These days everyone is looking for ways to improve their wellness, but no student has the time to spend hours upon hours in the gym or the money to pay for a great diet plan. These are a few things that I’m doing that I believe will positively impact my overall health, and because I’m lazy, they don’t require much time, energy or money.
Green smoothies:
Let’s face it, they look disgusting. And the idea of blending kale, which is a form of cabbage, and spinach and drinking it sounds like some “Rocky racing to the top of the steps” scenario. Trust me, it’s not. I started making green smoothies for breakfast and it was one of my best decisions in a long time.
I usually avoid vegetables like the plague and my breakfast usually consists of a Nutri-grain bar as I run out of the house. Green smoothies fix both problems. I blend spinach, kale, water, and frozen fruit together and I am ready to go. The best part about green smoothies is they are legitimately filling and help curb any mid-morning hunger you may experience.
Oil pulling:
I will say it upfront: this is disgusting. It feels gross and tastes gross, but it has benefits. Oil pulling is one of those things that indigenous peoples have been doing for centuries, but us Americans caught on recently and felt really proud of ourselves for doing it. The basic gist of oil pulling is gargling with oil for 15 to 20 minutes then brushing your teeth.
The general theory behind it is that the oil pulls (hence the name) toxins from your mouth and even your body. Many people do it when they feel the onset of a cold and their symptoms disappear. I haven’t been able to do this consistently, but when I do, it makes my mouth feel a lot cleaner.
Meditation:
I started taking a deep breath. As simple as it is, when you take a deep breath you tend to realize that even though whatever problem you’re facing feels like the end of the world, it probably isn’t. And if it is the end of the world, that deep breath allows you that time to process and make sure that the way you respond won’t make the situation worse than it already is.
Started drinking more water:
I started drinking more water at the beginning of the year. I got a jug from Target for $6 that holds 56 oz. and my goal each day is to drink 1 and a half of those each day.
Drinking more water does all of the things that scientists say it’ll do for you, like making your skin feel better, helping you feel full faster and just overall being beneficial. But what scientists don’t tell you is that when you get used to drinking water, a lot of other things actually taste too sweet, which is a way that it helps you control your caloric intake.
If this list looks a little intimidating, start with just one and work your way up. I promise it will be worth it in the end.
"green-smoothie" by Joanna Slodownik, used under CC BY 2.0
