By Adam Biederman
Health and wellness encompass your entire well-being, from mind to body. But health is a journey, not a destination. With just a few tips and tricks, you can promote a healthy lifestyle with incredible long-term benefits.
This guide on how to boost your mood will cover how to improve health and wellness throughout your day, including:
- Nutrition health and wellness advice.
- Ideas for daily physical wellness.
- Mental well-being and health and wellness tips.
To start implementing smart health and wellness strategies, read on!
Nutrition Health and Wellness Advice
The foods and beverages you consume fuel you like gas powers your car: the higher quality the fuel, the happier the engine. Choosing the right foods can have a huge impact on your short- and long-term health. Below are some essential tips for everyday nutrition:
Drink Water
Looking for a simple way to enhance your health every day? Drink water. Water is considered “the gold standard” of beverages by scientists. Every system of the body relies on water to support your overall wellness. Drinking adequate amounts of water (something many of us don’t do) can lead to extensive health benefits. Here are just a few:- nourished skin
- healthy joints and muscle systems
- healthy blood pressure
- improved immune function
- regulated body temperature
- a healthy digestive system
According to the Mayo Clinic, adults should drink around 11.5 cups (or 2.7 fluid liters) for women and 15.5 cups (or 3.7 fluid liters) for men. Keep a water bottle on hand so you can stay hydrated all day, every day.
Eat Colorful Fruits and Veggies
- Doctors recommend filling your dinner plate with colorful fruits and vegetables — not just for aesthetics. The different colors of produce indicate concentrations of certain key vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. And the more vibrant the color, the richer the food is in nutrients.
- As you make your meals and do your grocery shopping, try to choose produce from every color of the rainbow. The variety of colors (and nutrients) in healthy food will cultivate a spectrum of nutritional wellness.
Add Healthy Fats to Your Meals
- A fat-free diet isn’t a nutritious one. But before you start reaching for a big slice of chocolate cake, learn more about the difference between goodfats and badfats.
- Fats nourish and support multiple systems in your body. But not all fats are created equal. Some fats — like saturated and trans fats — increase the body’s production of LDL, the unhealthy kind of cholesterol.
- fried foods.
- processed snacks like chips, crackers, cookies and cakes.
- vegetable shortening.
- margarine
- fatty cuts of lamb, pork and beef.
- the dark meat of chicken and in chicken skin.
- dairy products with high-fat content like butter, sour cream, cheese and ice cream.
- tropical oils like coconut oil, palm oil and cocoa butter.
But healthy fats — like monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat — increase HDL, the healthy kind of cholesterol that helps your body expel LDL.
Sources of monounsaturated fats include:
- nuts
- certain vegetable oils
- peanut and almond butters
- avocados
- oily fish like salmon, herring, anchovies, sardines, mackerel and trout
- tofu
- walnuts
You can improve your overall health every day by eating fewer trans and saturated fats and enjoying more sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
(Yes, occasionally you can still have chocolate cake. Just be sure to enjoy your unhealthy fats in moderation.)
Cook With Healthy Oils
Cooking oil is a staple in every kitchen pantry, and can be used for almost every meal. Why not choose oil with the most health benefits to elevate your meals? Swap out your usual cooking oil for one that’s packed with vitamins and healthy fats.
Here are Time Magazine’s top choices for all-purpose cooking oils:
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Extra virgin olive oil –Olive oil is one of the most flexible and nutritious cooking oils, but be sure to look for extra virginolive oil in the grocery aisles. Extra virgin olive oil is not refined, meaning it has higher amounts of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fatty acids. However, olive oil has a low smoke point, so it’s best used for low- and medium-heat cooking.
- Avocado oil – Due to its mild flavor, avocado oil is a great all-purpose cooking oil. Similar to extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil has large amounts of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Avocado oil is a good source of Vitamin E and works well for high-heat cooking, thanks to its high smoking point.
- Canola oil – Canola oil offers significantly more polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats than typical vegetable oil. Its neutral flavor pairs well with almost every dish. You can also use canola oil for high-heat cooking. If you can, look for cold-pressed or unprocessed canola oil. The less processed the oil, the more natural health benefits in every spoonful.
Limit Sugar Intake
Sugar is sweet, but too much can hinder your overall health. Researchers have associated increased sugar intake with a variety of long-term health issues such as high blood sugar levels. Be mindful of the sweet things you eat and drink to improve your daily health practices.
Ideas For Daily Physical Wellness
Nutritious food can fuel your body, but there’s more to physical health than the foods you eat. Smart physical wellness practices can promote long-term health benefits. Try some of the things below to create a foundation of physical health.
Get Plenty of Sleep
Sleep, a.k.a. “Vitamin Z,” can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle and promote a good mood. Scientists have linked healthy sleep (a recommended seven to nine hours a night) to a number of benefits, including:
- decreased stress.
- improved memory.
- higher brain function.
Maintain healthy sleep habits and get enough sleep to boost your overall physical health.
Wear Sunscreen Every Day
Daily sunscreen or CBD moisturizer use can protect you from Earth’s biggest source of radiation—the sun. Even when skies are cloudy, the sun emits UV rays, which cause harmful free radicals to roam in the body. This can lead to serious burns and skin damage.
Sunscreen contains filters that absorb, reflect or scatter radiation before it can permeate your skin. Applying sunscreen to your face and body every day, no matter what the weather, is an easy way to safeguard your physical health for the long term. However, be sure to choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a high SPF (30 or more) that does not contain chemical enzyme disruptors.
Consistently Exercise
Your body loves movement and blood flow. And when you exercise consistently, you can enjoy impactful physical health benefits, including:
- decreased stress hormones.
- an increase in endorphins.
- strengthened bones and musculature.
- heightened energy levels.
- improved brain health.
- better sleep.
Mental Health and Wellness Tips
Your thoughts and feelings aren’t all in your head. Your mental wellness can deeply impact your overall health. By taking care of your mental well-being, you can support all aspects of your wellness journey.
Spend Time With Loved Ones
Spending time with the people you care about can improve your mental well-being well-being and contribute to a healthier, happier life. Below are just some of the benefits of social connection:- lower rates of anxious feelings and thoughts
- improved self-esteem and empathy
- better stress maintenance
So in your day-to-day life, make time for the people you love. Schedule that coffee date with your best friend, go for a run with your college buddies or give your favorite relative a call — all in the name of wellness and an improved mood.
Go Outside
A dose of the outdoors can nourish mental wellness and people's moods. Research shows that outdoor activities can result in multiple positive mental health effects. An article in Psychology Today reported that participants in a study of nature’s effects on mental health who spent time outdoors experienced:
- an improved sense of well-being.
- decreased feelings of stress.
- fewer nervous thoughts.
- an increase in “restorative feelings.”
If your urban neighborhood is a little sparse on trees and greenery, don’t worry: Just a little sunshine can support your mental well-being. Sunlight can increase serotonin levels in your brain, triggering feelings of happiness. Even enjoying an afternoon cup of coffee or tea at an outdoor cafe can contribute to better mental health. (Just be sure to apply sunscreen when outdoors for longer periods.)
Manage Stress Wisely
The stress of everyday life can weigh on your mind and body. Mental stress can manifest in many ways. The Mayo Clinic points out the connection between your mind and your body: “Indeed, stress symptoms can affect your body, your thoughts and feelings, and your behavior. Being able to recognize common stress symptoms can help you manage them. Stress that's left unchecked can contribute to many health problems.”
Finding ways to manage your everyday stress can help reinforce the amazing things you’re doing for your mind and body, including a mood boost. Here are just a few strategies to try for everyday health and wellness:
- Mindfulness –Practices like yoga, meditation and deep-breathing exercises can help focus your mind on the present. In a 2019 study, participants spent 30 minutes a day in mindfulness practice. After eight weeks, the participants felt positive mental wellness effects, including:
- improved ability to deal with stressful situations.
- higher cognitive function.
- an easier time identifying and managing negative thought patterns.
- Creativity – Research shows that creative outlets like writing, art and music can help reduce stress and anxious thoughts.
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The soothing benefits of CBD – The stress of daily life can weigh heavily on your mental fortitude. Everything from high-pressure work presentations to completing household tasks can cause anxious thoughts to cloud your mind. Left unmanaged, those anxious and stressful thoughts can negatively affect your health as a whole.
That’s where CBD can help.
Some CBD products to help soothe away your daily worries include - CBD oil, CBD cream, CBD roll-ons, tablets, gummies or mints can help soothe away your daily worries. Without the weight of stressful thoughts, you can relax and focus on what matters most: your health. By lifting the stormy clouds of anxious thoughts, CBD may help you fully immerse yourself in wellness practices. And the clearer your mind, the more impactful those practices can be on your overall health. ithout the weight of stressful thoughts, you can relax and focus on what matters most: your health. By lifting the stormy clouds of anxious thoughts, CBD may help you fully immerse yourself in wellness practices. And the clearer your mind, the more impactful those practices can be on your overall health.
Everyday Wellness With Zebra CBD
At Zebra CBD, we believe that health isn’t a state of being; it’s a daily practice. To cultivate everyday wellness, we offer only the highest caliber CBD extracted from premium, American-grown hemp. Help support wellness for your mind and body today with Zebra CBD!
Sources:
Healthline. 27 Health and Nutrition Tips That Are Actually Evidence-Based. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/27-health-and-nutrition-tips#section28
Time Magazine. The 10 Best and Worst Oils For Your Health. https://time.com/5342337/best-worst-cooking-oils-for-your-health/
Healthline. Good Fats, Bad Fats, and Health Disease. https://www.healthline.com/health/heart-disease/good-fats-vs-bad-fats
VeryWell Health. Top 10 Health Benefits of a Good Night’s Sleep. https://www.verywellhealth.com/top-health-benefits-of-a-good-nights-sleep-2223766
NASA. Why Space Radiation Matters. https://www.nasa.gov/analogs/nsrl/why-space-radiation-mattersHarvard Health Publishing. Sun Protection: Appropriate Sunscreen Use. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/sun-protection-appropriate-sunscreen-use-2018062114114
Healthline. The Top 10 Benefits of Exercise. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-exercise#section8
Harvard Health Publishing. The 4 most important types of exercise. https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/the-4-most-important-types-of-exercise
Mental Health Foundation. Physical Health and Mental Health. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/p/physical-health-and-mental-health
Stanford Medicine. Connectedness & Health: The Science of Social Connection. http://ccare.stanford.edu/uncategorized/connectedness-health-the-science-of-social-connection-infographic/
Psychology Today. Nature’s Role in Mental Illness: Prevention or Treatment? https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cravings/201909/nature-s-role-in-mental-illness-prevention-or-treatment
Healthline. What Are the Benefits of Sunlight?https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/benefits-sunlight#:~:text=Exposure%20to%20sunlight%20is%20thought,responsible%20for%20helping%20you%20sleep.
Mayo Clinic. Stress symptoms: Effects on your body and behavior. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-symptoms/art-20050987Medical News Today. What are the Health Benefits of Being Creative? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320947
Science Daily. Mindfulness found to improve mental health of students. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190311125213.htm
