Healthy habits are always the best choice for looking and feeling great. As we age, it is even more important to take natural approaches to health and wellness to boost our immune system and help with the aging process.
Most healthy habits are not new information, just habits that have been neglected as we hustle and bustle to keep up with as our priorities and the stressors of everyday life. Adopt a clean eating lifestyle today and you’re on your way feeling and looking great.
Healthy Habit 1: Sit less and move more
Keeping active throughout the day is important when trying to lose weight and a lot of the time burning more calories than you take in is critical to losing excess body fat.
Sitting for many hours at work or even streaming shows on the couch – even without snacks – is not doing you any health favors. You can build a healthier movement habits by getting up from the couch or your desk and taking a 3-5 minute walk every hour or so.
If you are using a step tracker, set a realistic goal for yourself and work on increasing your efforts each time you reach your step goal!
Healthy Habit 2: Learn to enjoy strength training
As we age, muscle mass declines and this loss of muscle mass begins around the age of 50 and can even slow your metabolism. That’s why strength training is important, especially for older adults.
Adding muscle-building exercises to your routine is a healthy habit for reducing muscle loss and promoting a healthy body weight as we age.
Bodyweight exercises and weightlifting can significantly improve muscle strength, reduce body fat and boost your metabolism, which can increase how many calories are burned throughout the day.
Healthy Habit 3: Cook more at home
Preparing and eating more meals at home leads a healthier diet. Cooking meals at home allows you to control what goes into the food you eat – and what stays out. Learn about and try new healthy ingredients. Start by cooking one or two meals at home each week eventually you will be cooking at home more than you eat out.
Healthy Habit 4: Bump up your protein intake
Eating a diet rich in protein can help prevent or even reverse muscle loss. Increasing dietary protein can even help you lose weight and keep it off in the long term. Read about some protein rich foods that can help with weight loss.
There is research that shows older adults may have higher protein needs than younger adults, all the more reason to add protein-rich foods to meals and snacks as we age.
Healthy Habit 5: Eat more produce
Everyone knows that eating vegetables and fruits is a healthy habit worth adopting. Both are full of nutrients vital to your health. Adding vegetables and fruits into your diet is simple, with so many options from fresh to frozen.
Some berries and spinach in a morning omelette, salad topped with apples and grilled chicken at lunch and a protein rich dinner with two sides of veggies would be a great meal plan. And, so colorful!
