How to Live A Healthy Lifestyle? 10 Simple Health Tips For Everyday Living

The health and fitness parameters of each individual are indeed unique. But it is also true that most healthy people share a few common habits when living a healthy lifestyle. Yes, most of us have already procured some wisdom when choosing a healthy way of living. We all go to the gym, socialize with like-minded people in the fitness club, share our fitness fundas, read health magazines and whatnot. But more often than not, we tend to overlook finer details of staying healthy & fit. We instead focus more on new fads, trends and advanced concepts in fitness. But when we talk to our elders, we still feel naive. As we engage with them, we realize how they follow some simple yet effective health tips for everyday living and remain fit at this age. So how to live a healthy lifestyle? Here is my list of essential health and fitness basics, seemingly obvious principles to abide by. 

How to Live A Healthy Lifestyle- 10 Simple Health Tips For Everyday Living

Many people wonder how to live a healthy lifestyle! The answer is easy. Follow these 10 simple health tips for everyday living and embark on a journey to long-term fitness.

1. Prepare your mind first 

The good old saying goes like “the body achieves, what the mind believes”. Mentally prepare yourself and find the reason to stay fit. Motivation is key to making any life change. So make up your mind first by sending consistent messages to yourself to stay fit. Trust me half battle is already won!

2. Always remember that health and fitness starts in the kitchen

Many people ask how to live a healthy lifestyle. But they forget that health starts from their kitchen first. So pay attention to your kitchen and half the work is done. So let us see how you can live a healthy lifestyle:

a. Focus on kitchen basics

The utensils that you use for cooking, the wrapping that you store your food in and the method you use to reheat food can all affect your micro-nutrient intake like calcium, zinc, iron, vitamins etc. Micro-nutrient deficiencies can lead to imbalances in hormones, constipation, bloating etc which can make your weight loss journey an elusive dream. 

To stay fit & healthy

1. Reduce Plastic 
2. Use manual heating rather than microwave
3. Use Cast Iron Utensils for cooking while avoiding non-stick utensils

b. Pay special attention to your food for better health:

• Eat a well-balanced diet rich in complex carbs, healthy fats, natural protein, fibre, roughage, vitamins and nutrients.
• Match your diet to your age, activity levels, physical health and fitness, underlying medical condition like digestion etc
• Emphasise on whole, minimally processed foods– like whole grains, rolled oats, millets, whole wheat etc. which are mainly complex carbs and full of roughage which is good for your gut health. 
• Avoid refined foods and oils, like white processed flour, processed oils and sugary foods which are mainly simple carbs which are known to spike up your glucose levels temporarily.  
• Eat Healthy Fats like olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds etc Use hearth healthy oils like olive oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil for cooking. Recent studies have also shown positive health and fitness benefits of Ghee.
• Eat Natural proteins form eggs, meat, poultry, lentils, soya, grains, cottage cheese, milk, dairy and whole grains. 
• Eat green leafy vegetables & salad like spinach, cabbage, lettuce and other vegetables like bitter guard, pumpkin, brinjal, carrots etc. They are full in nutrients, vitamins and fibre. 
• Eat Natural sugars in the form of whole fruits like melon, mangoes, dates, grapes, guava, oranges etc while avoiding processed sugar and sugary foods. Make your own home-made desserts to keep your sugar cravings in check. If possible use organic & minimally processed brown sugar, honey or jaggery while keeping their usage under check.
• Don’t drink fruit juices, don’t eat canned fruits & dried fruit candies as they are nothing but empty calories. Eat whole fresh fruit instead as you  will end up eating lots of fibre along with natural sugars. Packed fruit juices are of course a strict no. 
• Ditch artificial sweeteners. It is a proven fact Artificial sweeteners are have long term bad effects on our health. So avoiding them is the only solution to lead a fit life. Also if you like your tea or coffee sweet, use stevia or honey in moderation. I prefer my tea or coffee sans sugar altogether. 
• Eat freshly cooked food rather than eating frozen food as they come with added preservatives which have adverse side effects on your health.
• Cook at home and eat healthy. People who cook their own meals are more fit than their lazy counterparts. Avoid eating out or ordering in. It helps weight loss in long turn and aids in your health and fitness journey.
• Eat quality food. Eat locally sourced, organic, chemical and pest free food of high quality to stay fit and active. 
• Eat Seasonal Food. Eat foods that are grown at the same time as your eat them. For example, eat lots of carrot and radish in winters & cucumber, melons & mangoes in summers. Choose food as per their season of harvest not as per their availability. Seasonal food is healthy, tastes better, saves money & helps local farmers. 
• Eat Region Specific food. Eat food that is local to your region and taste. Mother nature has given every region some specific food as per the geography and local climatic conditions. Consuming such food which is specific to the region you are coming from is beneficial to health like coconut water in coastal regions, red chilli and paddy in South India, Mustard Oil in northern India, Peaches in hilly regions. Put your trust in nature.
• Read Nutrient Labels carefully before buying your food and drinks. Nutrient Labels are often misleading and falsely claim to be healthy. 
• Ditch Soda and Carbonated Drinks.  Carbonate drinks and sodas are not good for health in long term. Apart from being known to erode enamel on your teeth to being high in processed sugars, they will only deteriorate your health. Diet Soda is also a strict no as aspartame is not suitable for long term consumption.
• Drink Black Tea and Black Coffee in moderation. To avoid excess calories intake and to enjoy the real flavour of coffee and tea, sip it up neat without dairy or sugar. You may also have them the way you like with dairy and sugar but make sure to limit your coffee & tea intake to 3 cups a day. 
• Control your salt Intake: A high salt intake raises blood pressure, increasing the risk of stroke and therefore  risk of dementia Use Himalayan rock salt, pink salt or sea salt instead-in moderation of course. 
• Use Condiments to enhance your taste. If you are on diet, eating healthy food becomes boring. But you can still make it work by adding on condiments like green mint and coriander sauce (chutney) to enhance the taste for example.
• Don’t Deep Fry. If your love fried food, invest in an air fryer which keeps the taste of your favourite dish intact sans unhealthy calories in form of extra oil. You can also consider steaming, sautéing or shallow frying.  
• Keep up the probiotics. Probiotics are essential for your gut health. Try introducing home-made natural yogurt or Greek yogurt In your diet as it is a natural probiotic.
• Use natural supplements like natural multivitamins and super food spirulina to aid your health and fitness goals if your diet is not helping you with enough vitamins and minerals. 
• Avoid artificial supplements and performance enhancers like pre workout, post workouts, fat cutters, artificial protein supplements as they are only secondary to their natural counter parts. For example for natural pre workout options use black coffee, green tea,  Yogurt, brown bread, boiled potato, sweet potato or peanut butter. 
• Quit Smoking and reduce liquor intake as excessive drinking poses serious health problems like liver damage. Smoking is a strict no as it fatal for your lungs and reduces your overall stamina.
• Believe in the power of Fasting as it is associated with an array of potential health benefits like detoxification of entire body and even mind. It leads to better mental and physical health for example developing empathy, connecting to your basic needs, more mental focus, better stamina and energy levels etc. Keep fasting at regular intervals to reap its benefits. Try Intermittent Fasting & reap its potential health benefits.

c. Importance of water and other detoxification drinks for your health

• Water: Keeping yourself hydrated is crucial for health and well-being, but many people do not consume enough fluids each day. Drinking water flushes out the toxins from your body, regulates your body temperature, helps in weight loss and helps you stay healthy and fit.  
  • Try to drink 4-6 Litres of water everyday
  • Reduce water intake as night approaches to avoid disturbed sleep due to excess urination.
  • Drink more water during summers to regulated body temperature.
  • Do not over hydrate yourself as it might damage your kidneys.
  • Do not drink water immediately after the meals. While sipping water during meals is fine. 
  • Drink water 30 minutes prior to meals for realising health benefits. 
  • Drink Luke warm water from time to time to reap its health benefits.

• Drink Green Tea on a regular basis as it regulates your metabolism
• Make your own detox drinks with melons, oranges, mint and lemon and keep drinking during the entire day specially during summers. There are lots of easy detox drinks recipes you can make at home.
• Drink Luke warm Water first thing in the morning for gut health and colon cleansing. You can also add honey, lemon and Apple cider vinegar with Luke warm water and drink it the first thing in the morning.
• Do not start your day with tea or coffee. Drink lukewarm water (plain or with honey & lemon) or a fruit or snack like dry fruits as soon as you wake up and then have tea and coffee.

3. Listen to your body & your biological clock

Your body is intelligent and signals regular feedback to your mind with respect to its overall functioning. So stop contemplating how to live a healthy lifestyle and start listening to your body. Here is how to do so:

• Eat Meals on time. Having a schedule for everything is important and meals are no exception. Try eating meals on time.
• Eat food only when hungry. If you are not hungry. Do not eat. Listen to you stomach. If you are less hungry or very hungry, eat accordingly. Listen to your body.
• Don’t not overeat. Excess of anything is bad. Overeating causes gut issues and impedes your health and fitness journey. Try to finish eating your meals just before you are full. It takes 20 minutes to feel full once you start eating. Your stomach starts to release satiety hormones and signals your brain with a feedback that we’re full in 15-20 mins.
• Connect with your meals. Eat slowly, and chew your food properly and take your time to eat your meals. Don’t distract yourself with TV or mobile phones while eating. Focus on food you are eating and connect with it.
• Portion Control of meals is an effective method to keep you fit. You can eat your favourite food by serving a portion of it in your plate. It is always good to have a control on what you eat.
• Spread your Meals across the day. It is advisable to avoid long gaps in between the meals and to spread your food intake into 4-5 meals like Breakfast, Mid-day snack, Lunch, evening snack and dinner to keep your furnace up and burning. This causes conversion of food to energy on a regular basis. Overeating causes extra energy to be stored in our bodies in form of glycogen which causes weight gain and belly fat accumulation.
• Finish your dinner early for better health and fitness. As night approaches, our  metabolism is reduced to prepare your body for rest. Finishing dinner early at least 2-3 hours before bedtime will ensure you burn the food before you sleep. This will keep your weight under check and gut healthy. If you are hungry again by the time you sleep have some healthy snack like handful of nuts, turmeric milk, yogurt or peanut butter with brown bread to name a few.
• Have the Breakfast like King, Lunch like Prince and Dinner Like Pauper.  First meal of the day ignites your metabolism and prepares your body for the days hard work. This calls for good breakfast. Dinner should be light so that it is easily digested with compromised metabolism as evenings approach. Watching this rule will definitely be a boon to your health.
• After Dinner walk a mile, after Lunch rest a while. This old age saying has definitely stood the test of time. Try being active post dinner while taking beauty sleep post lunch for 20 mind will do wonders to your mental and physical health.
• Sleep early and Get up early. Yes that means early to bed and early to rise, makes the man healthy, wealthy and wise.
• Have a sound and deep sleep. Keep calm at night and avoid overthinking. Anxiety, stress or overthinking activates your mind or sub conscious which may lead to hindered sleep. This means leaving all the worldly worries for next day. The body burns fat, repair muscles and other neurological functions while you sleep and rest. The better the sleep , the more efficient your body is at healing itself. 
• Have Rest days. Take proper rest days from time to time and let your body relax, recover and see it get stronger as the days pass by. Listen to your body. If it is stressed, doing workout or playing sports will do much harm than benefit. Reward your body with complete rest days. It will thank you. 

4. Have cheat meals but avoid cheat days

Yes, having a cheat meal is a great idea to keep your motivation up. Howsoever avoid cheat days and stick to cheat meals instead. Eat whatever you want to in your cheat meal without any guilt. Also, eat your cheat meals in the daytime if possible. It is advisable to link your cheat meals with your progress. For example, If you are on a 5 kgs weight loss program, it’s okay to have a cheat meal after 2 kgs drop or so. Keep rewarding yourself with every milestone. 

5. Plan your meals & pack your food to work 

It is always advisable to plan your meals in advance. Having your food menu ready for your entire week and buying your veggies, meats and groceries beforehand is a good idea. Prepare in advance for your next day meal and pack the same for lunch or office. This will keep your urges of eating out at work at bay keeping you fit in the long run. 

6. Keep a journal of your diet 

If you are on some special health and fitness program like Fat loss or muscle gain, make it scientific. You can do so by keeping a journal of whatever you eat the entire day and revisit it from time to time while assessing your progress. So if you want to live a healthy lifestyle, start keeping a journal.

7. Do not lie to your dietician, nutritionist or trainer

Be truthful to yourself first and keep your dietician or trainer in confidence. As they say never lie to your doctor, apply the same principle here.

8. Focus on leading an active life

• Make physical activity a part of your lifestyle like sports, dancing, jogging, gym, yoga or anything which interests you while ensuring consistency.
• Keep Changing your workout to keep that monotony away. Not only does a monotonous workout routine lead to boredom, doing the same thing over and over may land you in a fitness plateau. When you repeatedly do the same workout, your muscles quickly adapt to the repetitive motions, causing your progress to come to a unwanted halt. Try joining aerobics, spinning or functional training classes  if you are bored with daily weight training or endless running on the  treadmill.
• Focus on Functional workouts. Functional fitness exercises train your muscles to work together and prepare them for daily tasks that you might do at home, at work or in sports. They hold more meaning in your day to day life.
• Ditch Lifts and escalators and use stairs instead to keep up your activity levels. 
• Weigh yourself and asses your health and fitness regularly to keep a tap on your health and intervene when lines have been crossed. Everyone should invest in a weighing scale while making sure to weigh yourself regularly and monitor your weight. Buying a smart watch with heart rate features is also a good idea to track your overall health and fitness in terms of activity levels, Resting heart rate, sleep patterns etc. 

9. Check underlying medical condition which may be hindering with you health

Check underlying medical issues like depression, hormonal imbalances, indigestion, diabetes, heart problems for example that may be impeding your weight loss or health and fitness regimen. Check with your GP or doctor on a regular basis and get full-body health checkups done. Get underlying health conditions treated and make necessary changes in lifestyle thereof. 

10. Keep stress under check

If you are contemplating how to live a healthy lifestyle, then keep your stress under check. Mental stress is a precursor to the majority of health problems so focus on mental health, and stay happy & calm. Stress is most likely to make you gain weight or degrade your health in ways that you cannot even imagine. Tackling Physical stress is also important and can be tackled by taking proper rest and sleep. You may also consider getting a body massage or spa therapy done at regular intervals to achieve mental & physical harmony. 

Keep the above basic fundamentals in mind to achieve the full potential of your health and fitness journey. 

Also read: Fitness and Nutrition- Five tips to achieve long term, sustainable Fat Loss

Do you know someone who is seeking an answer to the question: how to live a healthy lifestyle? If yes, do share this article with him or her. Or do you know more simple health tips for everyday living? Do share your tips in the comments section below.

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Disclaimer: This article “how to live a healthy lifestyle-10 simple health tips for everyday living” is based on the author’s experience over a period of 15 years in the field of health and fitness & nutrition. He has applied the same principles and followed these fundamentals to stay fit and lead a healthy lifestyle for the last 20 years. This article is for reference purposes only. Please consult your General Practitioner, Nutritionist or Doctor, before starting any kind of fitness regime or nutrition program.