Healthy Living Beyond Diet and Exercise

You've probably been told that diet and exercise are the two key factors in living healthy. This is true, but sometimes your health can be improved further by also focusing on aspects beyond those two. Here are a few areas to think about improving in your own life as you continue on your wellness journey.

1. Supplements

Maintaining a nutritious diet is hard work. It’s worthwhile and can solve and prevent a lot of problems, but sometimes your body still needs a little extra support beyond that. A multivitamin helps fill in the gaps that you don’t even know you have in your diet, and a probiotic improves your gut health, which in turn improves your overall health. Over-the-counter supplements like these can also help you target problem areas like acne or hormone imbalance, give your immune system a boost, and keep your energy up. These supplements can be expensive, but often you can find deals to help you get started, like this Advanced Restorative Probiotic coupon.

2. Sleep

You’ve probably heard that sleep is an important part of your overall health, but it often still takes the back burner as far as priorities go. From helping your brain process information it’s learned throughout the day, to helping you recover from and get the most out of your workout, the list of benefits of a good night’s rest is long. Start making it a priority by setting a bedtime, even if it’s similar to the one you naturally have. The added structure will help you work your other tasks around your sleep, versus the other way around.

3. Mental Health

Mental health has become a bit of a buzzword during the past few years, and rightly so. Everyone could use counseling in some form or another throughout their life, whether that’s working through past hurts with a therapist or asking a mentor for help with making a life decision. Mental well-being goes even farther beyond that, though. It’s taking time to invest in relationships, doing things that bring you joy, and talking through your ups and downs with someone, whether that’s a licensed therapist or a friend who will be compassionate and honest with you. It also means conducting an occasional audit of your schedule so that you can cut out any toxic activities and make time for more beneficial ones. Once you have your mental health in a good place, the rest of your body usually follows.

4. Clean Living

Now that you’ve been paying closer attention to eating healthy food, it’s time to look at the other items around your house. Are there any harmful substances that you can easily cut out? While chemicals in cleaning and beauty supplies certainly have their place, there are a lot of tools available now to find healthier alternatives. You may want to start by looking for solutions to problems you know you have, like irritated skin from a lotion or headaches from cleaning supplies. Then expand from there to gradually shift to safer items.

5. Time Outside

Between the fresh air, beauty and immune system-boosting sunshine, the benefits of spending time outdoors are rarely contested. Making time to spend in nature will improve your psychological and physical health. You can often multitask by tying this time into other areas in your life. Go for a hike with a friend to work out, destress and build a friendship. Do something adventurous like white water rafting to help improve your mental strength and push yourself outside of your comfort zone. Even sitting by a stream with a good book can help you relax quickly and give your body a break from the stress you’ve been carrying.

While diet and exercise are vital to anyone’s wellbeing, there are other factors that need to be paid attention to for your whole self to be healthy. Make a conscious effort to check in on each area of your life, because if one is off-balance, it will impact the rest.