1. drink a glass of water first thing in the morning Coffee is great too, but it's best to start your day rehydrating with a glass of water. Hydration first thing in the morning helps with digestion, improves skin health and provides energy.
2. go up the stairs Taking the stairs instead of the elevator is an easy way to get some physical activity into your daily life. It also strengthens and tones your legs and core while you're at it!
3. Make half of the vegetables on the plate A simple trick to healthy eating (and portion control) is to prepare half the vegetables on your plate at each meal. Vegetables contain essential vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients that are important for health and longevity. And because they're high in fiber, they help with digestion (aka keep you regular!)
4. get a fitness tracker + track your steps Using a fitness tracker (such as a Fitbit or Apple Watch) to track your steps is an easy way to make sure you get enough physical activity each day. Our goal is 10,000 steps per day, which has important benefits for both physical and mental health. The fitness tracker will also remind you to take 250 steps every hour (another important indicator of health – see tip #9!). Here are our favorite fitness tracker smartwatches of 2021.
5. switch to non-toxic household cleaners Common household cleaners are full of harmful chemical ingredients that are not good for our health (or the health of our children or pets!). Switching to healthier alternatives is a simple way to reduce exposure to environmental toxins in your home. Check out our Healthy Cleaning Guide for a full list of recommendations and what to look for when choosing safer household cleaners.
6. use non-toxic skin care + personal care products Like cleansers, conventional skin care and personal care products are formulated with toxic ingredients that we shouldn't always allow to be absorbed into our body's largest organ. Reduce your body's toxic load by switching to non-toxic personal care and beauty products (see our specific recommendations for deodorants, sunscreens and green beauty products). picture.jpg tyler-nix-Y1drF0Y3Oe0-unsplash.jpg daiga-ellaby-uooMllXe6gE-unsplash.jpg mandy-liz-6DPflZmWpnA-unsplash.jpg
7. take probiotics every day Maintaining a healthy gut has important effects on digestion, skin health, immunity, mental health and more. Taking a daily probiotic with a glass of water each morning is one of the easiest things you can do to improve your gut health (which in turn improves overall health in many ways). Learn more about the health benefits of probiotics (and all the ways to get them into your diet) and shop our favorite probiotic supplements here.
8. eat real food Try to eat real food made with whole food ingredients that you have in your kitchen pantry or that your grandmother would recognize. (Yes, this excludes most packaged foods, sorry!) It's a little different than suggesting that you only eat "healthy foods" (many of which are highly processed!). "Real food" includes unprocessed foods such as apples, cucumbers, soybeans or steak, as well as foods processed from one (or more) real food ingredients such as butter, olive oil, yogurt, tofu, etc. in words, focus on foods that can be reasonably made in your own kitchen and avoid foods that can only be made in a lab.
9. get up every 30 minutes while working Reduce the harmful effects of sitting (such as desk work) by getting up and moving around for a minute or two every half hour.
10. Get sunlight every day Vitamin D is one of the most important nutrients for overall health, and sunlight is one of our best sources. Aim for at least 30 minutes of sunshine each day – preferably in the afternoon and without sunscreen (read more here). Little sun in winter where you live? It may be worth adding a vitamin D supplement and/or other food sources of this important nutrient.
11. fill your house with houseplants Indoor plants help clean the air in the room (sadly, it probably needs it!), they're beautiful, and research shows they improve mood, creativity, and problem solving!
12. sweat every day Try to work up a sweat in some way every day – whether it's running, cycling, dancing, hot yoga or any other physical activity you enjoy. Check out our Fitness Guide for more exercise ideas as well as tips and tricks for incorporating regular physical activity into your daily life and a downloadable fitness planner that you can use to outline your own fitness routine to stay on track .
13. have a daily green smoothie Green smoothies as a snack or a simple breakfast on the go are an easy way to get your daily greens. Check out our curated list of healthy (veggie-packed!) smoothie recipes for our favorite beginner green smoothie recipe ideas.
14. work hard + be kind Enough talking!
15. Tomorrow is a positive thought "The only difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude." It's true - thinking is everything! Develop a positive mindset by identifying negative thought patterns and countering them with positive thoughts or affirmations. Here are more mental resources for positive thinking. jenna-anderson-DFIg-Mm6zHw-unsplash (1).jpg mike-marquez-Z6fFC5zVlkQ-unsplash.jpg brooke-lark-kwaP8ybRPWk-unsplash.jpg
16. get enough sleep Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night. In addition to the quantity, the quality of sleep is also important! Follow our tips for quality sleep—things like keeping your bedroom cool at night, avoiding blue light after dark, and more.
17. start your day with a healthy breakfast Start each day with fulfilling activities that set the tone for how you want to feel—whether it's inspired, relaxed, productive, or something else. Check out our list of ideas for starting a healthy morning routine to start your day off right!
18. eat a rainbow Try to eat all the colors of the rainbow every day. (Natural colors only, no skittles!) Download our free fill-in/print Eat the Rainbow daily and weekly tracker to keep track.
19. floss Floss daily for good dental health and overall health. Not only does daily flossing protect your teeth and gums, but good dental health is also important for immunity and heart health.
20. spend time alone Regular time alone helps identify and stay in touch (we all grow and change!). Only time is an opportunity to examine how you do and what you want so that you can live your most intentional life. Some people enjoy walking, hiking or running, meditating or even sunbathing as a healthy source of alone time.
