6 Things The Healthiest People Do Daily That Lazy People Never Stick With
Jelena Danilovic | Canva Moving towards a healthier life means it's important to look at what habits we need in place to reach our goal. We need to maintain a healthy weight, feel more energetic than tired, and keep health markers within an optimal range. We need to possess that “inner glow."
How can you reach that "glow" level? If you look at the habits of the healthiest people, you’ll get an idea of what you need to be doing every day. On the road to personal development? We could all use some self-improvement, so for some wellness inspiration, I’ve found six things healthy people do differently.
Here are 6 things the healthiest people do daily that lazy people never stick with:
1. They eat more superfoods
Superfoods contain high levels of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. This group of foods is known for being low in calories and high in nutrients. If you want to maintain a healthy weight, fight disease, and live longer, eat more superfoods.
An overview of 95 studies with more than 2 million participants found that people who ate more fruits and vegetables had lower risks of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Plant-based foods introduce significantly more antioxidants into the human diet than non-plant foods, and these antioxidants help protect against chronic diseases related to stress.
Adding an array of superfoods to your diet gives you the best protective health benefits. Some provide free-radical-fighting antioxidants, and others contain healthy fats and anti-inflammatory substances. Preventing chronic disease is possible through diet, and superfoods are a powerful food choice for keeping you healthy.
Quick tip: Some of my favorite superfood recipes include kale, broccoli, berries, quinoa, avocados, chia and hemp seeds, almonds, spinach, and salmon.
2. They get Omega-3 fatty acids from their diets
Alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) is an omega-3 fatty acid that plays a critical role in the health of numerous body systems. That includes the nervous system, the immune system, and the cardiovascular system. You know, all the ones you need to function?
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients that your body cannot produce on its own, so they must come from foods like fish, flaxseed, and walnuts. Randomized clinical trials in patients with coronary heart disease found that omega-3 fatty acid supplements significantly reduced cardiovascular events, including death, nonfatal heart attacks, and nonfatal strokes.
Since our bodies cannot make ALA, we must get it from dietary sources, mainly plants, dairy, and meat. Eighty-five percent of ALA is broken down by our bodies and used as a source of energy, so incorporating ALA into your diet is a must.
Quick tip: Plant sources of ALA include flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and walnuts. You can also get ALA from leafy greens, but try sprinkling seeds on your food to optimize ALA intake. Salmon is also a fantastic source of omega-3 fatty acids — non-vegetarians should eat this nutritious fish twice a week.
3. They fill up on fiber
You’ll feel full long after eating a meal high in fiber. This helps tremendously with weight management because the fuller you feel, the less likely you are to take in extra calories.
Consuming an additional 14 grams of fiber daily for more than two days is associated with a 10% decrease in energy intake and body weight loss of about 1.9 kilograms over 3.8 months. The majority of studies indicate that increasing either soluble or insoluble fiber intake increases feelings of fullness after meals and decreases subsequent hunger.
Fiber also reduces blood sugar spikes, so you won’t be on the endless cycle of blood sugar dips and peaks if you incorporate healthy fiber in your meals. Fiber also plays a role in feeding the “good bacteria” in your gut, helping to maintain a healthy environment in your digestive system.
Quick tip: Great sources of fiber include fresh fruits and vegetables, lentils and legumes, nuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and whole grains.
4. They exercise regularly
Exercising burns calories and is extremely important for regulating our metabolism and controlling our weight. Being active boosts good cholesterol levels, reduces stress, improves mood, boosts energy, improves cognitive function and memory, and increases blood flow throughout our bodies.
If that’s not enough, exercise also improves sleep and body confidence. Research from the World Health Organization shows that regular physical activity contributes to the prevention and management of diseases like cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Physical activity also reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety and enhances brain health.
Quick tip: If you don’t exercise, start slowly and do a little more each day. Even those with busy schedules can sneak in twenty minutes a day. Try lunges, squats, and planks at home, or search the internet for fitness videos. If the weather is nice, get out and walk, and increase your mileage every week. We can all benefit from daily exercise.
5. They read food labels
Do you toss jarred, boxed, and frozen foods in your grocery cart without reading the nutrition label? If yes, now's the time to break this habit. Check the number of ingredients listed on the product — the more ingredients listed, the greater the likelihood that the food is highly processed and stripped of nutritional value.
Ingredients on food labels are listed by quantity from highest to lowest amount, so the first ingredient makes up the largest part of what you're eating. Research shows that an ingredient list longer than two to three lines may be a sign that the product is highly processed and stripped of nutritional value.
Choose foods that have the least number of ingredients listed and steer clear of food additives. Get to know the various "code words" for sugar: corn syrup, fructose, cane sugar, dextrose, brown rice syrup, among others. It is best to choose foods without added sugar. Check the serving size before you look at the nutrition information, and then base your decision to buy on the daily recommended values per serving.
Quick tip: I recommend eating whole foods and staying away from pre-packaged, highly processed foods. Aim to buy food with the least number of ingredients, and stay away from added sugar and trans fat.
6. They stay well-hydrated
Since our bodies are made up of about 60 percent water, all of our bodily systems depend upon water to run smoothly. A mildly dehydrated person will start to feel tired, sluggish, irritable, and experience headaches. If your urine is not clear or light yellow, this is also another sign that you’re dehydrated.
Water flushes toxins from our cells and organs, helps to regulate body temperature, and keeps our digestive system running smoothly. If you feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water first. It may be all you need to feel full again.
Research shows that dehydration is consistently associated with increased negative emotions and that body mass loss greater than 1% is linked with deterioration in attention and memory. Common symptoms of dehydration include fatigue, headaches, irritability, and poor concentration.
How can you determine how much water you need? Experts have long recited the mantra “an 8-ounce glass, 8 times a day.” However, it may surprise you to learn there is little science to support this easy-to-remember catchphrase.
That recommendation appeared as a footnote in a 1945 Dietary Guide and has been used ever since. The truth is that everybody needs different amounts of hydration. The type of diet, time of year, and even hormone levels will play a factor in setting your daily hydration needs.
Ultimately, listen to your own body. When you are thirsty: drink water. But don’t feel like you have to force yourself to drink massive amounts of water for the sake of meeting an irrelevant goal.
Quick tip: If you have trouble drinking enough water daily, I recommend carrying around a BPA-free bottle or glass water bottle and drinking on the go.
Yuri Elkaim is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and author of the NYTimes Best-selling book The All-Day Energy Diet.
