45 TIPS TO

LIVE A
HEALTHIER
LIFE
45 TIPS TO LIVE A
HEALTHIER LIFE

How healthy are you? Do you have a healthy diet? Do you exercise
regularly? Do you drink at least eight glasses of water a day? Do you
get enough sleep every day? Do you live a healthy lifestyle?

Our body is our temple and we need to take care of it. Do you know
that over 70% of Americans are either obese or overweight?[1] That's
insane! Think of your body as your physical shell to take you through
life. If you repeatedly abuse it, your shell will wear out quickly.
Life is beautiful and you don't want to bog yourself down with
unnecessary health problems. Today, your vital organs may be
working well, but they may not be tomorrow. Don't take your health
for granted. Take proper care of your body.

Good health isn't just about healthy eating and exercise — it's also
about having a positive attitude, a positive self-image, and a healthy
lifestyle. In this article, I share 45 tips to live a healthier life.
Bookmark this post and save the tips, because they will be vital to
living a healthier life. :)

1. Drink more water. Most of us don't drink enough water every day.
Water is essential for our bodies to function. Do you know over
60% of our body is made up of water? Water is needed to carry
out body functions, remove waste, and carry nutrients and oxygen
around our body. Since we lose water daily through urine, bowel
movements, perspiration, and breathing, we need to replenish our
water intake.
 Furthermore, drinking water helps in losing weight. A Health.com
study carried out among overweight or obese people showed that
water drinkers lose 4.5 more pounds than a control group! The
researchers believe that it's because drinking more water helps fill
your stomach, making you less hungry and less likely to
overeat.The amount of water we need is dependent on various
factors such as humidity, your physical activity, and your weight,
but generally, we need 2.7-3.7 liters of water intake per day.[2]
Since food intake contributes about 20% of our fluid intake, that
means we need to drink about 2.0-3.0 liters of water or about 8-
10 glasses (now you know how the 8 glasses recommendation
came about!). One way to tell if you're hydrated — your urine
should be slightly yellow. If it's not, like it's dark yellow or even
orange, you're not getting enough water! Other signs include dry
lips, dry mouth, and little urination. Go drink some water first
before you continue this article!
2. Get enough sleep. When you don't rest well, you compensate by
eating more. Usually, it's junk food. Get enough rest and you don't
need to snack to stay awake. Also, lack of sleep causes premature
aging and you don't want that! Read: Having Insomnia? How to
Get a Perfect Night’s Sleep
3. Meditate. Meditation quietens your mind and calms your soul. If
you don't know how to meditate, don't worry. Learn to meditate in
5 simple steps.
4. Exercise. Movement is life. Research has shown that exercising
daily brings tremendous benefits to our health, including an
increase in lifespan, lowering of risk of diseases, higher bone
density, and weight loss. Increase the activity in your life. Choose
walking over transport for close distances. Climb the stairs instead
of taking the lift. Join an aerobics class or a dance class. Pick a
sport of your liking (see tip #5).
5. Pick exercises that you enjoy. When you enjoy a sport, you
naturally want to do it. Exercise isn't about suffering and pushing
yourself; it's about being healthy and having fun at the same time.
Adding variation in your exercises will keep them interesting. Some
popular activities are trekking, hiking, swimming, basketball, tennis,
squash, badminton, yoga, and frisbee. What exercises do you like
and how can you include them in your routine?
6. Join classes. Dance, aerobics, yoga, tennis, ballroom dancing, scuba
diving, wakeboarding courses are all places to start. Going there
also lets you socialize with a new group of people.
7. Eat fruits. Fruits have a load of vitamins and minerals. Do you
know that oranges offer more health benefits than vitamin C pills?
As much as possible, consume your vitamins and minerals through
your diet rather than through pills. I eat a variety of fruits every
morning and they energize me. Satisfy your palate with these
nutritious fruits: Banana, Papaya, Kiwi, Strawberries, Blueberries,
Blackberries, Raspberries, Watermelon, Rockmelon, Honeydew,
Peach, Apple, Grapefruit, Pomelo, Mango, Orange.

8. Eat vegetables. Vegetables are the source of many nutrients and

minerals like folate, vitamin K, folate, vitamin A, manganese, and
potassium, not to mention dietary fiber which is important for
good gut health. There are two types of vegetables: Starchy
vegetables like potato, sweet potato, yam, and pumpkin; and non-
starchy vegetables like kale, arugula, spinach, broccoli, brussels
sprouts, long beans, tomato, cucumber, and mushroom (technically
a fungus). Some vegetables are slightly starchy and hence fall in
the middle: Corn, green peas, carrot, artichoke, beetroot,
 cauliflower, and beans (technically legumes). All vegetables are
important and enrich our diet.

I typically have raw salads for lunch every day with a variety of
vegetables, then a cooked dinner with grains, potatoes/sweet
potatoes, and other delicious vegetables. You want to have a wide
variety of vegetable intake to strengthen your immune system (see
tip #9).
9. Pick different-colored fruits/vegs. Always consume a wide variety
of fruits and vegetables of different colors. Firstly, fruits and
vegetables with different colors represent different anti-oxidant
content, which removes free radicals that damage our cells and
fights inflammation in our body. Secondly, when we eat a large
diversity of fruits/vegetables, it creates a wide variety of good
bacteria in our gut, which creates a strong defense line between us
and the environment, improves our immune system, and
strengthens our long-term health.

Eat fruits/vegetables of different colors: White (Bananas), Yellow

(Pineapples, Mango), Orange (Orange, Papaya), Red (Apple,
Strawberries, Raspberries, Tomatoes, Watermelon), Green
(Avocado, Kale, Lettuce, Cucumber), Purple/Blue (Blackberries,
Prunes). Here's a full list under the color wheel.

If you have existing gut problems, be careful about eating

excessive amounts of fiber as it can cause digestion and
constipation issues. For those with existing gut problems,
excessive fiber intake can cause slow down colonic transit time
(due to bulkier stools), make it more difficult to move your bowels,
which leads to constipation, piles, anal fissure. It can also cause gas
and bloating.[3] Consume low-fiber foods to let your gut heal, juice
your fruits/vegetables to get their nutrients, and then slowly build
 up your whole fruit/vegetable intake.

10. Cut down on processed food. Processed food is not good because
(a) most of the nutritional value is lost in the creation of these
foods, and (b) the added preservatives are bad for our health.
Many processed foods contain a high amount of salt which leads
to higher blood pressure and heart disease. In general, the more
ingredients a food has on the label (ending with 'ite' or 'ate'), the
more processed it is. Go for less processed food such as a baked
potato over chips, fresh fruit over canned fruit, and intact grains
over white bread.
11. Choose intact grains over refined grains. Intact grains contain all
the essential parts of the grain seed; in other words, they contain
100% of the original kernel, which includes the bran, germ, and
endosperm. Because these layers are intact, the grain contains a
richer nutritional profile of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals
than refined grains (which are grains stripped of the bran and germ
 layers through processing).[4]

Go for intact grains like steel cut oats, barley, brown rice, quinoa,
buckwheat, millet. Refined grains include white rice, white flour,
most types of bread, white pasta, quick oats, and cereals. The
more processing a grain has been through, the more refined it is. If
you're starting out, there's no need to 100% ban refined grains --
moderation is the key. Transition to a more intact-grains-based diet
by swapping refined grains with intact grains for 1-2 meals a week
and increasing it from there.
12. Love yourself. Self-love is a crucial part of living a healthy life.
When you have a negative self-image, it naturally weighs down on
your mental outlook and health. How much do you love yourself
on a scale of 1-10? Why? How can you love yourself more starting
today? Read: How to Develop a Positive Body Image (series) and
Day 13: Appreciate Yourself of my Be a Better Me in 30 Days
Program.
13. Walk/Run barefoot. There are many benefits of barefoot
walking/running, from having a better posture to less stress for
your feet and joints. If the terrain in your neighborhood is too
sharp, wear barefoot shoes. I've been running barefoot since May
2010 and loving it. Read: 10 Reasons To Run Barefoot
14. Purge negative people from your life. Positive mental health is
part of a healthy life. You don't need toxic people in your life. If
you feel that a friend is overly critical or negative, let him/her go.
Check out:
8 Tips to Tackle Naysayers
8 Helpful Ways to Deal with Critical People
8 Tips to Deal with Backstabbers

15. Purge negativity from yourself. You don't need negativity from
yourself either. Listen to the thoughts that come up and get rid of
your negative thoughts. One great way to remove your negativity
is to brain dump when you feel frustrated. I do this with my clients,
 where I ask them to write out their deepest thoughts so that we
can address them. Don't keep these thoughts pent up inside you —
it's not healthy. Watch: How to Stay Positive All the Time [Video]
16. Avoid trigger foods. Trigger foods are the foods that make you go
berserk and binge after you eat them. Everyone's trigger foods are
different (mine used to be doughnuts, pastries, and chips), but
generally trigger foods are candy bars, chocolate, confectionery,
chips, cookies, or anything with a high level of refined sugar, salt,
or flour. These foods cause a blood sugar imbalance, hence
triggering one to eat more. What are your trigger foods? Identify
them and remove them from your diet.
17. Breathe. Deeply. Oxygen is vital for life. You may know how to
breathe, but are you breathing properly? Most of us aren't
breathing properly — we take shallow breaths and breathe to 1/3
of our lung capacity. Athletes are taught proper breathing
techniques to get their best performance. A full breath is one
where your lungs are fully filled, your abdomen expands, and
there's minimum movement in your shoulders. Watch: Breathe to
Heal [Video]
18. Improve your posture. Having a good posture improves your
breathing (see tip #17) and makes you look smarter and more
attractive. Read more: Benefits Of a Good Posture (And 13 Tips To
Get One)
19. Address emotional eating issues. Do you eat when you feel
stressed, bored, or frustrated? Emotional eating is eating to fill an
emotion rather than real hunger. However, emotional eating will
never make you feel happy because you're trying to fill a void that
has nothing to do with food. Food doesn't give you love or
happiness; it's just food. Get to the root of the issue and address it.
Read: How to Stop Emotional Eating (series)
20. Eat small meals. Choose several small meals over huge meals as it
evens out your energy distribution. It's also better for your
stomach as it doesn't over-stretch from digesting a huge volume of
food at one go. In general, eat when you feel hungry and stop
when you're full (see tip #21). You don't need to wait until official
mealtimes before you start eating. Listen to your body and what it
 tells you.

21. Stop eating when you feel full. Many of us rely on external cues to
tell when we're full, such as whether everyone has finished eating
or whether your plate is empty. These are irrelevant: you should
look at internal cues, such as whether your stomach feels full and
how you feel. Don't eat just because there's food on the plate. I
stop when I feel about 3/4 full — if I eat till I'm totally full, I feel
bloated. Listen to your gut and learn when it's time to stop!
22. Follow food-combining principles. Food combining is a term for a
nutritional approach that advocates specific combinations of
foods. After following food-combining principles, my digestion
improved greatly. In general you should (1) stick to simple meals,
(2) eat fruit as the first meal of the day, (3) never eat fruits after
cooked food, even if many hours have passed, (4) only mix
grains/starch with vegetables in a meal (it's okay to add some fat),
(5) never mix protein with starches in a meal, (6) only mix protein
with non-starchy vegetables. I recommend reading David Klein's
 book Self-Healing Colitis & Crohns -- it has important information
on improving gut health, including sections on food combining
principles. I don't subscribe to all his recommendations but I find
that his overall recommendations are excellent to anyone who
wants to have good gut health, not just people with colitis or gut
disease.
23. Live a life of purpose. Blue Zones are regions of the world where
people live the longest and healthiest lives. There are nine shared
characteristics of these regions (many of which are in this list), and
one important characteristic is to have a purpose. The Okinawans
call it ikigai and the Nicoyans call it plan de vida. Are you living a
life of meaning? Are you living in line with your purpose each day?
Since I started living my purpose, I've never been happier. And you
can experience that too. Read: Discover Your Purpose in Life
(series)
24. Cut down on deep-fried food. Deep-fried food contains
acrylamide, a potentially cancer-causing chemical. According to a
BBC report, an ordinary bag of crisps may contain up to 500 times
more of the substance than the top level allowed in drinking water
by the World Health Organisation (WHO)! When I consume oily
foods, I feel sluggish. Go for food prepared using healthier
methods instead, such as grilling, steaming, stir-fry, or even raw
food. Reduce your intake of fast food, fries, doughnuts, chips,
wedges, and deep-fried food.
25. Cut down on sugary food/drinks. Sugary food consists of your
candy bars, pastries, chocolate, cookies, cakes, and jelly donuts.
Not only do they not fill you, but they trigger you to eat more due
to the sugar rush. Eating once in a while is okay, but not daily. Go
for healthy snacks instead. Sugary drinks are unfortunately sold
everywhere today, namely in the form of soda and sweet drinks.
These drinks are unhealthy and cause weight gain. Go for plain
water, green tea, or vegetable juices instead! Read more: 5
 Reasons To Quit Soda (And How to Do It)

26. Don't drink alcohol. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it drains

water from your body. Not only that, but alcohol is repeatedly
proven to have negative effects on our body and health —
impacting the proper functioning of our brain, liver, lungs, and
other major organs. If you drink alcohol regularly, it's time to cut it
out, or at the very least, reduce your consumption.
27. Go organic (where possible). Organic food is food produced
without synthetic inputs such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers;
that does not contain genetically modified organisms; and that is
not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical
food additives. The organic movement is slowly catching on with
more stores offering organic options. While organic food tends to
cost more, would you rather save some money and feed your body
with pesticides or pay a few extra dollars for a cleaner, healthier
body? I try to buy organic where possible (depending on budget).
28. Beware of vegetable oils. Over the years, I began to learn more
about healthy vs. unhealthy food. I learned that many vegetable
oils, which are basically used in many food products and almost all
restaurants today, are toxic. This includes all refined oils such as
canola oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, and
even olive oil. Despite the whole "heart healthy" branding
surrounding vegetable oils, oil is not a natural food. It's an
extremely processed food stripped of all the
nutrients/fiber/protein/etc. of the original food. Many commercial
oils are high in omega-6 polyunsaturated fat which is
inflammatory.[5] In fact, the current prevalent use of vegetable oils
was practically non-existent before the 1900s, and it was from a
strong marketing push in the 1910s that vegetable oil began to be
used in a widespread manner. Today, corporations use vegetable
oils in food because (a) they are cheap and (b) they lengthen the
shelf life of food, but they are not healthy in any way and create a
lot of toxicity to the body.

The best way to cut down on oil (because oil is everywhere) is to

(a) prepare your own meals (see tip #29), and (b) be conscious of
oil-free / less-oil menu options when you're out. When consuming
salads, opt for no dressing as most commercial dressings have oil. I
recommend to do your own research -- here are some to start
with: link, link, link, and link.
29. Prepare your meals. Whenever I can, I prepare my meals. When
you prepare your meals, you control what goes into them rather
than choosing between sub-standard options in a restaurant. Get
quality kitchen equipment — it will be your best investment ever.
Having a blender makes it a breeze to make your fruit/vegetable
juices! Having an instant pot and an oven makes cooking much
easier too.
30. Learn to say no. Don't eat just because you're out with friends or
because other people offer you food. Simply say no and say you're
not hungry if you don't feel like eating. Read: How to Say No
31. Bring a water bottle when you go out. That way, you can drink
whenever you want. It saves you money and you don't need to
resort to bad alternatives like soda.
32. Eat what you need. It is better to eat less and in line with your
energy needs, rather than eat excessively and work off excess
calorie intake through exercise. When you eat excessively, you
strain your digestive system by making it digest more food than
you need, and when you exercise excessively, you strain your
body.
33. Stop smoking. Smoking is detrimental to health, severely increases
the risk of lung cancer, kidney cancer, esophageal cancer (of our
gullet), heart attack, and more. Smoking "lite" cigarettes do not
decrease health risks either. If you're a smoker, quit not just for
yourself, but for your family and friends. If you don't smoke, stay
that way and don't start. Read: What Happens When You Quit
 Smoking

34. Avoid passive smoking. Second-hand smoking (breathing in air

from smokers) causes many of the same long-term diseases as
direct smoking (Wiki). Did you know? According to the CDC
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), there is no risk-free
level of passive smoking; even brief exposure can be harmful to
health. Get away from smokers and avoid cigarette smoke where
you can.
35. Have healthy snacks. If you're hungry at work, eat healthy snacks
like fruits, vegetable juices, and yogurts. These are nutritional and
don't give you that sugar rush. Have them readily available so that
you can get a munch and stop when you have your fill. Stay away
from cookies and candy bars.
36. Try juicing/blending. Juicing/Blending is a great way to get
vitamins and nutrients from fruits/vegetables quickly. Juicing is
where you extract the juice using a juicing machine, removing the
fiber. With blending, the fiber is not filtered away so you're
drinking the juice and fiber.

For fruits, I recommend using a blender as juicing removes the

fiber and creates large sugar spikes due to the loss of fiber. If you
have a lot of vegetables, juice as it's a great way to get the
nutrients without munching through a huge volume of fiber. Juices
and smoothies complement each other — juices give our digestive
system a break while blending retains the fiber from
fruits/vegetables which feeds the friendly bacteria in the gut. If
you're new to juicing, learn more about it here and check out these
sample juicing recipes.
37. Get regular checkups. Some diseases don't show up as symptoms
until it is too late. Get regular blood tests for blood sugar, vitamins,
and minerals, along with urine tests. More elaborate tests like
 mammograms (for women), PAP smear (for women), colonoscopy,
etc. should be done at the recommended intervals. If the test
results are not optimal, that means that you can quickly take
corrective action. If they are great, that's fantastic and you can
have peace of mind!

38. Try a vegetarian diet. To be clear, being vegetarian doesn't

automatically mean better health as there are tons of unhealthy
vegetarian food out there (mock soy patties, white-carb heavy
meals, fried vegetarian food, meals rich in dairy, sugary desserts).
Trying a vegetarian diet is about being healthier -- meat has been
linked to inflammation[6][7][8] -- and if it interests you, playing a
role in reducing animal cruelty. When done right, there are many
proven health benefits of a vegetarian diet. You don't have to go
on a vegetarian diet forever -- you can just try it out as an
experiment, or just go vegetarian for two days a week. Get started
here.
39. Try a vegan diet. A vegetarian diet excludes animal products. A
vegan diet excludes consume animal and animal-derived products.
This means no eggs, dairy, honey, cheese, or milk. So in that sense,
being vegan seems like a very strict diet in our meat-heavy food
culture, but it is said to have even more positive benefits than a
vegetarian diet! Learn more about veganism here, here, and here.
Once again, trying out a vegan diet doesn't mean going on a
permanent switch if you're not ready for it -- simply experiment,
try it out for a few weeks, or just go vegan for two days a week.

Do note that if you're 100% vegan, there are certain vitamins and
minerals essential for body function that you should watch out on,
specifically vitamin B12 and omega 3 (EPA/DHA). These can be
easily added by eating the right fortified foods and supplements
(see tip #40).

40. Try a raw vegan diet. A raw vegan consumes raw vegan food:
mainly fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Notice the progression from a
 vegetarian → vegan → raw vegan diet is toward naturally
occurring foods. There are many reported benefits of switching
from veganism to raw veganism, including increased youth, weight
loss, increased energy, and increased health benefits. Personally, I
find that it's too difficult to be a 100% raw vegan as (1) cooked
food is too prevalent in our modern society, (2) it's difficult to
consume enough calories on a 100% raw vegan diet, and (3)
cooking allows us to consume starches and tubers easily. That
doesn’t mean that you can’t experiment! I have gone on several
21-day raw vegan trials before and felt very energized each time.
These days, I eat about 30-40% raw (vegan) each day. Learn more
about raw veganism here, here, here and here.
41. Supplement your diet (if needed). Even when we eat healthily,
there will be times when we lack certain vitamins/minerals
because of many man-made processes have permanently altered
our food supply chain. Common nutrient deficiencies are iron,
vitamin B12, vitamin D (for those who live in places with winter),
calcium, and magnesium.[9]

Note that it's not always about popping a pill though. Supplements
have their issues. For example, B12 supplements are linked to
acne[10][11], while a 135-study review revealed little evidence that
calcium supplements prevent fractures in healthy women, and in
fact, may result in calcium deposits in arteries.[12] The best is to do
your research and consume the required vitamins/minerals
through diet (be it through wholefood or fortified food), and only
take supplements when that's not possible.
42. Consume prebiotic food and fermented food.
1. Prebiotics. Prebiotics are important for gut bacteria to flourish.
Think of them as fertilizer for your gut microbiome. Research
increasingly shows a link between our gut flora and overall
health. Where possible, always choose prebiotic food over a
 prebiotic supplement vs. a prebiotic food. Prebiotic foods
include raw onion, raw leek, raw garlic, potato starch, and
unripe bananas. Read: 19 Best Prebiotic Foods
2. Wild Fermented Food. As you consume prebiotics, take
fermented food which is a great source of probiotics. Fermented
foods include sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, pickles, and
kombucha.

Instead of buying commercially fermented foods, get wild

fermented foods. If you're buying from a health food store, the
product should say "wildly fermented." That's because
commercially fermented food typically contains a few strands of
probiotics, which is pointless as a healthy gut environment
should have between 20,000 and 30,000 species of gut
bacteria. Consuming commercially fermented food or even
popping probiotic capsules (which usually contain between
three and forty species) over the long term risks creating a
monoculture of gut flora.

On the other hand, food that is wildly fermented (not created in

a lab, but at home or in your garden) has the potential to give
you thousands of species of bacteria. Read this article by Dr.
Zach Bush, one of the few triple board-certified physicians in
America: Why Probiotics Don’t Always Work. Learn how to
ferment your food: Make Homemade Sauerkraut

43. Experiment. The best way to know what works for you is to
experiment. Rather than subscribe to one diet, try different foods
and see how your body reacts. Most importantly, research and
tweak your diet based on what you learn. I enjoy reading stories
and research by people who have successfully reversed health
diseases (rather than what's reported by the medical establishment
as I've come to realize that many medical conclusions today are
 flawed) and learning how to implement positive changes into my
diet and life.
44. Get out more often. If you have a 9-5 job, chances are you spend
much of your time holed up in the office and not a lot of time
going out and having fun. During weekends, you're probably busy
with work or running errands. Make a point to go out with your
friends at least once a week. Get some sun. Go out and have a
change of environment. It'll be great for your body and soul. Read:
45. Practice good dental hygiene. Good dental hygiene make you a lot
more desirable and it is linked to better health. Brush your teeth
twice a day, rinse your mouth after each meal, and floss after each
meal if possible. Use a fluoride-free toothpaste to protect your
gum health. Read: How to Attain Healthier Gums and Teeth: Path
To Better Oral Hygiene

46. Hang out with healthy people. You're the average of the 5 people
you spend the most time with, so the more time you spend around
healthy people, the better it is. Dine with people who are health
 conscious and get workout buddies. It makes healthy living more
fun! :)

Which health tips are most applicable for you right now? These are
timeless tips, so bookmark this article and integrate these tips into
your life. Share these tips with your family and friends to help them
stay healthy.

Be sure to check out my 14-Day Healthy Living Challenge: Healthy

Living Challenge Overview

Get the manifesto version of this article: [Manifesto] The Healthy

Living Manifesto