After a long day of work, I can climb onto the couch and plan for the rest of the week.
You need to reduce your time on social media, but it’s also good to stay connected with long distance friends. I need to drink water regularly, but does my tap water have endocrine disruption chemicals? Eating leftovers rather than restaurant meals is healthier, but you should not store food in plastic as you need to reduce exposure to microplastics. I hate running, but I should give it a try. Does that carrot salad, which influencers like, really make a big difference to my nutrition?
What do you do as a wellness writer?
If I’m overwhelmed by all the ways to improve wellness, and that’s my job – I’m sure you can do that too. This is what I learned about finding balance.
One of the most valuable advice I received regarding wellness is the “first one.”
When reading research on health effects, it’s fascinating to look for ways to cut sugar and salt from your diet. But then I remind myself to focus on the most pressing thing.
Do I eat enough? Do you sleep well? Have I got some good moves in my time? Have you ever seen friends or family?
If the answer to those things is no or not, there’s nothing else that matters to me.
It’s better to make sure I’m eating a nourishing diet rather than drawing calories or content. It is better to sleep in peace and in good health than to stress all night long about microplastics. It’s better to spend time laughing with people I care about rather than sitting in a room filled with red light panels.
These are more than just my personal priorities. Regular exercise, good sleep and a balanced, plant-based diet have been consistently shown to be consistently important in a healthy, long lifespan. And more evidence points out that the quality of social connection is also an important aspect of longevity. (My colleagues wrote those stories.)
Once these basic foundations are covered, you and I can move on to fine-tune the nutrition, exercise, products and wellness practices that make up our lives.
Let’s say you have almost managed those essential aspects of your life and you are ready to get details of your health. Making changes often takes time, effort and money.
Many of the products commonly found in the home have many studies that contain potentially dangerous chemicals, such as PFA and endocrine disintegration chemicals.
The class of chemicals known as PFAS, or Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substances, is sometimes referred to as “eternal chemicals” because they do not completely decompose in the environment and are commonly found in household products. According to the Endocrine Society, they are endocrine disintegrating chemicals.
Chemicals in the PFAS category are associated with cancer, endocrine-related conditions, and developmental delays in children.
It may not be realistic to remove everything in your home and start from scratch. Instead, find a way to make reasonable changes that could have a big impact.
Finding a good water filter, for example, is one step that can address endocrine disruption chemicals, PFAs and other potential contaminants.
The Environmental Working Group also has a tap water database. This allows people to search for drinking water quality in their postal code and use a water filtration guide to select the system that suits them. NSF (formerly the National Foundation for Health) also has a list of recommended filters.
If you want to change your personal care or other home products, start with something you don’t particularly have an obsession, says Dr. Alexa Friedman, a senior scientist in the Healthy Living Team at the Environmental Working Group, in a previous article.
Because Friedman has curly hair, she prefers certain shampoos and conditioners, but she said there are other personal care products that may not notice that much loss when switching to someone with lower levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals.
Many reputable online databases are open to the public and search for safer personal care products, such as SkinsafeProducts.com, developed by allergists and dermatologists in the Environmental Working Group, says Dr. Michael Bloom, a professor of global and community health at George Mason University, Public Health at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.
Nutrition and exercise are other wellness categories, and the rich and excellent guidance creates many ways to make you feel overwhelmed.
How do you eat it? Focusing on lean proteins such as plants, healthy fat sources, whole grains, fish, nuts and legumes, Mediterranean diets have consistently been ranked as one of the healthiest dietary patterns and are associated with many health benefits.
Research also shows the importance of reducing sodium and sugar for a longer lifespan that is less risky for chronic disease.
How do it move? Similarly, exercise is associated with improved mental health, lower risk of cognitive decline, and reduced chronic disease.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults should receive at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity and two days of strength training per week.
But if all you can do now is thousands of more steps, ten minutes of exercise, or even more beans in your day, then those are good places to get started, experts say.
How to create a habit. According to a 2017 survey, the most sustainable way to change diet and exercise habits is to do so in slow, manageable steps.
Katie Milkman, Professor James G. Dinan at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, add something on your day and you can wrestletter in the short term, but it’s not a good strategy for long-term change.
But good habits and established routines can help you make the choices you are trying to stick to, Milkman previously pointed out.
Instead of discarding all your habits and starting from scratch, try adding a small amount of health promotion behavior to what you already do.
As for me, I plan to continue adding it to my small exercise routine next week. And I promise to come back and continue to share small changes that could make a huge difference.
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