It may be a time to think about boosting your health!!!
We all think about all those things we could be doing to boost our health and wellbeing. But the secret is how to make these positive changes.
Well here are some tips that boost your overall health and improve your wellbeing that you can easily build in to your everyday life.
1. DRINK WATER
Water is the best drink to help you stay hydrated. It has no calories or sugar so is a perfect choice to help ensure you maintain a healthy weight and teeth.
The benefits of water include:
- Flushing out toxins
- Increasing energy / reduce fatigue
- Boosting immune system
- Improving skin complexion
- Helping with regular bowel movements
- Preventing leg cramps and strains
The overall health of our body and mind can be influenced by the amount of pure, fresh air breathed however, as adults we are typically less likely to spend time outside Taking a deep breath of fresh air or oxygen in our lungs can
- Affect levels of serotonin around the body leaving you feeling more refreshed and relaxed
- Our immune system is also enhanced by fresh air - being in polluted cities or in an office all day can increase the likelihood of catching germs and can lower our immune system.
1. Take a long deep breath in through your nose, if possible counting to 5 in your head as you breathe in. You may not reach 5 at the beginning but with more practice you will.
2. Ensure the breath is filling your belly as you breathe in - you should feel / see it expanding.
3. Gently and slowly breathe out through your mouth.
4. Repeat for 3-5 times
Sleep is vital to our minds to processing information, and our body to repair its self. It can help curb inflammation, which is linked to heart disease, stroke, arthritis, premature ageing and diabetes.
Recent BBC1 programme with Michael Mosely- “The truth about insomnia”., looked at among things “prebiotics” to help improve quality of sleep. Prebiotics aid digestion and enhance the production of valuable vitamins. They also promote growth of beneficial bacteria (lactobacilli and bifidobacteria), without feeding the ‘bad’ types. The good bacteria play a significant role in regulating your immune system, inhibiting the growth of pathogens (disease causing bacteria) and digesting food. Further information from “ Bimuno”
Further help to get a good night sleep include: -
- Switch off screens a few hours before bed
- Switch off your mobile phone, don’t have a television in your room.
- Refrain from answering emails/social media updates//what’s app conversations. using your computer at least 2 hours before bed time and not while in bed.
- Try to get the same number of hours sleep every night
- Limit caffeine and alcohol after 4pm and don't eat a large meal close to bedtime
- Exercise in the morning not in the afternoon or evening
- Check your mattress and pillow are supportive and comfortable
- If you struggle to switch off try a meditation or mindfulness app such as Headspace
- Put a few drops of aromatherapy oils such as lavender or chamomile on your pillow to help induce sleep
Optimism and pessimism can affect your day to day levels of stress which can in turn impact on your health and wellbeing. By thinking positively, you can improve psychological and physical wellbeing, coping skills, cardiovascular health, feelings of distress and anxiety.
- Think about areas in your life that you consider to be negative and identify ways you could change them. Start with something small so that you can achieve it more easily.
- Keep a note of your thoughts during the day and ensure that if they are negative you do your best to put a positive angle on them
- Exercise can improve your endorphins and help you to feel more positive.
- Practice talking positively out loud. You could even try some affirmations.
Learning throughout your life can build your self-esteem and confidence as well as enhance social interaction and relationships. Doing something out of the norm can change thought patterns and boost wellbeing. This will broaden your mind can even help to lift you out of depression and boost wellbeing. Start small and build as you go along.
Here are some tips for learning something new:
- Read a new book
- Do a crossword puzzle
- Research a fact that you have always wanted to learn about
- Join a class e.g. yoga, pilates, spinning, zumba, salsa
- Learn a new skill e.g. cooking, mindfulness, musical instrument
Being active: -
- Help keep you physically fit and reduce the likelihood of you developing heart disease, Type 2 diabetes or some cancers
- Helps you to sleep better and can reduce the chance of you having depression, anxiety or stress.
- Improves circulation, bone health maintains a healthy weight.
- Pick something you enjoy - going swimming, playing tennis, going for a run, rollerblading, yoga, pilates, kickboxing, netball, volleyball, skipping rope or football.
- Choose a time each week and stick to it. You are more likely to keep at something which is on the same day and at the same time on a regular basis.
- Walk your child to school instead of driving them.
- Be more active with your kids - play active games with them in the park or take them swimming.
- Exercise during your lunch break. This could even be as simple as a brisk walk.
- Get off the tube/bus/train a stop or two early and walk the rest to work
- Take the stairs rather than the lift.
- Sit less - get up and walk around or do some stretches.
Reflexology is a non-intrusive, complementary health therapy which helps the body to restore its natural balance and is excellent for promoting and maintaining good health. Reflexology can also reduce stress both physiologically and emotionally by bringing the body back into balance.
Best of all, reflexology feels good! Typically, following a treatment, the receiver will feel more relaxed, less stressed and tension will be reduced. As reflexology is a holistic therapy, each session treats the whole person. It not only helps to rebalance our body but promotes an overall feeling of wellbeing - what can be better than that?
Having regular treatments can ensure that the body continues to sustain optimum health.
Contact Janet on 07765526790 with any questions or to book a treatment