5 daily habits to stay healthy and young

Dear reader, we present to you our beauty columnist Inessa Tsarkova!

Inessa is an active nutritionist, gastroenterologist, therapist, naturopath and aromatherapist, health coach, integrative medicine doctor with a holistic approach. And now he will share with us his knowledge in the field of both physical and mental health, nutrition and much more.

Last week we learned about the basic conditions for the healthy and happy existence of our body, and today we will develop the topic and develop five habits that will help maintain health.

Inessa Tsarkova

#1 Drink clean water every day

It is best to use spring or melt water. It is important to gradually increase the amount of water, bringing it to approximately 30-40 ml per 1 kg of ideal weight. It is very useful if heated to 38-40 degrees. You should drink “a few sips” in the morning on an empty stomach, 20-30 minutes before each meal and between meals. It is also important to minimize the amount of salt in the diet (to prevent bloating). If the amount of water is sufficient, the color of the urine will be light straw yellow (almost transparent).

#2 Pay attention to movement, relaxation and oxygen

Do morning and work exercises every day (5-10 minutes are enough for a start). Take a brisk walk in the fresh air (preferably in the park) every day until healthy shortness of breath occurs. Start with 15 minutes a day and gradually increase to 40 minutes or more (this will be 10 thousand steps total). It will be a useful habit to keep track of the number of steps, a fitness bracelet will help with this (if you have not reached 5-6 thousand by the middle of the day, then you definitely need an hour-long evening walk).

Gradually increase the number of basic steps per day (for example, you can walk while talking on the phone or while waiting; you can walk a few stops instead of using public transport; you can use the stairs instead of the elevator). During long static poses (for example, during a long car ride or while working at the computer), warm up and do gymnastics every 45 minutes. Do your favorite sport (this could be swimming or dancing, for example) 2-3 times a week. It is important to relax (stretch, massage or knead) tense muscles every day during exercise in the morning, during work breaks and in the evening before going to bed. There is also a lot of cramping and tension in our stomach. All disappointments, stress, dissatisfaction with life accumulate there. Prolonged spasm creates conditions of stagnation, which leads to inflammation. Chronic inflammation leads to the formation of adhesions (proliferation of connective tissue and sclerosis), disruption of the functioning of internal organs and cancerous degeneration. To prevent this from happening, it is very useful to put pressure on your abdomen and do self-massage every day, as well as lie down with your stomach on the massage hemisphere in the morning and evening. Practice mindful breathing every day (such as slow belly breathing with a long exhale or Square breathing).

#3 Keep your brain young

Dance for 5-10 minutes to cheerful music or do special exercises for brain development (for example, do different movements for the right and left hands at the same time, or different movements for the legs and arms at the same time). Learn new movements regularly, learn poetry or new foreign words, solve crosswords or crosswords, learn to play a musical instrument. Read books and take notes (analyze the text) for at least thirty minutes every day. Choose new routes (walk if time and weather permit) to get to work, home or your favorite store. Be in the “here and now” moment more often, sharpen all your senses, give your brain and its thought processes a rest. Learn something new every day, enjoy and admire life just like in childhood.

#4 Monitor your sleep quality

Sleep at least 8 hours, go to bed “today” and preferably at 22.30 at the latest, and wake up tomorrow. Avoid looking at your phone, computer or TV screens two hours before bed. Turn on the dim pink light in the room and turn the device screens to “pink” light. Eat dinner three and a half, preferably four hours before bedtime. Sleep in a “cave” environment: The room should be dark, quiet, damp and cool.

No.5 Increase the amount of certain foods in the diet

By this we mean raw vegetables, herbs, fruits, berries, nuts and seeds. In total (at least 800 g – 1.2 kg per day). It is best to have a separate plate of raw vegetables and herbs at each meal and a separate plate of fresh (defrostable) berries or fruits once a day;

Use mainly leaves, stems and root vegetables (carrots, beets, cabbage, herbs, seaweed), not fruits (tomatoes and cucumbers). It is also useful to include natural (unprocessed) proteins and appropriate fats in your diet: lightly salted fish, raw quail eggs or at least eggs with runny yolks, prepared (pre-soaked) nuts and ground seeds, avocado, GHI oil, coconut oil, MCT oil. Ideally, there should be 2-3 times more raw than cooked.

How to start creating healthy habits?

First you need to analyze your lifestyle and understand the cause-effect relationship between violating the laws of life and your current state of health and appearance.

Then decide what new habits and lifestyle changes can do and how they will transform your body and your health.

It is useful to imagine what you will become in a year, for example, if you perform these new daily actions and mentally fill yourself with joy and satisfaction from the results achieved.

After that, choose three or four new habits and actions for yourself that are easy and pleasant to perform.

Do it the first time after the decision is made. Think how easy and simple it is and how little time it takes.

Be sure to repeat this process on the second day and continue for a week.

It is useful to make a table of the necessary actions and put a “+” after they are completed.

Each “+” will deliver a new dose of dopamine (the motivation hormone) and inspire you to take the next step.

Then continue doing these for three weeks; This is the time to start forming a habit. Then continue for another 40 days, this is enough time for new neural connections to appear in the brain, consolidation of habits and bringing them to automatism.

Remember to always praise yourself for achieving what you set out to do and celebrate the positive changes in your well-being, mood and body.

Get started and take action! Follow the intended path. If circumstances take you off track, do not leave, just get back on the chosen path. Believe in yourself. You will definitely succeed!