Do you often wonder what few women do differently that makes them healthy? It is their daily healthy habits that help them live a healthy life. They do the usual things a little differently. So, here are 10 habits of fit and healthy women you need to develop to be healthier this year.
1. Healthy women do not confuse health with weight
The concept is simple; slim is not equal to healthy.
The social media and the representation of desirable women by media has tricked us into believing that the slimmer a woman is, the better. But fitness has nothing to do with the slimness of your body.
Your aim should be eating healthy and having a healthy lifestyle rather than shedding all the fat in your body to fit into ridiculously tiny sizes of clothes.
Focus on having the right body mass index (BMI).
All the fat in your body is not bad. You need some of it to live a healthy life.
2. They never skip breakfast
Skipping breakfast will neither help you lose weight nor improve your health.
A healthy breakfast fuels your body and keeps you going till lunch.
I would skip breakfast a few years ago, as I was always in a hurry to catch the bus or simply because I was too lazy to cook in the morning.
I hoped not eating breakfast would save me time and help me lose some extra pounds. But nothing of that sort happened.
Instead, I gained more weight because of all the harmless-looking snacking I did till lunch.
Now, breakfast is my favourite and the most important meal of the day. My mornings are still busy, and therefore I prepare my breakfast in the night. Meal prepping is the key.
3. Healthy women move their bodies
Desk jobs and a sedentary lifestyle takes a toll on your body. In order to have a healthy body, one must exercise.
I am sure you know the importance of exercise already. This suggestion is not new, and probably you must be expecting to read it as well.
But have you ever thought, what is that stops you from exercising? Think about the reason, work on it and start moving your body.
For me, the reason was procrastination and perfection.
I always thought I would exercise once I join the gym, or I’ll join the gym after I get another job. Right now, I have no money, or I am busy or maybe next month. I always found an excuse for not exercising.
As I just said, they were excuses and not reasons.
If this sounds familiar, you have to stop procrastinating and get started.
It doesn’t matter if you can’t go to the gym. Do yoga or simple stretches. If that sounds complicated to you, go for a walk, go jogging or ride a bicycle.
Just like excuses, solutions can be found easily too. You should be ready enough.
Related:
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4. They love their food
Fit and healthy women have a healthy relationship with food.
Healthy food doesn’t have to be boring. Sure, kale and spinach are healthy but so are dark chocolate and whole wheat bread.
Include fruits and vegetables in your diet and do not be restrictive.
A doughnut won’t destroy your health, just as an apple won’t build it.
Eat guilt-free. Eat the foods you love in moderation.
If you like pizza, eat it. Just don’t eat it every single day.
When you are too restrictive about your diet and force yourself to eat bland food, your chances of giving up increases tenfold.
Experiment with your food and make it tasty.
5. They get a good night’s sleep
It is time to get some Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.
We all are guilty of binge-watching our favourite Netflix shows and forgetting to go to bed.
What takes Netflix months to make, can be finished within a few hours. But all that binge-watching happens at the expense of our sleep.
Getting a good night’s rest is so important. Your next day depends on how well you slept the previous night.
Your body deserves calm and sleep. Fit and healthy women make sure to get a good 7 -8 hours of sleep every night.
You should never compromise on your sleeping time.
Related:
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6. They stay well hydrated
The human body is composed of about 60% water. Every cell in your body needs water to function properly.
From digestion to the removal of toxins, every process in the body requires water.
Keep a water bottle with you all the time. Have a sip every few minutes even if you are not thirsty.
It is advised to drink minimum 8 glasses of water a day. This should cover your daily healthy intake of water.
It is always better to drink water uniformly throughout the day, instead of gulping down 4 glasses in the morning and forgetting to drink water for the rest of the day.
And remember, beer is not water.
7. Healthy women have portion control
I believe, no food is bad or unhealthy, if eaten the right way and in the right amount.
Carbohydrates have recently gained a bad reputation, and I believe it is more of a trend than a fact.
Your body needs carbohydrates. Any person who understands biology, and how the food we eat turns into energy will tell you that your body needs carbohydrates to function. This is basic science.
Instead of eliminating food groups from your diet focus on controlling the portion size.
There is too much information on the internet, and it is justified to get confused.
Living a healthy lifestyle and eating a healthy diet is not as complicated as some of the fitness gurus have made us believe.
Eat your favourite traditional foods. There is nothing wrong about it. Control your portion, don’t overeat anything and you are good to go.
8. They don’t starve themselves
So, the other day I was scrolling through Instagram and came across this “how I turned from this to this” video.
The woman showed her transformation from a chubby to an unbelievably skinny girl in 30 days. I was shocked to see it and decided to stay for her tips.
Her first suggestion was to go on a 1200 calories diet.
Eat 1200 calories a day is a nice way to say, “starve yourself even when you can afford food easily”.
If you are a grown-up woman and not a baby, you need more than 1200 calories.
All those skinny women who swear by eating 1200 calories a day are not healthy. They are just skinny in one of the unhealthiest manner possible.
As I have said before, BEING SKINNY IS NOT EQUAL TO BEING HEALTHY.
9. Fit and Healthy Women check labels
Always check food labels before buying them.
There are people who are paid thousands of dollars to make you want to buy unhealthy food.
The food companies know that people are getting health conscious more than ever before, therefore they are also coming up with very innovative ideas to trick us into buying junk.
Just because a product is advertised as healthy, doesn’t mean it does what it promises.
Read the ingredient list and the nutrition label to know the truth.
Every person has different priorities, so decide which product is good for you and which is not. Don’t let television decide that for you.
10. Healthy women prioritize mental wellbeing
Mental health is as important as physical health.
You may have the best body in the world, but if your mind is not as peace, you can’t live a happy life.
Take care of your mental health.
Practice self-care, maintain a journal and meditate. Whatever you do, make sure to prioritize your mental health.
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