With winter keeping us inside and Netflix marathons keeping us sedentary, we may need to get back into some healthy habits. To help get started, we’ve created a list of 5 easy ways to spring clean your health! Summer’s right around the corner, and now is the best time to get outside and clean up our health so we can enjoy the sun!
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Get Moving
With the weather getting warmer, there’s no better time to go for a run outside, go on a hike, or bike along the boardwalk. Exercise doesn’t always have to mean running on a treadmill or lifting weights. You can play tennis, golf, swim, or even take the dog out for a long walk. Spending time outside will replenish you with all the vitamin D you missed out on during the winter. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for your immune system, hormone balance, bone strength, muscles, and other vital body functions. You don’t need to start out by running a marathon; make it a goal to go for an early morning walk before work three days a week. From here, you can keep adding to your goal.
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Sunscreen, Sunscreen, Sunscreen
Speaking of spending time outdoors, don’t forget your sunscreen! When you’re out in the sun with friends, it’s easy to forget about sunscreen. Over time the sun’s UV rays can damage our skin. Applying sunscreen can dramatically lower our chance of getting sun cancer, even out our skin tone, and keep us looking young. Make sure to apply enough, and remember to reapply if you’re outside for an extended period. Since we’re usually not applying as much as necessary, the SPF value on the bottle isn’t going to be accurate. That’s why it’s best to use a sunscreen with the highest SPF possible.
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Get Into a Good Sleep Schedule
Having a healthy sleep cycle is an important habit that often gets ignored. For average adults, try to get eight to nine hours of sleep per night. You want to have an uninterrupted sleep, so keep your caffeine intake to a minimum after lunch and avoid drinking alcohol before bed. Get your room as dark and quiet as possible; black-out curtains can help with any sunlight that tries to sneak into your room. Your mind needs as much rest as possible before an active day.
If you keep a consistent wake-up time in the morning (even on weekends), you’ll help set your body’s circadian rhythm. Programming your wake-up time will allow your bedtime to drift into place naturally.
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Start Setting Good Habits
This one is tough. Humans are creatures of habit and can resist change, but small changes can make the biggest impact over time. If you’re unsure where to start, spend one day writing down everything you do from sun up to sundown. This includes thoughts, actions, feelings, chores, and anything else. Next, look through your day, and try and pick one thing to improve on. Maybe it’s cutting down your phone screen time (which we all dread checking) or drinking more water throughout the day. Try to find a habit that doesn’t benefit you and replace it with one that does.
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Clean Out Your Pantry
Your pantry can become a black hole. It is a place where food items get stored, never to emerge again. For starters, find and toss any items that have been sitting in your pantry unused for over a year. Then organize the shelves by category such as canned foods, breakfast foods, condiments & dressings, etc. Finally, take a look at the type of food you have in your pantry. Is it healthy and organic or processed and sugary? Try to eliminate or reduce any unhealthy foods and replace them with healthier options. For example, you can replace that box of Oreos with fruits and vegetables, or try to make more meals yourself and reduce eating out.
In Conclusion
Getting into a winter rut is common for too many of us, but it’s never too late to clean up our health! We hope this article about 5 easy ways to spring clean your health gives you a great starting foundation. If you’d like to learn more about natural ways of staying healthy, you can contact Dr. Brandy McGill for an appointment directly on our website.
* This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your health provider
