thanks to our binge watching habits, skipped breakfasts and not a lot of hydration. April 7, world over is celebrated as World Health Day, and what better day to kickstart a better, healthier lifestyle. We asked some of the leading fitness experts and nutritionists for some easy ways to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Eat a colourful plate of food
Eating more green leafy vegetables, and bright fruits high in carotenoids and polyphenols, is said to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and other conditions caused by low grade inflammation, by nearly 35 to 40%. White foods such as sugar, rice, maida contain less fibre more starch and also do not have a high antioxidant profile. The chances of any white food going into your fat stores are higher due to low fibre content and quick insulin spike on their intake in the body, says Holistic Nutritionist and Integrative Wellness Coach Janvi Chitalia.
Don’t adopt crash diets
“Stay away from crash diets that make you starve. Our body requires a balanced diet including proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins. Therefore, it is essential to have a balanced diet and include all these components in our diet,” says Diksha Chhabra, Founder, Diksha Chhabra Fitness Consultancy.
Get your teeth cleaned regularly
“It’s a myth that getting your teeth cleaned causes damage. In fact, it is very important to get biannual cleaning done as there is a link between the bacteria present in the mouth and heart disease,” says Dr Reshma Shah, dentist at 32 Reasons clinic.
Get your daily dose of laughter and sunshine
Waking up in the morning and letting sunlight wash over you is one of the best ways to start the day. It produces serotonin which helps elevate your mood. Watching sitcoms, stand-up shows or joining a laughter yoga class will help lower stress, reduce pain, prevent heart diseases and most importantly keep you upbeat and positive to face the challenges of the day, says Dr Mickey Mehta, Global leading holistic health guru, and a corporate life coach.
Pay attention to your posture
Pay attention to your posture as most of us have desk jobs and we ignore it unintentionally. Do a self-stretch or massage just for 10-15 mins. Just a few minutes of stretching will boost the blood circulation, bring relief to stiff joints and improve posture too, says Neha Shetty, Senior Nutritionist at Reduce, Talwalkar’s.
Be grateful
Practicing gratitude daily helps you stay grounded and focus on what’s really important, filtering out the mundane things that take up space in your mind, says Sarvesh Shashi, Co-founder of SARVA- Yoga, Mindfulness and Beyond.
