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Elevate Magazine
June 7, 2024

Health Hacks to Boost Your Lifestyle

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Life is busy and filled with unexpected surprises as it is, so it’s natural to seek simplicity and efficiency wherever possible. Instead of adding to the whirlwind by complicating your approach to health, why not design your wellness journey with ease? Whether you’re aiming for weight loss, an energy boost, or simply striving to improve your overall well-being, these health hacks offer invaluable opportunities to help you achieve your goals effortlessly.

Start Your Day with Lemon Water

Begin your day with a glass of warm water mixed with fresh-squeezed lemon or edible, 100% natural-grade lemon oil (avoid synthetic oils). Lemon water offers numerous benefits, including detoxifying your system, alkalising your body, and supporting healthy digestion. This simple habit can boost your energy, reduce inflammation, and provide a natural health kick.

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Exercise to Ease Anxiety

A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders found that individuals with anxiety disorders who exercised three times a week experienced symptom improvement compared to those who remained inactive. For optimal results, combine cardio and strength training for 45-60 minutes, at least three times a week, for a minimum of three months. This routine provided the greatest reduction in anxiety. Exercise can also be a powerful alternative to therapy or medication for anxiety for those wishing to avoid it.

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Prep Your Way to Nutritious Meals

When weekdays become overwhelmingly busy, we often resort to poor lunch choices like fast food or whatever is nearby. Prevent this by meal-prepping in advance. Use Sunday—or any day you have some free time—to cook chicken breasts, hard-boil eggs, prepare a large batch of brown rice, chop vegetables, and more. This way, you can prepare multiple lunches and dinners at once, adding different herbs and toppings to each dish to keep it varied throughout the week.

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Meditate

Stress negatively impacts your health as it affects your blood sugar levels, food choices, susceptibility to illness, weight, and fat distribution, among other things. Therefore, finding healthy ways to manage stress is crucial. Meditation is an effective and proven stress management tool. In a study involving 48 individuals with high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or both, researchers discovered that meditation helped to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and inflammation compared to the control group. Participants who meditated also reported improved mental and physical well-being.

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Create an Environment for Success

Your environment influences your well-being as much as your diet. Surround yourself with motivating images, create a vision board, or place affirmations on your mirror, desk, or fridge. Regularly seeing your goals will keep you motivated. Beyond visual reminders, make sure your home supports a healthy lifestyle. A few tips: keep your blender accessible, display healthy cookbooks prominently, leave your yoga mat out, and keep your bedroom as a space to relax.

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Engage in Passionate Activities

Afternoon slumps or generally low energy might indicate you’re not engaging in activities that ignite your passion. To boost your energy and zest for life (an essential aspect of wellness), immerse yourself in activities you love. If your job doesn’t excite you, try reading an interesting book during lunch, doing a motivating workout, gardening, or dedicating weekends to a worthy cause. Consider what you’d spend your time on even without pay, or recall your favourite childhood hobbies. Squeeze these activities into your routine more consistently, and your energy levels, happiness, and enthusiasm for life will thank you.

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Try Something New Every Week

The key to reaching your optimal health might be as straightforward as revitalising your healthy routines. Whether that’s trying out new ingredients in your cooking or testing out the latest wellness trends, regularly introducing novelty can propel you towards your health goals. The aim isn’t to adopt every self-care trend on social media. Instead, the goal of experimenting with new experiences is to discover foods, workouts, and products that genuinely benefit you. Moreover, embracing novelty can enhance your confidence and motivation.

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Take a Daily Walk (or Just Get Outside)

A health objective that could have a profound impact on your life? Aim to take a walk every single day. Not only does increasing your daily steps benefit your health (your friends on Strava giving you kudos is so rewarding), but also exposure to fresh air and sunlight can elevate your mood. If carving out time for a walk seems challenging, find alternative ways to integrate fresh air into your day—work on your laptop on the balcony or patio, conduct conference calls while strolling around the block, or enjoy your lunch outdoors.

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Go to Bed Earlier

Even if your dietary efforts falter and exercise time is elusive, prioritise sleep above all else, as adequate rest profoundly impacts your overall well-being. Start by gradually moving your bedtime five minutes earlier each night until you accumulate an extra hour of sleep. If possible, consult your doctor for advice on enhancing sleep quality, explore adaptogens, sip chamomile tea, and minimise screen exposure before bed.

Reducing exposure to phones, laptops, and other electronic devices before bedtime can notably reinforce sleep patterns. The blue light emitted by screens can disrupt the production of melatonin, a hormone crucial for regulating our sleep-wake cycle. Furthermore, minimising screen time before bed can clear mental clutter and promote a night of restorative sleep.

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You don’t actually need drastic changes or rigid rules to achieve your healthiest self. It’s about unlearning societal expectations and listening to your body’s needs. While it might take time, aligning with what makes your body feel best should be both simple and enjoyable.