Being healthy is a lifelong process of making informed decisions. Though most people are aware of the many changes that need to be made to improve their well-being, the jump between knowing what to do and doing those things is more difficult than most imagine. You can learn a lot about eating better, exercising more, kicking bad habits, reducing stress, and getting enough sleep, but translating it into healthy lifestyle decisions don’t happen overnight.
Most people end up failing simply because they try to master too much too soon. As change requires both mental and physical strength, trying to go “cold turkey” often results in temporary change before a hard turn back to old habits. Essentially, for some individuals, taking slow and steady steps in the right direction is an easier solution for completely changing their lives. If you’ve been trying to improve your mental or physical health with little to no success, these baby steps may make things easier.
Staying Hydrated
Water is life. The body is made up of mostly water and requires its cleansing properties to properly function. It is recommended that an individual drink at least half their body weight (in ounces) in water for optimal health each day.
If you’re used to drinking soft drinks, fruit juices, and other sugary beverages, ditching it all for water may not work for long. Taking it slow and steady seems to garner better results. Start eliminating other beverages or finding healthier alternatives (like sparkling spring water instead of soda or freshly squeezed juice instead of drinks and punches). Then, move up to drinking a glass before meals. Lastly, work your way up to drinking the required amount of water each day.
Kicking Bad Habits
Bad habits, like smoking cigarettes, can be hard to break even though you’re aware of the consequences. Tobacco and nicotine are both highly addictive and can result in withdrawal symptoms when an individual tries to stop. Going cold turkey may seem easy, but many end up resorting back to the bad habit – sometimes at a higher rate than they were before attempting to quit.
When you’re used to smoking a pack a day or more kicking the bad habit can be tough. A different approach for some adult smokers has been to turn to vape. Though it still contains nicotine, vaping systems don’t have the same nasty ingredients as cigarettes making them less harmful to the body. Trading in your smokes for an ABAY vape pod system, however, can start you on the path. It reduces your tobacco intake and has fewer chemicals. Using a vape and perhaps a smoking cessation suppression product like the patch, gum, or otherwise may eventually help you put down those cigarettes for good.
Eating Better Food
You are what you eat, but even knowing this fact doesn’t make it easy to put down those foods you love. You might try a fad diet, fast, or another method to eliminate unhealthy foods from your diet but ultimately you revert back to those things you crave most.
Instead of throwing everything in the garbage and eating only fresh, whole, organic foods you may need to take baby steps to avoid later gorging on foods you’re most familiar with eating. First, you should ditch takeout and fast food. Then find healthier alternatives to your favorite foods to reduce your cravings. Lastly, incorporate one or two nutritious foods into your diet each week (or each month).
Getting serious about your health and upgrading your life for the better is a goal that can only be accomplished with realistic actions. If you’ve been trying to jump the gun and do it all at once or go cold turkey with no success, perhaps you should take a different approach. Whether it’s your workout routine, diet, or bad habits, taking it one step at a time often makes the transition easier. Determine your own path and consider the slow and steady pace to win the race.