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Has your daily routines found you slipping into a slump? Maybe you’ve lost your goals from 2023 and its time for a reset. Are you wondering how to best go about improving your quality of life? Look no further! You don’t need to go to the work of researching because we’ve done it for you. All you need to do is read on and challenge yourself to change some lifestyle habits this year!
I am so excited to share with you “The Natural Way to Reset Your Lifestyle in 2024.” I learned a lot along the way and I hope you do too!
What we will cover in this blog:
The abundance of skin care products at our fingertips makes it easy for us to grab whatever is cheap and go. However, the products that fill our local supermarket shelves contain many harmful toxins that can ruin your skin, not help it.
Even things that are titled “natural” are often hiding harmful ingredients in that long list that you never read.
You can click here to get an in depth view of these toxins and learn why they are harmful to your skin.
Wow! It looks like a long list doesn’t it! But don’t worry! There is just as many recipes out there that you can make on your own that are so simple and healthy! You can click here to find my list of face washes, scrubs, and masks that you can make at home.
Your skin is your bodies largest organ and so it makes sense that this is how most things enter our body, by soaking in through our skin. So, anything that you put on your body will eventually soak in and contribute to the healthiness or unhealthiness of your body.
Click here to read a blog about Tallow Balm, and how it can change your skin!
Exercise is so important but with the rise of office and computer jobs, many Americans are sitting more and more each day. How do we supplement all of our sitting with movement? Exercise! Now don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you need to lay out a hardcore weightlifting schedule. Below I will outline some of the things that have helped me. (since I have a computer job too đ)
When you get up, instead of sitting down to your computer or lounging in bed, do some simple stretches. This not only gets your system going, but it also keeps your muscles relaxed. Stretching will also be very helpful in the long run as it keeps you limber as you age.
One of the best ways to keep your digestive system working is to walk. This doesn’t have to be a power walk, but after you eat lunch, get up and get outdoors for at least a 5 min. walk. Walking after eating can regulate blood glucose levels, help with weight loss, boost heart health and reduce triglyceride levels.
Plus, it helps you stretch your legs and get some sunshine if you are inside all day. On the rainy days, just do some laps around your office, home, or wherever you find yourself that day.
A simple workout routine can keep your body limber and help boost your endurance and strength. You don’t need a subscription at a gym or an expensive weight set. Just grab a piece of paper and a create your own workout schedule. Always start with stretches then add squats, jumping jacks, toe raises, push ups, sit ups, or lunges. Keep in mind that what works for someone else may not be best for you. Tweak it to fit your needs and energy level.
exercise mats” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>exercise mats are cheap and easy to find online. But workouts can be done just the same without them. The main goal is to find a way to move throughout the day.
This one is such a big category that it should have a blog of its own! (stay tuned I might make one!) Many foods have been changed from our friend to our enemy. Secret weapons have been slipped into our food that mess up our body without us even knowing! Don’t think you have to change everything at once, instead take one thing below and focus on it.
Remember you really are what you eat!
Keep your eyes out for these ingredients that are harmful to your body!
Good chance if you are eating a normal American diet, you aren’t getting enough healthy fat or protein. Fats have become somewhat of a dirty word. I mean, you don’t want to be fat so why should you eat fat? Did you know that 60% of your brain is fat!? In fact, healthy facts are NEEDED for your body to function optimally.
There are 4 types of fats, 2 are good and 2 are bad. Stay away from trans fat and saturated fat which are often found in fried food and processed food. However, Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats should be your friends! These fats can be found in fish, olive oil, avocados and nuts.
Now for protein. This is another big one that you probably aren’t getting enough of. Protein is made up of the chemical “building blocks” that your body needs build and repair muscles and make hormones and enzymes. Forget the picture of a body builder dumping protein powder into his mouth. It’s not just for him, its essential to each body!
So, how much protein should you get? Click here for a protein calculator. Remember, each body is different so be careful as you make adjustments. Healthy foods with protein include; eggs, milk, yogurt (especially Greek yogurt), cottage cheese, cheese, nuts, beef, chicken, salmon, and peanut butter. Make sure to add at least one of these foods in each meal!
This is a BIG topic! Sugar is in almost everything we eat. Glucose is the body’s easiest form of energy so that is what it prefers. And that is fine….as long as it’s good sugars. Unfortunately, your soda and pastries are NOT made with good sugars. Simply put, eating these sugars causes happy triggers in your brain that make you want more, and more, and more. So what can you do about it? Instead of totally cutting off sugar, supplement the bad, processed sugar with natural sugar. Use honey, maple syrup, and stevia instead of white sugar and high fructose corn syrup.
Another good way to keep your body balanced is to eat your sugar or dessert at lunch instead of supper. This allows more time for the sugar to get through your body. Always balance your sugar with healthy fruits, veggies, and proteins.
Olive Oil, Canola Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Avocado Oil, Sunflower Oil, Sesame Oil, and so much more. We see these ingredients every day. However, some are bad and some are good.
Lets start with the bad oils. Generally stay away from seed oils like sunflower oil, flaxseed oil, grapeseed oil, corn oil, soy oil, etc. Also, definitely avoid hydrogenated oil and canola oil. Because of the way theyâre made, seed oils are typically very processed. Even worse than that, though, is theyâre usually used to make ultra-processed foods. Most seed oils go through the refining process, which includes bleaching and deodorizing. This helps with the taste, color and shelf life, but it also removes the oilsâ antioxidants.
Now for the good ones! Extra-virgin Olive oil, Avocado Oil, and Coconut Oil are the ones that are great to use. You can use extra-virgin olive oil for low-heat cooking and avocado oil for high-heat cooking. Theyâre both high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Coconut oil is great for baking.
In general, it is good to go easy on the oil. Be especially on guard at restaurants as they often use the cheap unhealthy oils. Try to cook at home as much as possible and avoid processed foods.
You can read more about oils here.
We can’t do a “Naturally reseting your lifestyle” blog without talking about sleep. Sleep habits and rhythms are so essential to a healthy life. The natural way to reset your lifestyle is to go back to how people used to live life. Sure, modern conveniences are great but they can mess up the cycles that God ingrained in our systems. So, on the topic of sleep, screens are a big cause of not getting good rest. Watching tv before bed can disrupt your sleep cycles.
Research indicates that watching television for hours prior to going to sleep can result in a reduction of REM sleep. REM sleep is a deeply restorative stage of sleep. This is what allows you to feel fresh and rejuvenated for a new day. Even when you get 8 hours of sleep, you can still feel groggy if you are on screens before bed. So, kick the screens. Watch your shows in the early hours of the day. Set a goal that after 6:00 PM you don’t watch any screens until morning.
Now my personal favorite, Sleep Masks! Sleep masks are very beneficial to sleep. Wearing a sleep mask to bed increases REM slow-wave sleep and boosts melatonin levels by blocking out light, including ambient light that you didn’t even know was disrupting your sleep, like an outdoor street light shining through your window. Light pollution can reduce time spent in deep sleep, which can negatively impact cognitive functions like memory, knowledge retention and alertness.
Other things you can do to positively impact your sleep are: buy flashlights” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>flashlight by your bed.
Nature is probably the best reset of them all. of course they are all amazing ways to reset but when we talk about the Natural way to reset your lifestyle…nature should have something to do with it right? Let’s get some great benefits for getting out in nature.
Sunlight to Improve Mood and Sleep
Sunlight can do amazing things for your body. Getting sunlight in the morning regulates your circadian rhythm and helps you to sleep better. When sunlight hits your skin, your body releases something called nitric oxide into your blood. This compound brings down blood pressure and improves heart health. Maintaining healthy blood pressure can reduce your risks of cardiac disease and stroke. Sunlight is also known to boost the mood….a sunny disposition is more than just an expression!!
Nature Improves Mental Health
Mental health is a real thing and it is VERY important. What happens in your brain is a big factor of how the rest of the systems in your body operate. Depression, anxiety, mood swings, and ADHD can greatly harm your digestive system. Nature can be a natural cure. It is shown that getting out in the fresh air and sunlight to wonders for our mood. A good habit is trying to get outside every day for at least an hour. This can be some broken up throughout the day. You will notice that after a refreshing walk or hike to you tend to feel a lot better.
Benefits of Gardening
This is a great one for all of us! Gardening provides a regular amount of exercise which has a wealth of benefits. Not only that, gardening and other hands-on experiences are known to make a physiological difference as well. Working with one’s hands give a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction increasing mood.
Social media has become a very prevalent part of culture. You can download any number of apps and waste an hour on each of them every day! It is averaged that the typical American spends 2 hours and 14 minutes on social media every day! Due to this, studies have been coming out showing the harm in social media. Endless scrolling on your phone can actually cause an addiction!
What would it be like if someone invited you to a fancy buffet and you could eat all you want for free? You would sit at a table and a conveyer belt would bring dishes out in an endless flow. You never knew which amazing dish would come next! What do you do? Eat, eat, eat!! And soon you are sick. A similar sickness is spreading like wildfire through our culture but it’s not from food, itâs from content. Have you ever been scrolling on Instagram and suddenly realized that you wasted 2 hours!? Yup, it’s happened to all of us! And the addiction can seem so hard to break.
The unfortunate problem is, we are set up for disaster if we keep going at this rate. Not only do we waste time, our bodies cannot function like they used to which brings a load of other problems. Prolonged exposure to a screenâs blue light can lead to eye fatigue and discomfort, and prolonged phone use before bed can cause sleep loss. The addictive quality can lead to obsessive-compulsive behaviors, anxiety, and depression. The constant bombardment of stories and images creates the illusion of endless possibilities, leading to a sense of urgency and FOMO (fear of missing out). And the problem list goes on!
So, how do you stop?
Congratulations! You made it to the end! Are you feeling overwhelmed? No problem! Below I’ve outlined one thing from each section that you can start doing today to improve your lifestyle tomorrow.
So, now you have a good grip on 2024! You are ready to begin the natural way to reset your lifestyle. Stop allowing junk into your life and focus on the good things around you! It may not sound easy but it is always worth it to clean up your lifestyle!
This blog was meant to be informational. Nothing in this blog was meant to take the place of a doctorâs orders. If you are unsure about using any of the information you read above, make sure to check with your doctor first. Ekati Joy is not liable for any risks associated with this information.
A Note From the Writer
Hey friends! I’m so glad you made it to the end. I hope you learned a couple helpful tips along the way! I know I learned so much while researching and I am so excited to share it with you! If you enjoyed what you read and learned some useful tips, let your friends know by sending them a link to this blog. You can also show your support by liking us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Nextdoor. I would love to hear what you found interesting in this blog! Comment below about your favorite thing or what you would like me to write about next! ~until next time, Katara
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 19. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20. you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
