What is it that puts us off making healthy lifestyle changes? The thought of lots of gym work? Boring food? Cutting out your favourite things? For lots of us it’s all too much effort. We’ll just have one more drink, or doughnut, or lie-in, and take care of our health tomorrow.
But taking care of health needn’t be such an effort. Even stopping smoking, widely acknowledged to be one of the toughest routines to break, needn’t be so hard, as you’ll find out if you read on. Here are seven ways you can boost your feel-good factor without too much effort.
1 Swap smoking for vaping
It’s already the UK’s most popular form of stop-smoking aid, while an expert report by Public Health England has found that e-cigarette use – also known as vaping – is 95 per cent less harmful than tobacco smoking.
E-cigarettes are due to become regulated in 2016, which means they should become available via the NHS as a quit smoking treatment. There’s nothing to stop you getting started now. Pick up a starter kit and start customising your e-cigarette with e-liquids. There are lots of different options available so why not search online; for example Phoenix e-cig starter kits
2 Get a good night’s sleep, every night
Some researchers have found that higher levels of stress caused by a failure to sleep well causes the body to release cortisol. High levels of this hormone have been linked with high blood pressure, diabetes and the onset of heart disease. So, ensuring you get some good shut-eye will have more far-reaching benefits than just ensuring you aren’t cranky each morning. Get the Sleep Council’s best sleep tips here.
3 Increase your vitamin D intake
Vitamin D levels could be linked to a raft of diseases. The so-called ‘sunshine vitamin’ could be a powerful health booster, according to a number of studies. Researchers have found that those who have higher vitamin D levels could at a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, asthma and even some forms of cancer.
4 Eat more papaya
As well as being delicious, papaya could well be a superfood, if several US studies are anything to go by. The fruit has been found to contain up to 70 times as much iron, ten times as much calcium, and up to 20 times as much magnesium as bananas and apples. What’s more, their antioxidant levels are thought to rival those found in cranberries.
5 Rock out to work out
Scientists at Brunei University in London have found that upbeat, energising music from the likes of the Black Keys, Hot Chip and Queen helped runners to work out up to 15 per cent longer than those who listened to no music at all.
6 Beat your cold with red wine
No, it’s not too good to be true. Resveratrol found in a good bottle of plonk – particularly pinot noir – helps prevent cold and flu viruses from multiplying when they enter the system. It’s definitely a good excuse for a glass or two if cold symptoms are threatening!
Article by Patrick Vernon on behalf of Phoenix Electronic Cigarettes
Tags: a good night’s sleep, healthy lifestyle, papaya, Phoenix Electronic Cigarettes, pinot noir, red wine, Resveratrol, stopping smoking, superfood, the Sleep Council, vaping, vitamin D