10 Practical Lifestyle Tips for a Healthier, Happier You

There is no secret pill or magic trick: getting healthy requires a joined-up approach.

We’ve put together this in-depth article to help you better understand the various elements of good health, from nutrition and hydration to exercise, mindfulness and more.

By focusing on self-care, you can look forward to increased energy, improved immunity and sharper mental function; you’re also likely to be happier, better able to focus on the positives, with the spectrum of health benefits such a mindset engenders.

Dealing with root causes is the only reliable way to enjoy optimum health and live a long and fulfilling life. The current ‘sticking plaster’ approach to health issues will never bring real results.

An analogy springs to mind: if you were driving along the road and the warning light illuminated on your dashboard, what would you do? Most people would pull over and take their car to the nearest garage, where a mechanic would address the fault.

Now just assume for a second that the mechanic inspected the car, removed the fuse to stop the light coming on, then told you to drive away because he had solved the problem (after all, the warning light no longer comes on). Would you consider the problem solved?

It is easy to predict the disastrous consequences of this approach, yet when it comes to human health that is the predominant method: switch off the warning light.

Optimal health is health in body, mind and spirit. It flows from and impacts every aspect of our being.

Although focusing on nutritional approaches is wise, for many people the origins of health problems exist at emotional levels, particularly past traumas. These permeate the physical body and often manifest in ‘disease’ of one type or another.

There are several key things we need to do to enjoy the levels of health and vitality which are possible. Adding two or three to your daily regime will be rewarding; integrating them all will have a massive impact, irrespective of your current state of health. You’ll find the list further down the page.

Figures show that the UK has suffered one of the greatest slowdowns in life expectancy growth among the world’s leading economies. This slowdown has been evident since 2010. It is really no surprise given the dietary habits and sedentariness typical of the modern western lifestyle.

At the risk of dwelling on such negative press, the huge growth in sub 25-year-olds developing Type-2 diabetes has lately been highlighted. This is very unfortunate but, regretfully, not surprising.

Consuming diets high in sugars and empty calories with little nutrition is beginning to take its toll. Sadly we are likely to witness an increasing number of children predeceasing their parents, and possibly even their grandparents.

No doubt the Pharma industry is rubbing their hands in glee as they see this bonanza coming over the horizon, but the human suffering cost – not to mention the economic cost for the country – will be massive if not unsustainable.

Yet despite these statistics, there is only lip service paid to addressing root causes. This is particularly sad given that Type-2 diabetes can be reversed, albeit it requires great commitment.

Pay heed to the following tips and take personal responsibility for your health. When you do, you’ll quickly notice a feeling of great empowerment. On an individual level we cannot do much for the state of the nation’s health; but we can stop ourselves from becoming statistics. 

Proper hydration is vital for the body. Hydration is not solely dependent on the amount of water we drink, but on the quality of the water and the electrolyte levels of the body.

We recommend water that is alkaline, possesses good structure and has strong antioxidant properties through the release of molecular hydrogen. Of course, we believe that water should be as clean as possible of pollutants. Water is not only necessary for hydration but also for detoxification. You can see the options we recommend here. 

Without good gut health, we will never enjoy proper health. It not only affects our digestion, but every other area of our body – and in particular our immune function.

Extensive chemical use in our environment and particularly the use of antibiotics and steroids has had a massive negative impact on gut health, resulting in low counts of beneficial bacteria and many missing strains. It has also resulted in an impaired gut environment. 

Get your gut right and you’ll feel the difference physically and mentally. A balanced microbiome will improve mood, reduce anxiety and help to reduce the potential for brain degeneration.

Because of the importance of the microbiome, we introduced the Progurt range last year, comprising probiotics, prebiotics and other gut-care supplements. We appreciate the factors which make Progurt different from what’s currently available, and reviewing customer feedback, it’s clear it has massive potential to make a difference.

Sugar addiction has been a major contributor to ill health. It is corrosive, feeds all the wrong microbes in the body and is fuel for cancer cells.

Eliminating sugar will not only help to stabilise blood sugar levels, it will contribute to balanced energy levels. Of course, not only is it necessary to avoid sugar but all the things that sugar is in.

Increasing our consumption of good unprocessed salt can help to curb sugar cravings. Many people will also benefit by removing gluten and dairy products from their diets.

Our soils have become increasingly sapped of minerals, resulting in mineral-deficient foods. Food processing has contributed further to this deficiency.

That is why we highly recommend consumption of mineral-rich diets, which often requires nutritional supplementation. Trace minerals are vital in addition to the prime minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium etc.

Fulvic Restore, a naturally-occurring mineral complex with fulvic acid, is one to look at if you wish to boost your mineral intake. Not only does it give you a wide array of trace minerals, but it will enhance absorption and aid detoxification.

As far as magnesium is concerned, consider Revitacell Magnesium Citrate,  a combination of magnesium and citric acid which is readily absorbed into the blood stream and body tissues.

Sun exposure is necessary for adequate Vitamin D levels, of course, but also for so much more. For example, sunshine nearly always elevates our mood.

Our generation spends less time outdoors than previous generations, so we either have to make the commitment to get out in the sun or alternatively supplement with vitamin D3.

More and more research is showing the importance of vitamin D not only for bone health, but also for heart health, immune health and to reduce the incidences of many types of cancer.

If this is not possible due to where you live, supplementing with D3 is a no-brainer.

Fruit and vegetables should be dietary staples, as they contain so many beneficial nutrients. A vegetable-rich diet is importance for optimum body pH, which is a major contributor to good health.

The plant kingdom contains everything we need to sustain life and regain vitality. In addition to vegetables, prioritise antioxidant-rich foods to combat the negative effects of free radicals, which are implicated in so many areas of ill health as well as accelerated aging.

Adding a green food supplement to your daily diet helps to compensate for less than optimal consumption. We offer several terrific options including the popular Green Vibrance Powder and the higher protein Maximum Vibrance. Both contain good amounts of vitamin D3, plus other antioxidants, minerals, trace nutrients and fibre.

In recent decades, many people have consumed far too much omega-6 oils and too little omega-3. Unless you are eating plenty of omega-rich plant foods or a few portions of oily fish per week, you should increase your intake.

Doing so will have a beneficial impact on heart health, brain health and vision. The benefits might actually be much more extensive, particularly where inflammation and oxidative stress is concerned.

The oceans are increasingly polluted so we need to choose our fish oils carefully. That is why we stock WHC fish oils. WHC are obsessed with purity, reflected in the independent validations they have received.

There are a number of options but UnoCardio 1000 is the most popular due to its high omega-3 levels and additional vitamin D3. It has been ranked #1 by supplement aggregator Labdoor for a number of years.

There’s no easy way of saying it: we need to get the body moving if we are to enjoy good health. We do not advocate practising for a marathon, but find a way that suits your lifestyle.

Walking, jogging, cycling, five-a-side football, swimming, fitness classes, dance classes – the options are virtually endless.

Improving one’s fitness doesn’t just help with our physical health, particularly cardiovascular health; it’s also one of the best ways to improve mental wellbeing and alleviate symptoms of depression.

What’s more, exercise helps us sleep better, optimising our mental and physical energy and reducing our risk of chronic disease.

Most of us lead busy lives and consequently find it hard to ‘switch off’. This leads to increased stress levels and stress is a killer. It affects the body’s hormonal system and has very negative effects on the heart.

Yoga, mindfulness and other forms of deep relaxation will pay rich dividends. Think about it this way: if we want to go faster, we need to slow down.

Technology has many positives, but it has also brought a significant downside in increasing stress levels. We need to have a strategy to compensate for this.

Positive thinking is certainly not a panacea to all of life’s problems. However, it is true that what we think about expands in our experience.

If we want to enjoy better health, think about health rather than dwelling on disease. The mind is immensely powerful and has a major contribution to make in our wellbeing. Use it wisely.

With any luck, these suggestions will resonate with you and help move you towards your goal: optimal health. At Water for Health, we continually strive to find and supply tools which we believe can make a difference.

We want to see as many people as possible get off the treadmill of addressing disease symptoms, and take the road less travelled to deal with the root of their health problems. 

Although there are many negatives in the age we live in, there are also huge positives – one being the knowledge freely available on natural products for improved wellbeing, and the availability of good wholesome products that can make a meaningful difference.

Make the necessary lifestyle changes and you’ll never look back.