10 2-Minute Healthful Practices to Add To Your Day
Okay, so you have implemented a nutrient dense diet and some daily exercise. Now what? When you're not sure what direction to go, you can embark upon the journey toward a healthier lifestyle simply by incorporating any of these 10 healthy habits into your day. They don't take a ton of time, but they have tremendous health returns! Start with one and add more when you’re ready.
- Diaphragmatic Breathing: Breathe in through the nose for a count of five. Feel as though there's a balloon that is filling your entire belly and causing it to stretch out in all directions. Hold that inhale for a moment, and when you exhale, contract all the muscles in and up the spine as you exhale for a count of five. Hold the exhale for a count of five and repeat 10 times.
- Chew Your Food Mindfully: It's not just what you eat that matters, it's also how you eat it. You can eat all the healthy food you want, but if you don't chew your food well, it can lead to indigestion, bloating and lack of nutrient absorption. The more you chew, the more saliva you produce. Saliva coats the particles of food with enzymes that break it down for better nutrient absorption.
- Sip Warm Lemon Water: Your body needs to be rehydrated first thing in the morning. Swap out the ice water and add warm lemon water to your daily routine instead. Warm lemon water quenches thirst, preps and primes your digestive system, aids in detoxification and supplies a free-radical-crushing dose of vitamin C.
- Move Often: It's not just about doing your workout for an hour in the morning and checking it off the list. Your body thrives on movement. Sitting for long hours has been shown to contribute to almost all disease. Set an alarm and get up every 20 minutes and move. Do some calisthenics, go for a short walk, stretch, march or run in place. Any movement will do.
- Practice perfect posture: Aligning the spine and stacking the joints puts your body at ease, reduces tension and strain, aids digestion, and ensures that muscles and tissues are well oxygenated and receive nutrients for proper function. Elongate the spine, tuck the pelvis slightly under, tighten abs and relax the shoulders. Check in every hour and adjust your stance. It is believed that standing up straight will take 10 years off of your appearance.
- Go Barefoot Outside: Earthing, or walking or standing barefoot on the ground, connects us to the Earth and all the negative ions it readily gives up. A 2012 review published in the Journal of Environmental Public Health found that research supports the benefits of grounding, which include improved mood and sleep and reduced inflammation and chronic pain.
- Dry Brush Your Skin: Take care of your body's largest organ, your skin. Dry brushing is a natural technique that can reveal the beauty of your skin by sloughing off dead skin cells as it stimulates the lymphatic system. Dry brushing has also been credited with giving the skin a natural, luminous glow.
- Journal: There are numerous studies regarding the benefits of gratitude journalling. It also helps us to release emotions on to paper, which aids in improving sleep, elevating mood and relieving anxiety.
- Check In: The simple practice of being aware of your mood, anxiety level and physical state can help to improve all of these. Once we take notice we can take action.
- Meditate: Yes, even 2 minutes can work wonders.
