Establishing a healthy habit can be daunting, especially if you don't know where to start. As it turns out, anyone can begin making small healthy changes in their lives that become healthy habits.
Read on to learn all about healthy living, the habits that facilitate it, and what it takes to make habits stick. You may be surprised that some of the most simple changes can make a lasting difference in your health.
What Is a Healthy Habit?
Healthy habits focus on a regular practice that promotes health and well-being, including both physical and emotional health.
Physical healthy habits may include an exercise program to strengthen your body or an eating style full of nutritious foods to support your overall health. Smart snacking is another important physical healthy habit. Choose snacks high in nutrients like Kroma Wellness Superfood Snacks to help get you to your next meal feeling energized and satisfied.
Emotional healthy habits may be starting a meditation practice, talking to a friend, or scheduling an appointment with a therapist. Each of these habits can help boost your emotional and mental health.
What Are the Benefits of Healthy Habits?
Changes to your overall health don’t happen overnight. A healthy lifestyle requires the culmination of many healthy habits to support your emotional and physical health. Healthy habits can support a healthy weight and metabolic function and maintain normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Healthy habits affect more than just your physical appearance. You may notice your mental health has improved as well. When supporting one area of the body, subsequent areas often improve as well. For example, when you exercise, you are not only improving your endurance, muscle tone, and heart health but also your cognitive function and emotional well-being.
What Are Some Healthy Habits?
There are a plethora of healthy habits you can incorporate into your daily life. Instead of concentrating on each one, try switching your focus to simple habits you can begin today.
Start with one habit today and focus on incorporating it into your life each day. Once you feel confident that habit is here to stay, begin another habit. This concept is called “habit stacking.” Focusing on too many new changes at once can leave you feeling overwhelmed and may cause you to quit your journey toward a healthier you.
Remember, little changes make a huge difference. Here are some simple changes you can begin incorporating.
Eat Nutritious Foods
Healthy eating habits are truly key to a healthier you. Swap out unhealthy foods like sugary, overly processed, or fried foods for healthier food choices. Healthy food choices include eating more veggies, whole grains, complex dense carbs, lean meats, and healthy fats for optimal health benefits. One way to successfully overhaul your diet is to meal plan and stock your pantry and fridge with whole foods full of nutrition.
Our 24k Chicken Bone Broth makes nutritious meals easy — just add some hot water, baked veggies, and your own protein of choice for a fiber-rich lunch or dinner in minutes.
When you live a busy life, focusing on eating healthy foods can be difficult. Making sure you consume the superfoods you need to meet your nutritional requirements each day can feel overwhelming.
At Kroma Wellness, we believe eating a well-rounded, whole-food diet doesn’t have to be hard. We have created delicious, convenient foods that provide the nutrients you need to feed your body.
If you need a complete rehaul of your diet or just a reboot to get you back on track, the Kroma Wellness 5 Day Lifestyle Reset is perfect for you. It comes with everything you need for five days to fuel your body and create new healthy habits. Once your reset is complete, you can choose your favorite snacks, broths, lattes, and smoothies from The Daily Essential Collection to include in your daily diet.
Stay Hydrated
Your body weight is made up of 55% to 75% water depending on your stage of life. Water is an essential nutrient for life. Staying hydrated can affect your energy levels, weight, and many functions in the body.
During the day, you're constantly experiencing water loss through sweat, breathing, urine, and feces. To offset this loss and maintain water homeostasis, it is imperative to hydrate throughout the day.
It is generally recommended that women consume about 75 ounces of fluid a day, while men should consume just over 100 ounces. Keep a reusable water bottle with you throughout the day to ensure you reach your water goals.
Water isn’t the only way you can hydrate your body. Hydration can also come from foods like fruits and leafy greens — and our Smoothies are a great way to get liquids in if you are using water as a base. Thankfully, our Blueberry Acai Smoothie is so creamy that it tastes delicious with just a scoop of nut butter and water!
Hydration can also come from other beverages — herbal teas, natural fruit juices, and nut milks can give you hydration. If you want to stick with water but need a little flavor boost, try our Cranberry Hydration Elixir. This gives your water a boost in flavor and electrolytes.
Get Active
Moving your body is another foundation for establishing a healthier you. The benefits of exercise go beyond strong muscles and a “summer-ready” body. Regular exercise has been shown to support heart health, metabolic function, bone health, and overall health. Starting an exercise habit can also help you quit bad habits that may not be serving you, like smoking.
To start an exercise routine, choose a program that fits within your lifestyle and keep it fun. You could choose classes at the gym or check out online videos you can follow at home. Mix up your routine so that you don't get bored and start slacking on your progress.
If you struggle to get the motivation to exercise, try finding a workout buddy. A friend or family who joins you on your journey can keep you accountable to your goals, and you can do the same for them. You’ll find Kroma Founder Lisa Odenwaller working out on the beach with her daughter Lexi or countless like-minded friends.
Keep track of your progress to see how far you have come. It can be hard to notice the small changes made each day, but you may be surprised when you have written proof of how far you’ve come.
Make simple changes. Take a short walk each day or after each meal. Opt for the stairs instead of the elevator. Park farther away from the door to the store. Get outside and play with your kids instead of staying inside. These are easy ways to get more active as a healthy habit.
Manage Stress
Stress can affect many aspects of your life, including your health. Stress can affect memory and cognitive skills by affecting the brain's health. It can also lower your immune response and negatively affect heart health and digestion.
Stress is an unavoidable part of modern life, and your body has systems in place to deal with acute stress that comes and goes. However, when your body is in constant or chronic stress, you may see more adverse health effects.
If you find yourself stuck in chronic stress, you can make lifestyle habits that help to reduce your stress and reduce potential stress-related health problems. Mindfulness and meditations are ways you can reduce stress. Mindfulness is about being in the present moment, with an awareness of your moods, feelings, thoughts, and sensations in the body. Mindfulness doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive; it can be as easy as 10 deep breathsto regulate your parasympathetic nervous system during the day.
Sleep Well
Sleep is a huge component of health, equal to a healthy diet and exercise. You can improve your mood, brain health, and overall health with sleep. While you sleep, certain systems in your body-brain, immune system, and blood vessels — work hard to repair themselves. When it comes to sleep, it is important to prioritize the amount of sleep, quality of sleep, and a consistent sleep schedule.
To ensure you get the quality of sleep you need, create healthy habits that prioritize sleep. You have already started some of these habits. Eating well, exercising, and managing stress can all benefit your sleep.
A nighttime routine can help you wind down from a long day. Focus on turning off screens 30 minutes to an hour before your bedtime. Other nighttime habits include reading a book, meditating, drinking a calming tea, or soaking in a warm bath. Our Restore Magnesium Supplement drink also helps with sleeping and relaxation before bedtime.
Set a regular bedtime and wake-up time by setting alarms. Creating this routine can help train your internal clock.
Form Community
Community may not seem like a pillar of a healthy lifestyle, but it plays a huge role. People who have more social connections have been shown to live healthier and longer lives than those who are more isolated.
Community can be family, friends, and groups you may belong to. If you are looking for a community, look for groups in your town. Perhaps some groups meet at the library or community center with similar interests to your own. Volunteer at a nonprofit organization to meet like-minded people.
Make it a habit to try new experiences with others in your larger community or start a Kroma Reset friend group for accountability and social connections. You may just find a close-knit community of your own.
Get Checkups
Scheduling your doctor checkups can be an afterthought to your busy schedule, but it's time to make them a priority. Regular preventative care can improve your health outcomes over time. Regular checkups include your yearly physical with your primary care doctor and dentist appointments every six months. A yearly well woman's exam with your OB/GYN is also important if you are female.
Go Outside
Falling into the daily grind of working in an office and sitting at home can easily become the norm. Going from one indoor space to another without any time to enjoy the great outdoors is common in many inactive lifestyles in our culture.
Instead of spending your days cooped up inside, prioritize going outside. Spending time outside has been shown to have both acute and long-term health benefits, including mental health, weight management, overall health, and increased energy.
How Long Does It Take To Create a Habit?
Healthy activities can take time to become habits. For many, 90 days or about three months is about the time needed to create a habit. However, many variables can play into creating a habit. For example, if you are starting a habit of drinking more water, it may take less time for the habit to form than consistently working on. Drinking water takes little time and effort while exercising takes dedicated time to achieve.
How Do You Make a Habit Stick?
The key to making habits stick is to start small. Don't expect to be able to run a marathon if you haven’t run in three years. Begin by making a small chance of taking daily walks around the block, adding short stretches of running. Slowly, you can increase your time spent running until you can run the block without trouble. This is true for any healthy habit you’re trying to create.
Other tips for helping your habit stick include making a plan, prioritizing your new habit in your schedule, and tracking your progress. Finally, don't be discouraged by failure. Life happens, and skipping a day or two of your healthy activity is easy. Don’t give up; keep up the amazing work.
The Bottom Line
Healthy habits can benefit your emotional, mental, and physical health. Focusing on small healthy changes in your day can create lasting health habits to establish a healthier you.
At Kroma Wellness, we know the benefits of creating simple healthy habits to increase your overall health. We have taken our belief that food is medicine and created lifestyle essentials that provide you with the nutrition you need in simple, convenient products.
Sources:
Changing Your Habits for Better Health | NIDDK
Real-Life Benefits of Exercise and Physical Activity | National Institute on Aging
Water, Hydration and Health | PMC
[How much water do we really need to drink?] | PubMed
Benefits of Exercise | MedlinePlus
The impact of stress on body function: A review | PMC
Good Sleep for Good Health | NIH News in Health
Social Relationships and Health: A Flashpoint for Health Policy | PMC
The Habit Loop: 5 Habit Triggers That Make New Behaviors Stick | James Clear