Health And Balance

13 Healthy Habits to Improve Your Life

1: Eat Breakfast Every Morning.
2: Add Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids to Your Diet.
3: Get Enough Sleep
4: Make Social Connections
5: Exercise for Better Health
* Helps control weight
* Maintains healthy bones, muscles, and joints
* Reduces risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes
* Promotes psychological well-being
* Reduces risk of death from heart disease
* Reduces risk of premature death
6: Practice Good Dental Hygiene
7: Take Up a Hobby
8: Protect Your Skin
* Always wear sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher.
* Don a hat with a brim and wear other protective clothing.
* Don't deliberately sunbathe.
* Try to avoid sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
9: Snack the Healthy Way
* Reduce the risk of some cancers
* Beat the signs of aging
* Improve memory
* Promote heart health
* Enhance the immune system
10: Drink Water and Eat Dairy
The body needs water to keep properly hydrated and individuals vary widely in how much water they need. Joints need it to stay in motion, and vital organs such as the heart, brain, kidney, and liver need it to work properly.

If you don't get enough water, the body goes into emergency mode, and clings to every single water molecule it can find, reports the University of Minnesota Water Resources Center. The stored molecules appear as extra weight. The weight is only released once the body gets enough water.

The calcium in dairy, on the other hand, is known to be important for strong bones and teeth. Studies have also shown it can help prevent high blood pressure, kidney stones, heart disease, and colon cancer.

In the weight loss arena, three 8-ounce glasses of low-fat or fat-free milk appear to encourage body fat loss while maintaining muscle mass, according to the ADA. The dairy consumption must be part of a balanced reduced-calorie meal plan.

11: Drink Tea
"Decaffeinated tea is better," says Fleming, noting that the caffeinated variety can be dehydrating, and sugary drinks can lead to weight gain.

There is some evidence that tea may help in improving memory, and preventing cavities, cancer, and heart disease. Fleming says, though, that the overall research is still inconclusive.

"There may well be some beneficial effects of tea, particularly the potential antioxidant effect, but we don't have great data on that right now that is that specific."

However, there's no doubt that a cool iced tea can be a refreshing treat during hot days. Try flavoring your tea with juices, fruits, cinnamon sticks, ginger, and other condiments.
12: Take a Daily Walk
* Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
* Walk to the store.
* Window shop at the mall.
* Leave your desk and visit your co-worker instead of sending him an email.
* Walk and talk with friends instead of meeting for a meal.
13: Plan
There is, perhaps, no better word in the English language to better illustrate how you can incorporate healthy habits into your everyday life.
A little planning goes a long way," says Johnson. "Eating healthy never happens by accident."

For the most part, neither do good fitness, skin protection, healthy teeth, weight loss, and social ties. Many of these habits take effort that need to be scheduled into busy lives.

To eat healthy, for example, it would help to set aside time to draft a menu, make a grocery list, go to the store, prepare meals, and pack breakfast and lunch.