Top 3 Easy Ways to Get Healthier in 2024

Getting healthier is a lifelong battle. No matter what we do, we will always seek improvement. Many people over complicate health by recommending the latest diet, supplement, or fad. This creates a lot of confusion which leads to people ending up doing nothing. Information overload is a real thing; here are top 3 non-debatable ways to get healthier in 2024.

Easy Ways to Get Healthier in 2024

#1 Drink More Water

According to an article from The New York Post more than half of adults in the United States don't drink enough water – because they are too busy, forget or don't track it. A study of 2,000 people from the US found just 22 percent drink the USDA recommended eight to 10 glasses a day. The negatives side effects of not drinking water are:

• Weight Gain

• Decreased physical performance

• Decreased cognitive performance

• Impaired gastrointestinal function

• Impaired kidney function

• Headaches

• Poor skin quality

Drinking water when you wake up and before each meal will fill your stomach up. This will lead to a decrease in appetite and an increase in satiety. This can lead to weight loss by having less visceral fat, while also experiencing improved physical and cognitive performance by being more hydrated. Your bowel movements will be more frequent and healthier. Your kidney function will improve. Your headaches will go away and your skin quality will be much better. 

#2 Sleep More

More than a third of American adults are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis, according to a new study in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Sleeping less than 7 hours is associated with an increase risk of:

• Obesity

• Diabetes

• High blood pressure

• Heart disease

• Frequent mental distress

Sleeping more can prevent you from gaining weight, “sleeplessness cranks up production of the hormone ghrelin, which boosts appetite, says Michael Breus, Ph.D., sleep specialist and author of The Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan. "It also leads to a decrease in the hormone leptin, which signals feeling full," says Breus”. 

Sleeping more also boosts your mood. By enhancing your mood, you’re enhancing your mindset. Having a positive mindset allows you to set a series of healthy goals with succession. Your mind is the most powerful part of your being. By enhancing it with a natural remedy such as sleep, you can boost productivity and improve upon building healthy relationships. One of those healthy relationships can be a goal of eating more healthy food or cooking more of your food at home instead of eating takeout 2-3 times a week.

#3 Walk 30 Minutes a Day

Five benefits of walking:

• It counteracts the effects of weight-promoting genes

• It helps tame a sweet tooth

• It reduces the risk of developing breast cancer

• It eases joint pain

• It boosts immune function

People always ask “which is better, running or walking?” I always say, “which can you do longer and more sustainably?” They always say walking. Walking 15 minutes a day is a good standard to set for yourself regardless of where you are at in your goal of getting healthier. Running might put too much pressure on your joints and you can only run for a finite of time. Walking is easier for people of all sizes in regards to fat loss, joint health, and longevity. 

References:

1. https://nypost.com/2020/09/03/most-adults-dont-drink-enough-water-every-day-do-you/

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/

3. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0215-enough-sleep.html

4. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/biggest-sleep-health-bene_n_6549830

5. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/5-surprising-benefits-of-walking