5 Things You Can Do Right Now That Will Have a Positive Effect on Your Health

1. Breathe.

Think about how a baby breathes. They take deep belly breaths where you can actually see their belly rise as they inhale and fall and they exhale. When we are stressed we tend to breathe high in our chest which is less productive than inhaling deep into our belly. Deep breathing automatically calms us and increases our oxygenation.

2. Eat smaller meals and chew your food.

Rather than eating while driving, watching TV, talking on the phone, working at your desk, etc. try sitting down to a meal and focusing on actually chewing and enjoying your food. You will find that you are more satisfied with smaller portions and will improve your digestion.

3. Remove refined sugars from your diet.

Refined sugar is inflammatory and creates blood sugar highs and lows. In order to satisfy a desire to eat something sweet try fruit that is in season. Right now, peaches and plums are in season and are delicious. The best way to know what is in season is to visit the farm market.

4. Move.

The benefits of exercise are infinite; but to name a few exercise helps to oxygenate the blood, lift your mood, keep joints healthy, and improve the blood sugar response. If you have been sedentary then simply go for a walk. If you have been doing an exercise routine, speak with your doctor or trainer and see if it is time to make it a bit more challenging.

5. Drink Water.

Our bodies are made up of 50-80% water which must be replenished daily. The formula to figure out how much water you personally need on a daily basis is to take your weight and divide that number by 2. This will give you the number of ounces of water that you should drink daily. So for example if you weigh 150 lbs. then you need 75 oz. water/day. The best way to drink the water is to sip it slowly throughout the day.