Lifestyle changes for a healthier you

Starting a healthy lifestyle can be a big challenge. For one, it means changing your bad habits—from your unhealthy food choices or activities that contribute stress.

It takes determination and willpower to be in command of your health. But while change doesn’t happen overnight, taking these simple steps may help you slowly achieve a healthier lifestyle:

Apply sunscreen daily

Who says you should only wear sunscreen when you’re at the beach? A habit that most people tend to overlook, wearing sunscreen everyday will help protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays—especially with the ozone layer depleting. Ssunscreens have varied SPFs in the market today, but according to the American Academy of Dermatology, an SPF of 30 or more is recommended.

For added protection, don’t forget your umbrellas, caps or hats when going out.

Make room for exercise

Time is precious, and for most people today, going to the gym to work out or going on a run around the neighborhood can be too much of a hassle. Where would you insert an hour’s exercise in your packed schedule, right?

However, science says you only need seven minutes to work out. Ever heard of high intensity circuit training? It’s a science-backed seven-minute routine developed to boost your endurance. Filled with intense activities and short periods of recovery, the so-called seven-minute workout’s effects are equivalent to those of “prolonged endurance training.” The best thing about it is that it won’t take up much of your time.

Choose healthy food substitutes

Have a love affair with fried food? Meat? Soft drinks? Unhealthy food may be delicious, but you may not like their long-term effects on your body. But if you truly can’t let go of your comfort food, stick to healthier substitutes instead.

For example, if ice cream is your thing, you can make frozen bananas as alternative. Reader’s Digest suggests blending the frozen bananas with unsweetened cocoa powder for a cold fruitful delight. It’s all about being creative, so have fun in the kitchen!

Have a probiotic drink everyday

Thanks to the popular probiotic drink Yakult, most people grew up having the question “Okay ka ba tiyan?” instilled in their minds. It’s a question that you should really be asking yourself—especially if you’re the type of person who loves to eat.

Looking after your digestive health is important because it’s the system responsible for breaking down the nutrients of the food you eat. Home to trillions of both beneficial and harmful bacteria, your digestive system’s balance can be easily disrupted with stress factors such as unbalanced diet and lack of sleep. When that happens, harmful bacteria in your gut may multiply, which can result in poor digestion or weak immunity. But by taking probiotic drinks such as Yakult every day, you help your gut produce more good bacteria—making your belly fit and happy.

Set your alarm for bedtime

Don’t take sleep for granted. Not only will having less sleep affect your productivity for the day ahead, it can also result in unhealthy food cravings.

To avoid this, simply determine your bedtime based on the time you need to wake up. Sleep specialist Dr. Michael Breus writes on The Huffington Post to count back 7 hours and 30 minutes from your needed wakeup call and set that time as an alarm for bedtime. That way, you get the right amount of sleep. Just don’t forget to set your morning alarm as well!

Changing your lifestyle to become healthier need not be hard on you. The trick is to do those changes one step at a time until they develop into good habits that will help keep diseases at bay.