How to Be Healthy All Day

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Most people want to be healthy. They want to take care of themselves. The problem is that not everyone knows how to take care of their body. Google is of almost no help in this and neither are friends. There is so much information out there that it is almost impossible to sort useful truths from fad diet advice. One friend says carbs will make you bloat. Another says that cutting bread from your diet will make you glucose intolerant. One website advises people to eat most of their fruits and vegetables raw. Another says that roasting your vegetables makes your body absorb more of their nutrients. The information is all contradictory and appears to be coming from people interested solely in losing weight. So what are you supposed to do if you are not worried about weight but want to keep your body functioning properly? Yes, you know to drink plenty of water, get plenty of sleep and exercise three times a week. But what about during the rest of your day? What do you need to do throughout the day to be healthy from the moment you wake up to the moment your head hits the pillow at night?

Morning

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Mornings are your first chance to start off the day right. Set yourself up for success by getting up at approximately the same time every day. Yes, it is wonderful to sleep in on weekends, but a dramatic change in sleep or wake times will make it harder for you to sleep during the rest of the week.

Avoid hitting the snooze button when you do awaken. People who avoid the allure of the snooze button tend to feel less groggy in the morning and be in a better mood. Avoiding the snooze button also helps you get up and get moving faster. Also, how much sleep do you really get when you hit the snooze button over and over again? The answer is probably “not much.”

Make sure you turn on the lights in the morning and get some breakfast. While those lights can be blinding at first, bright lights tell your body that it is morning and time to be up and at ‘em. Breakfast does much the same thing. Your circadian rhythm is based largely on light but when you eat affects it, too. Your body assumes that morning is whenever you break a long fast. So, if you skip breakfast, your body will assume that lunchtime is actually morning.

Afternoon

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Eating is important, and lunch is not an exception to that rule. You need to eat to keep your energy up and your metabolism from slowing. Even if you are trying to lose weight, skipping meals is a bad idea. If you consume too few calories, your body will go into starvation mode. You will be tired, irritable, feel weak and your metabolic rate will decrease.

Make sure you move around a little bit in the afternoon. Walk around the parking lot or stand up at your desk and stretch. Sitting all day is not good for your body. Stand while you eat your lunch or pace around the breakroom while your soup is reheating. If you go out to lunch, park as far away from the restaurant as you can and enjoy the walk to the door.

One of the biggest health mistakes people make in the afternoon is drinking coffee or soda late in the afternoon. Caffeine stays in your system for eight to nine hours. During that time, you may not be as energized as you were during the first hour after you had coffee, but you will not be able to sleep restfully until after the caffeine has cleared your system. So, that 3:00 p.m. cup of coffee is going to keep you awake until midnight.

Evening

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It can be very tempting to give up on trying to be healthy in the evening. After all, you worked all day and that piece of chocolate cake is calling your name. If you feel you must eat that cake or bag of chips, do not do it in front of the TV or computer. People who multitask while eating are far more likely to eat more than they intended and less healthy food. So, cook something healthy for dinner and then focus on your food. The Netflix show you have been binging will still be there after you eat. Enjoy your food, then go relax.

Do not let your relaxing run too close to bedtime. Blue screens and electronics can depress melatonin production and make it hard for you to sleep. Turn off the electronics about an hour before you plan to go to bed. Pick up a book instead or take a hot shower. As you cool off after the shower, your body temperature will fall. This falling temperature is similar to what your body would do naturally in preparation for sleep. This merely speeds up the process. Reading a book, on the other hand, tires your eyes. Tired eyes make you more likely to fall asleep quickly.

Night

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When you go to sleep, make sure your phone is not in your bedroom. You are far more likely to use it late into the night or pick it up when you wake up in the middle of the night when it is right next to you. For those that swear it is their alarm clock, use the weekend to buy a cheap, five dollar alarm. Not only will you sleep better, but turning your phone off at night is often better for the device.

Keep your bedroom cool at night to help you sleep. Most people sleep best at temperatures around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. It might sound chilly, but a cool room and a warm blanket will help you wake up feeling far more rested in the morning than a warm room and a sheet.

Make sure you are going to bed at about the same time every night. Staying out late on Friday can be fun, but it will wreck your sleep schedule for the following week, especially if you sleep in late to “make up” for lost hours. Head to bed within an hour of the same time each night, and you will find that you are far more rested.