Healthy Living Tips: How to stay completely fit without expensive medicines? Know the healthy mathematics of kitchen spices and 10 easy habits

In today’s fast-paced and busy life, every person wants to keep himself completely healthy and energetic. But due to increasing mental stress, irregular daily routine, wrong eating habits and lack of physical activity, even minor health problems have become very common these days. The good thing is that living a healthy and fit life does not always require expensive medicines, exotic supplements or expensive gym memberships.

Many simple spices, natural things and some very easy habits present in the kitchen of our own home can help in keeping us away from diseases throughout our life. If we make very small and disciplined changes in our everyday life, both body and mind can be kept 100% charged. Without any further ado, let us know directly about those best habits which will always keep you fit.

1. Start the day with lukewarm water in the morning

Immediately after waking up in the morning, without eating anything, make a habit of drinking one or two glasses of lukewarm water. This simple rule immediately activates your digestive system which has been sleeping all night and removes dehydration from the body. Some people drink lemon juice or honey mixed with it for weight loss, but people who often have problems with acidity, sour belching or stomach burning, should avoid lemon and drink only plain lukewarm water.

2. Fresh home-made food: the real foundation of health and long life

The strongest foundation of good and strong health is our balanced diet.

• What should we eat: Try to eat only fresh and home-made food every day instead of canned food. Include green leafy vegetables, seasonal fruits, pulses, fibre-rich whole grains, milk, curd, cheese and protein-rich sprouts in your daily plate. All these things provide essential vitamins, minerals, proteins and essential antioxidants to the body.

• What not to eat: Completely abstain from eating excessively oily, spicy, deep-fried, packet snacks, excessively sweet and refined flour-based junk foods. Eating such unhealthy food for a long time is the main cause of serious stomach related diseases like obesity, type-2 diabetes, fatty liver, heart disease and constipation.

3. There is a treasure of medicines hidden in our kitchen.

Indian kitchen is known all over the world not only for its taste but also for its excellent natural medicinal properties:

• Turmeric: An element called ‘curcumin’ is found in it, which is effective in reducing anti-inflammatory and increasing immunity.

• Ginger and Garlic: Ginger keeps the digestion process healthy and provides relief from cough and cold in changing weather. At the same time, consuming garlic in limited quantities on an empty stomach keeps the arteries clean and is considered extremely beneficial for heart health.

• basil: It is an excellent natural antimicrobial, which protects the body from cold, cough and infection.

• Cumin, Fennel and Celery: Chewing a small amount of roasted cumin, fennel or celery after a heavy lunch or dinner provides instant relief from stomach problems like gas, acidity and indigestion.

Note: Keep in mind that all these home remedies are useful for maintaining good general health and preventing diseases, but they are not a permanent cure for any serious disease.

4. Adequate water: Natural fuel for every part of the body

About 60 to 70 percent of the human body is made up of water, so every single organ and cells of the body require adequate water to function smoothly. Drinking plenty of water removes toxins from the body, speeds up digestion and maintains a natural glow on the skin. Therefore, do not wait to feel thirsty, rather make it a rule to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water as per need throughout the day.

5. Yoga and regular exercise: Change your body in 30 minutes

Just eating good and nutritious food is not enough unless the body burns that energy properly. Take out at least 30 minutes for your body every morning or evening. If you want, you can take a brisk walk, do yoga, ride a bicycle or do any light stretching exercise.

Specially Yogasana and Pranayam (like Anulom-Vilom and Kapalbhati) make body muscles flexible, increase lung function and make mental stress disappear in a jiffy. By doing regular workouts, weight also remains completely under control.

6. 8 hours of deep sleep: The easiest way to reboot the body

Nowadays, in the digital age, people’s sleep cycle has been badly affected due to scrolling the mobile screen or working on the laptop till late night. To remain healthy and fit, it is very essential for every adult to have a deep and restful sleep of 7 to 9 hours every day. When we sleep, our body repairs internal organs (cellular repair), refreshes the brain and strengthens our immune system.

7. Mental health: A calm mind is the king of a healthy body.

Good health does not just mean a disease-free body, but your mental peace is also equally important. To avoid depression and anxiety, meditate for a few minutes every morning and practice deep breathing. Take time out from your busy schedule and spend some moments amidst nature, looking at the trees and plants. Along with this, sitting with your family members and true friends and laughing openly and sharing your thoughts works like a panacea for your mental health.

8. Give priority to seasonal and colorful fruits and vegetables

Nature has created such fruits and vegetables according to every season, which keep the immunity of our body strong in that particular season. For example, in summer and monsoon, things like mango, watermelon, papaya, apple, guava, gourd, zucchini and in winter, things like carrot, beetroot, spinach should be eaten in abundance. Try to include colorful vegetables (like red tomatoes, green peppers, purple onions, yellow capsicum) in your salads and food plates, because the body gets different types of rare vitamins and minerals from different colored foods.

9. Put a strict break on sugar and salt, take Vitamin D from morning sunlight

Consuming too much refined sugar and excessive salt have become silent killers today. Stay away from cold drinks, market sweets and packaged snacks, because these directly invite high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Along with this, to avoid pain in bones and joints, sit in light and fresh sunlight for 15 to 20 minutes every morning. This sunlight comes naturally within our body. Vitamin D Produces calcium, which is most important for absorbing calcium and making bones strong.

10. Small cleaning habits will bring big changes in your life.

Personal hygiene is the biggest weapon to avoid infectious diseases and infections. Wash hands thoroughly with soap for at least 20 seconds before eating anything and after using the bathroom. Always keep the kitchen clean and cook or eat fruits and vegetables brought from the market only after washing them thoroughly with clean water.

Additionally, always make a habit of eating food on time, always keep dinner light and have it at least 2 hours before sleeping. Stay completely away from deadly habits like cigarettes, tobacco and alcohol. If there is already a history of diabetes, BP or heart disease in your family, then after crossing the age of 30, get your routine full body checkup done once a year. This small alertness of yours will save you from having to make rounds of doctors and hospitals all your life.