50 ways to be healthier

If the costly health advice and recommendations you see in adverts and in clinics is making you sick, rejoice: there is a better way.

While many conditions can only be treated with prescribed or over-the-counter medicine, you can maintain the general health of yourself and your family very cheaply with common sense and a number of easily-achievable health ‘hacks.’

Many of them are just good habits that we tend to lose along the way. Things like washing your hands before meals, wearing sunscreen, and eating a proper breakfast, can all fall by the wayside amidst a busy lifestyle. But you are far less likely to fall sick with flu or a stomach bug if you take a moment with the soap and hot water before preparing or eating a meal. And you’re less likely to pass on bacteria that you don’t even know you’re carrying.

Other solutions come with taking better advantage of nature’s bounty. Drink a glass or two of water before you do anything else in the morning. This can reduce your blood pressure, make you calmer, and discourage you from snacking on unhealthy treats throughout the day. Use cinnamon in your coffee instead of sugar, and you can still enjoy a (almost) guilt-free swoosh of caffeine without piling on the calories.

And beyond the realm of food and drink, never underestimate the healing power of the sun. Remembering, of course, the importance of that sunscreen while subjecting yourself to the sun’s rays, make sure to get plenty of time in direct daylight each day. Opening the curtains when you wake up and have breakfast can help to regulate your internal clock. A properly calibrated inner clock is essential for your physical and mental well-being! You might even consider leaving your curtains open when you go to bed at night, so you’re woken up naturally by the sunrise in the morning.

(Disclaimer: don’t try this in Norway or you’ll never get up.)

Other evening-time tricks for a better way of life include taking a hot bath and leaving your work phone hidden away.

A warm bath will help you to sleep better. And good sleep makes you healthier, happier, and slimmer, and may help you to live longer! But working beyond your work hours will raise your stress levels, and actually, make you less productive in the long run.

And here’s a simple one: change your bedding! Your whole family will benefit from clean sheets once or twice a week. Bacteria, dust mites, and viruses can all dwell in an unclean duvet or pillowcase. Oils and residues from hygiene products and outside air gather on your sheets, where they can irritate your skin or clog your pores.

 Besides, don’t you find that it’s much cozier and easier to sleep on freshly laundered bed linen? You know what better sleep is good for…

 It’s a lot to think about, and there’s always another change you and your family can make to improve your health. So the people at NetCredit have gathered 50 of the best free health tips into this fine new infographic. How many will you try tomorrow?