4 Simple Ways to Improve Health
When it comes to tending to your health, there’s no one thing you do-- it’s a whole lot of little things that contribute to your whole body’s well-being. And it truly is whole body-- inside and out.
Your physical health has a direct effect on your mental and emotional health as well. And while there’s no point in stressing yourself out over whether you’re doing everything you can for the good of your health, there’s power in knowledge. You may not know about these powerful ways to tend to your well-being, but you soon will.
Cleaning Up Indoor Air Pollution
You may think that staying indoors keeps you away from the polluted air outside, but studies have proven that indoor air quality can actually be more harmful to your health. And because we spend so much time inside, we’re more at risk of developing symptoms due to poor air quality. That’s why it’s so important that we change our filters regularly to eliminate dust, pollen, smoke, and other harmful particles from the air. If you’re not sure which filter to buy, a MERV 13 filter does the job well by trapping 98 percent of the toxins in the air.
Supporting Your Gut Microbiomes
You body contains multitudes of organisms; in particular, your gut is home to billions of bacteria that make up your body’s microbiome. While much of our knowledge about the human microbiome is in its earliest stages, there is strong evidence that suggests that what’s going on in your gut impacts your health in plenty of other ways. Out of the many cells that educate and train your immune system, 70 percent originate in the gut. Therefore, tending to a healthy microbiome ensures strong immunity. Ninety percent of mood-regulating neurotransmitters, including GABA, dopamine, and serotonin, also come from the microbiome, meaning your gut health has a direct impact on your mental and emotional health. Microbes like Akkermansia play a critical role in digestion and metabolism-- meaning that ensuring these microbes are healthy and balanced is a key to maintaining a healthy weight.
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US HAS A UNIQUE MICROBIOME THAT NEEDS TO BE CARED FOR IN ORDER TO:
Weed out things that contaminate your microbiome. Sugar, alcohol, gluten, and processed foods can cause microbiome imbalance-- consume these things in moderation. Drinking plenty of water and exercising regularly both promote a healthy digestive tract and the balance of your microbiome.
Crowd out bad microbes and promote the production of healthy ones with plenty of probiotics. Fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and pickled cucumbers are all natural sources of probiotics. You can also promote gut and digestive health with a daily probiotic supplement.
Feed the good bacteria in your microbiome with prebiotic-rich foods every day. Bananas, dandelion greens, onions, and garlic are all foods that are chock-full of prebiotic fibers. Furthermore, a healthy diet rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients further supports a healthy microbiome.
Looking Good to Feel Better
It’s only human to wake up certain days and, for whatever reason, you do not feel your best. Sometimes, all it takes to elevate your mood is a self-care practice that helps boost your self-esteem by promoting your inner glow. It’s not just about looking better, either. Doing a little beauty treatment is a way to show yourself some love-- to communicate with your inner self that you’re worth a little pampering.
Beauty is personal. Not everyone likes to wear makeup, do their hair, or soak in baths. Do what feels best for you, but use the following ideas for inspiration:
Try out a new makeup look with bold colors that are still very flattering. Add some flush to your cheeks with a sparkly, pink blush. Add a splash of excitement to your lips with a matte fuchsia or tangerine lipstick, or add some drama with dark burgundy lips or forest green pigment on your eyes.
Make a little investment in some bath products that use the power of aromatherapy to lift your spirits. Look for scents like lavender, lemongrass, geranium, peppermint, violet, verbena, jasmine, orange, rose, coconut, bergamot, frankincense, sandalwood, pine, and neroli.
Raid your pantry and refrigerator to find ingredients for a DIY face mask that tones, moisturizes, and nourishes your complexion. Mix ingredients like avocado, honey, cocoa powder, nutritional yeast, chamomile tea, banana, orange juice, olive oil, oatmeal, and papaya to make a mask that fits your skin’s needs.
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Sometimes, it’s the little things that can have a big impact on how you feel. If you haven’t changed your air filter in a while, now’s the time to do so. Your gut is home to billions of microorganisms that impact your immunity, digestion, and mental health. Tend to your microbiome health by eating a diet rich in probiotic and prebiotic foods, and leading a healthy lifestyle to improve all other areas of your health. You may be as fit as a fiddle physically but feel mentally and emotionally down. Show yourself some love by pampering yourself to a bold new beauty product, bath goodies that tap into the power of aromatherapy, or a DIY face mask that uses the stuff you have on hand in your refrigerator to soothe and nourish your skin.
