3 Big Ways It Pays to Get Better Eating and Exercise Habits

1. Better sleep Yes, your food and exercise habits can actually help you sleep better. According to the National Sleep Foundation; sugar and refi…

I have found, that almost always – I need a pretty good why to get me to do anything. For a lot of us, when it comes to taking care of our health, the main reason is superficial: it’s about looking good. And for me, for the most part that’s what it’s always been: fitting into old jeans, getting in shape so I ‘bounce back’ quickly after kids, being able to be self-sufficient when I’m old etc. And while these are good reasons, I have found that a lot of them are pretty long-term goals i.e. things I won’t necessarily feel the results of for a good few years. Here are a few good reasons to start taking care of your health now for a pay-off now.

1. Better sleep

Photo of a woman sleeping

Yes, your food and exercise habits can actually help you sleep better. According to the National Sleep Foundation; sugar and refined foods can actually reduce serotonin levels and make it harder to sleep. Nuts like almonds and walnuts can be beneficial in that they contain melatonin, which helps regulate your sleep cycle.

Bonus: When you eat healthily you have a lot more energy, so couple that with better sleep and you’re going to be a whole different type of person!

2. Stronger immune system

You know what’s not good for your immune system? Lack of sleep, lack of exercise, too much stress and too much sugar. Having a stronger immune system means being better able to fight viruses and bacteria, meaning you experience fewer colds and are able to recover quickly from bouts of the flu or from infections. Who doesn’t want to get sick less?

3. Reduced risk of lifestyle diseases

There are a lot of common health issues a lot of us struggle with that all come down to the way we eat and what we eat. These are things like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and strokes; all brought on by the way we live our lives. One study found that these NCD (non-communicable diseases) can be prevented with as little as 30 minutes of moderate activity five days a week.

There you have it; physical activity and a proper balanced diet are the keys to living your best life now; why wait?

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