I think we could all agree that dieting and giving up your favorite treats can be a pain in the… lower back. Are you planning to improve your wellbeing and shed some pounds for the upcoming summer? Still figuring out how to escape dieting in the process? Learn how to stay fit and healthy without worrying about your diet using these 4 tips!
If, by dieting, we presume vigorous regiments that cut out carbs and fat, I encourage you not to take this road. Eating fruits and veggies all day long will take you nowhere in the long run. You could, however, make some simple permanent changes in your diet to achieve those summer goals.
But I promised no dieting, right? That’s why today you will learn the how to stay fit and healthy without changing your diet! As you’re about to see, all of them are pretty simple and even enjoyable.
How To Stay Fit And Healthy
1. Drink More Water
Drinking more water is the easiest yet most effective way to improve your mood, looks, and health. Proper hydration can:
- boost your metabolism – Drink 500 ml of water before each meal, and you can lose up to 50% more weight. Who still needs the magic pill?
- protect you from headaches and chronic diseases – The Headache journal warns about water deprivation as a major cause of headaches. Want a more solid reason? You can reduce the risk of bladder cancer by 60% if you drink more water.
- make you focused and energized – When you lose water equal to just 1% of your body mass, you are already dehydrated. According to this study, it can spoil your mood, focus, and workout motivation.
- help you detox – Every detox mechanism in your body, such as sweating and urination, requires constant water supply to flush out the toxins and keep you healthy. When you drink enough water, they work at peak and remove all the nasty chemicals and toxic metabolites from your system.
- rejuvenate your skin – Before spending over the top for various beauty products, try this free and super-effective treatment. Your skin is 65-70% water—enough said.
How much water should you drink daily?
According to most experts, you should drink at least 64 oz (around 2 liters) of plain water. The easiest way to remember: 8×8 rule—8 glasses x 8 ounces.
Of course, the whole picture is much more complex as many factors influence your daily needs. I suggest you read an in-depth explanation of how much water you should drink.
Struggling to sip those 8 glasses a day? Here’s how to add some fun to it: try the 30-day water challenge and invite your friends, colleagues, and loved ones to join you.
2. Enjoy The Sun
Another great way to improve your wellbeing that takes zero effort. With summer on its way, now is the time to go out and absorb those healing rays.
You know that sunshine is our main source of vitamin D, right? The sunshine vitamin keeps our bones strong and healthy, protects our mental health, regulates our genes, and much more.
The perks of moderate sun exposure go way beyond vitamin D. For example, sunlight is so vital for our mental health that many people develop a mild depression—known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)—during winter.
According to this Swedish study, you increase the risk of death by avoiding sun exposure as much as you do by smoking! Hope this will motivate you to go outside and let the sun charge your batteries.
How much sun exposure is safe?
The short answer: as long as you don’t get sunburns, you’re good.
It depends on many different factors such as timing, location, your skin type, etc. Read more about the benefits of sunlight and tips on how to stay safe while enjoying this gift from nature.
3. Move More
After dieting, this one probably has the fewest fans. But here’s the great news! You don’t have to exercise 3-4 times a week. A journal specialized in cardiology published a study on this and concluded that many people could benefit a lot “from simply becoming more active.”
It could be a 5-minute stretch in the morning, long afternoon walks, or just less sitting time. A study on more than 200K subjects concluded that prolonged sitting increases the risk of death, regardless of physical activity.
Every time you move, your metabolism speeds up, and you burn more energy (read: fat). Plus, you’re stimulating the lymphatic system that cleanses all the bad stuff from your body. Unlike blood circulation, that has a built-in pump, your lymph circulation requires movement and muscle contraction to work well.
Of course, proper physical activity like working out, running, or playing sports would bring you even better results. If you’re determined to give it a shot, check out these 7 tips for effective workouts.
Spending too much time on your computer? Guess we all do nowadays. Check out these awesome mobile and desktop apps that remind you to take short breaks for stretching, vision exercises, and much more. Those few minutes per hour can make all the difference if you are consistent. I’m using WorkRave, and it made me do a bunch of cool exercises while writing this article ?.
4. Healthy Habits – Holistic Approach
Ever heard of holistic wellness? It approaches a human being as a whole and takes care of physical, mental, and spiritual health alike. From this point of view, a healthy diet is just one aspect of your wellbeing, though an important one.
There’s so much more you can do to stay healthy, fit, and energized. Proper sleep and relaxation, breathing exercises, and a positive mindset are just a few great examples. Check out this comprehensive list of great wellness habits you can start practicing right now.
Speaking of holistic approach, I can’t help but mention essential oils. They can improve your wellbeing and enrich your life on many levels. With plenty of interesting ways to use essential oils, it’s never been so easy to make them a part of your lifestyle and enjoy their concentrated life force!
NOTE: Essential oils are very potent and you should always consult your physician and/or certified aromatherapist before using them.
Wrapping It Up
Learning how to stay fit and healthy doesn’t have to be difficult. Nutrition is a vital aspect of your health and wellbeing, but you can do many great things without dieting.
- Drink more water
- Enjoy the sun
- Move more
- Practice holistic wellness
Most of these lifestyle changes are simple and enjoyable; they require minimal effort yet offer amazing benefits. Give them a chance today, and they will soon become a part of your new healthy routine. They may even inspire you to make a few positive changes to your diet, after all.
Hope you enjoyed reading and learned something new! Have you tried implementing these habits into your life? Would you like to suggest or ask anything? Feel free to leave a comment and join the discussion.