People who are conscious about healthy living don’t have two heads, please what’s your excuse?
Na you sabi if you call them pretentious or boogie but they are making an effort and so should you.
This life is too short …one minute you have so much free time to learn the new dance steps in town, keep up with trending topics on Twitter and the next minute people are congratulating you on your retirement.
There’s a need to live in top shape through the years. You stay glowing, plus your body looks younger.
The beautiful thing here is, you only need to put in a bit more effort to pull off this healthy living thing. Let’s enjoy this life in good health.
There are realistic ways to squeeze healthier habits into super busy schedules. Some say it’s expensive to live healthy but it’s really not.
Check out these 6 tips, they are easy to apply.
1. Stay hydrated. It helps! I kid you not!. The 1.5 liters water bottle I got & the reminder I set helps keep me full, energized, and extra focused. I take at least 2 (i.e. 3 liters) during office hours. Eight glasses of water a day can help keep the doctor away.
Of course you’d pee a lot but you’re helping your body detoxify, keep colds away and it cures hangover from a turnt night out.
2. Juice ain’t it Sis. Juice sounds like a healthy breakfast option but that sh*t has a lot of processed sugar in it. The nutritional value is also low.
Opt for the real deal instead – fruits – apples, bananas, tangerines. Nigeria is blessed with various fruits all year round. You can make it easier by buying fruits that will last for the week.
3. Protein should be your best friend. You can avoid snack urges by loading up on high-protein meals. These fill you up and you’d be satisfied for a longer duration than snacking on plantain chips, chinchin or potato chips.
Easy options would be “darling beans” like I call it. Yummy akara or moimoi with custard/pap topped with creamy milk is always a yes-yes.
4. Eat meals instead of snacking all day. I can’t stress this enough, snacks can never do your body as much good as a proper meal would. We get crazy busy sometimes so we snack on all sorts between meetings and tasks.
If you do this, you’ve successful consumed more calories than you would’ve consumed by eating a proper meal. Yeah, I gasped too. The horror!
5. Fill up on iron. When our body doesn’t have enough iron, it can cause fatigue and even depression. I bet you don’t want that happening to you. Iron boosts muscle strength but not on Superman’s level though. Lol. It’s also much easier to get through the workday.
You can simply load up on foods rich in iron to keep that energy high. Enjoy a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, bananas, enjoy your boiled unripe plantain with efo riro, and don’t leave out your okra soup and fish.
6. Reduce stress. It’s easier said than done right? But you still need to make an effort. We all know stress can have an insanely negative impact on health. Don’t wait till a doctor puts you on bed rest before you know there’s a need to pump the brakes.
Master super-quick stress reducers like deep breathing and sipping on green tea. Might sound boogie but it works! Take a long walk, indulge in relaxing, sonorous music. You can even try Yoga, add a splash of meditation and you’d be golden.
You can also get a butt-load of healthy living tips on social media and through a quick Google search, like exercising. Make it your hobby. It’s way easier and affordable than you think.
Let’s make healthy living our thing going forward. It’s the smart thing to do. 2019 won’t enjoy itself you know.
Who’s with me?!
Written for ID Africa
Comments