Small changes can lead to big improvements. As you will see with the examples below, you can better your health – and life – with changes that take less than 60 seconds to do.
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Portion control
To control overeating, use blue placemats and small blue plates. The color blue decreases your appetite. The colors yellow and red make you hungry, which is why most fast food chains have yellow and red logos. A smaller plate will make you eat smaller portions.
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Short intense workouts
Practice a series of intense one-minute workouts every other day. For example, pedal on a bike as hard as you can for 60 seconds, rest, and repeat nine more times. These short intense workouts boost heart function and provide significant improvements to health and fitness when done regularly.
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Floss twice a day
Not only is flossing good for your mouth, it also helps your heart. Harvard researchers found a relationship between gum disease and bacteria that can cause blood clots and heart attacks.
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Sleep in darkness
Even the smallest lights can disrupt your sleep. A lot of today’s technology has LED lights that constantly stay on. Remove those objects from your room, if possible. Another option is to cover the LED lights with tape.
A recent study found that exposure to dim light not only disrupted sleeping, it caused mice to gain 50% more weight.
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Plan ahead
Before going to bed, write down the things you have to do the following day. Then when you wake up in the morning, use this as your “to do” list. Studies show people are more likely to reach their goals when they write them down. This simple habit provides clarity and organization to today’s busy world.
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Have a texting buddy
As distracting as texting may be, studies have shown people are more likely to quit bad habits when they received supportive text messages.
If you share a common goal with a friend, use texting to keep each other motivated. Consider texting as just another way to communicate with someone else. You could even create a texting group if you know more than one person who shares your goals.
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Focus on your breath
We recently shared a post about three meditative practices that take you less than five minutes to do. The benefits of meditation far exceed the amount of time and effort it takes to meditate.
It’s the little things that matter
Sometimes creating positive change takes years. Sometimes it takes weeks. And sometimes, it takes less than a minute for you to create a change in your lifestyle that improves your health.
At Carolina Natural Health, we’re all about making the positive and holistic changes that improve your health and wellness. Please call us to find out how we can help you. The number here is (704) 708-4404.
You can also email info@carolinasnaturalhealth.com to get in touch.
Remember: never stop making changes – both big and small – toward improving your health.
Photo Credit: JD Hancock
