Positive Life Habits

By making small changes, by adding or eliminating certain habits, it will improve our mood, energy level, skin complexion and overall health. Here are some positive life habits:

Physical Exercise

Find activities that you enjoy or at least something that keeps you moving for at least 30 minutes a day.  Staying active can also make your body seem nine years younger, according to studies, regular exercise can slow the aging process and promote healthy and vibrant skin by increasing blood flow, nourishing skin cells and keeping them vital.  As blood carries oxygen and nutrients to working cells to the skin (Source: Dermatologist Marmur)

Here are ways to motivate or at least get started:

1. If you’re watching the news or your favorite tv show, walk on one spot and move your arms at the same time.
2. If you have access to a gym that you seldom use, find a workout buddy to work-out together.  Rain or shine, you will show up to meet your workout partner. Alternatively, find a coworker at the office to go for walks with you during your lunch break.  They can also be your cheerleader, cheering you on and together, you celebrate when reaching exercise goals.
3. Try group exercises.  If you pay for group exercises, it encourages you to get your money’s worth and it is an opportunity to meet new people.  The energy of the group can help keep you going during the moments that you may want to quit.
4. Find an exercise that becomes your favorite thing to do or hobby – possibly riding your bike, climbing, exercising at the gym or hiking.

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Maintain A Healthy Diet

Maintain A Healthy Diet

Develop healthy eating habits to help maintain a low body mass and improve skin complexion. Here are some helpful tips:

1. Eat mostly foods derived from plants: vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes (peas and lentils).
2. Portions Control: eat five to six smaller meals rather than three large portions to give your body time to digest and metabolize.
3. Add rich in fiber foods such as legumes.
4. Limit refined sugar and carbohydrates in white bread, regular pasta and most snack foods.  Beware of the ingredient ‘wheat flour’ which really means white, refined or enriched flour.  Limit foods with added sugar including soda and candy.
5. Limit your exposure to any pesticides and toxic substances that are used to grow plants and food stock for animals.  Important to wash your food properly. Here’s a link to learn how 
6. Eat more protein and here are meatless protein options: eggs, beans, cauliflowers, nuts, broccoli, seeds, spinach, oatmeal and nut butters.
7. Cut back on sodium intake.  When your body experiences the negative effects from consuming too much sodium, your skin experiences it as well.  Due to water retention, your face may become puffy and bloated-looking and you might develop bags beneath your eyes.  It can also lead to skin breakouts since your skin can overproduce oil to compensate for the dehydration of the skin. Consuming high amounts of sodium can lead your body to retaining fluid.  For some, retaining fluid can lead to high blood pressure, which puts someone at higher risk of heart and kidney disease.  (Source: livingstrong)
8. Choose whole fruits over fruit juice.  When you make juice from fruits, you miss out on the fiber from the whole fruit.  And since it takes more fruits to make a glass of juice, you end up consuming more sugar than necessary.  (Source: Mayo Clinic)  

Do Not Smoke

Do Not Smoke to Prevent Premature Aging

If you are a smoker, quit.  If you are not a smoker, avoid second hand smoke.  Not only is it bad for your lungs but it is also bad for your skin. 

1. Smoking accelerates aging as it hampers the blood supply that keeps skin tissues looking supple and healthy.
2. Cigarettes contain carbon monoxide, which displaces the oxygen in your skin and leaving it dry and discolored. Smoking also prevents nutrients to help protect and repair skin damage.
3. Cigarettes also damage your hair.  The toxic chemicals in smoke can damage the DNA in hair follicles and generate cell-damaging free radicals.  As a result, smokers have thinner hair that tends to go grey sooner than nonsmokers. (Source: Health.com)

Making changes to increase positive habits can feel overwhelming so start small by adding good habits and eliminating bad habits in your daily routine.  For example, start adding more vegetables to your meals or stop visiting your local bar that allows smoking or takes the stairs rather than the escalator.  It is important to place your attention on the process, not the end goal and celebrate the little wins along the way. As you see improvements in your mood, energy level, health and skin complexion, it will motivate and inspire you to add more positive habits along the way.

Stay healthy and strong!

Do you have any positive habits you recommend that’s not on this list?