1) Drink Your Greens!
If you're at all like me and not much of a fan of vegetables, it can be all too easy to eliminate them from your diet without actually meaning to - I'm terrible for loading my plate up with lots of healthy veggies only to pick around them and end up scraping them into the bin at the end of the meal! But don't give up - of course it's always going to better to actually EAT as many vegetables as possible but if you absolutely can't bring yourself to do it then why not consider juicing instead? Save time by preparing your fruits and veggies the night before if you plan on making a morning juice - choose what you'll have, wash the produce, place them in a storage container in the fridge and assembling the juicer in your kitchen so it's ready to go - then just blitz them up and drink before you set about your day and your veggie intake is done and dusted! 2) Move More!
Everybody knows that exercise is vital for good health but it can be so difficult to find the time to fit it into your day, especially if you're a busy parent!
But nobody says you have to run 20 miles a day to stay in shape and feel healthier - just move more.
If you usually take the elevator or lifts when you're out and about, make a conscious effort to use the stairs instead.
Incorporate a bit of exercise into your fun time with the kids - toddlers can be pretty heavy so just a few games of lifting them up and throwing them around (carefully!) can be a good little workout for your arms!
Ok it's not going to help you run any marathons, but it might go a way toward helping your heart stay healthier!
3) Quit Smoking!
Giving up smoking is likely to be one of the very best changes you could make for your own health and the health of your children, as children who's parents smoke are statistically 4 x more likely to take up the habit themselves in the future.
If you find it hard to quit cold turkey, there are various tools on the market to help.
My partner gave up smoking after 20 years by simply switching to e cigarettes - he had dreaded quitting for so long but actually found it surprisingly easy by using e cigs as a substitute. He simply lowered the nicotine content in the e cig liquid each time he purchased a new bottle until he was vaping purely for the hand-to-mouth action and using liquid containing no nicotine at all!
4) Sleep Well
We all know that a good nights sleep is important but how many of us really know why? Did you know that sleep plays a vital part in the repair and healing of your heart and blood vessels? Ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke - pretty terrifying! Try to ensure that your quality of sleep is as good as it can be by eliminating the use of electronic devices for an hour before you go to bed - you can also try time-tested sleep aids such as lavender drops on your pillow to help aid natural sleep.
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