If ‘living a healthier lifestyle’ is topping your current list of goals, then you'll be pleased to know that it’s not as difficult as you might think. With these simple tips from Mikko Revonniemi, co-founder of superfood company
Four Stigmatic, you’ll be fighting fit in no time – and the best part is, they don’t involve a new gym membership!
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In my years of research I have studied more than a dozen popular diets. One fundamental revelation was that every person is unique so what works for me may not work for you. Also, what works for me today may not work for me tomorrow. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions for optimal health, but there are some universal tricks and strategies that work for most people. The following list contains the most important 20 percent of wellbeing causes that will bring you the other 80 percent in results.
1. Swap Normal Sugar for Coconut Sugar
First of all, coconut sugar is not healthy. However, it is healthier than regular sugar and switching to it makes a big difference to your health. In a nutshell, coconut sugar has a low glycemic index, meaning it doesn't considerably spike your blood sugar levels. This makes it friendlier to diabetics and easier on the waistline. It's a healthy, easy, and affordable change to make.
2. Use Vitamin D and Magnesium Supplements
I am not the biggest fan of supplements, but there are some essentials such as vitamin D and magnesium that I keep recommending to most people. A great majority of people are vitamin D and magnesium deficient, which is especially detrimental to their health. Vitamin D is a very fragile hormone so upon ingestion it often gets destroyed in the digestive system. DLux Oral Spray by Better You (my personal favourite) avoids this issue as it gets absorbed directly into your bloodstream through oral mucosa. As for magnesium, I haven’t found a better product than MagTech by Natural Stacks for tangible results in improving quality of sleep and general wellbeing.
3. Drink Plenty of Water in the Morning
Your body gets dehydrated after a long night’s sleep so rehydrating should be the first thing you do in the morning. Studies have shown that even a modest level of dehydration has an impact on your wellness, physical performance, and cognitive abilities. Drink 4 to 6dl of lukewarm water with a pinch of sea salt and add half a freshly squeezed lemon. This simple elixir rehydrates your body and is believed to boost your energy levels and immune system, aid digestion, promote healthy liver enzyme levels, and help dissolve uric acid in the joints.
4. Get Up, Stand Up!
A growing number of studies show that sitting for long periods of time can be just as unhealthy as smoking tobacco! Though when you think about it, it does make sense. Sitting is not a natural position for a human being and has negative effects on blood circulation, the musculoskeletal system, and the lymphatic system. Symptoms include tight hips and hamstrings, chronic back pain, headaches, and lower energy levels. So get up, stand up, stand up for your health! Personally, I hardly ever sit on the train and I try to use a standing desk at work as often as possible. If I have to sit for several hours at a time, then I will do a few squats and push-ups to get the blood circulating and muscles moving again. This nice little energy boost only takes a couple of minutes to do – much better than drinking an energy drink.
5. Take a Cold Shower in the Morning
Yes, you heard me right. It's free, easy (kind of), and effective. You may need some will power to jump in at first, but you will get used to it. Taking a cold shower regularly can, unsurprisingly, improve your resistance to cold. But that’s not all, it can also increase fat metabolism (you will burn fat faster), boost recovery after exercise, improve mood and alertness, and strengthen immunity and circulation. It will also wake you up big time! Overall, it’s a great strategy despite the initial shock. If you want to understand more about cold-therapy, just google ‘cryotherapy’.
6. Don’t Drink Your Calories
The amount of pure sugar we get from juices and energy drinks is mind-boggling. Just avoid them! You are better off drinking water, tea, or coffee and eating your fruits and vegetables. Even trendy cold-pressed juice contains plenty of pure sugar. Most fruits are high in sugar, but their fibre prevents you from overeating and slows down sugar digestion. Eating whole fruits gives you the same nutrients and is much better for you. My favourite beverages are purely functional. Raw Reserve by Amazing Grass has no sugar and plenty of nutrients, probiotics, and digestive enzymes. Mushroom Coffees by Four Sigmatic give me half the caffeine of a regular coffee and plenty of natural functional compounds to enhance my physical performance, cognitive abilities, and immunity.
7. Meditate 10 Minutes Every Day
Never meditated before? Now is a good time to join the growing number of successful people who meditate daily. Meditation is no longer just for hippie, 'new-age' types. Today, there are plenty of studies concluding that meditation enhances brain functions, lowers stress levels, improves sleep, relaxes the mind, and just makes you more productive and happy. Just ten minutes every morning and you are good to go. Meditation simply requires sitting comfortably with your back straight, closing your eyes, and slowly and deeply breathing in and out while counting your breaths. Everyone from professional athletes to some of the most successful businessmen, entrepreneurs, and politicians are saying meditation plays a huge part in their success. Best of all, it’s free!
8. Consider Medicinal Mushrooms
Medicinal mushrooms are possibly the most awesome product to optimise your wellness out there. They are the most studied organism in the world and an essential ingredient in many of the medicines we use today. Medicinal mushrooms are also one of the oldest natural medicinal ingredients in the world, having been in use for thousands of years. Countless studies have shown that they enhance immunity, lower stress, improve cognition, promote sleep, speed up recovery, improve blood-sugar levels, aid in fat-loss, and boost performance. My favourite products are Instant Reishi, Instant Chaga, and the Mushroom Coffees by Four Sigmatic. Reishi may improve sleep, lower stress levels, and calm the mind, while Chaga may boost your immune system.
Read more! Discover
10 Natural Home Remedies to keep you fighting fit, and explore the rest of our
Health & Wellbeing section.
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