10 Unavoidable Adult Things You Need to Stay Healthy
This post was sponsored by Nature Made® as a part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central.
As you age, there are certain things you need to stay healthy. Gone are the days when you could completely neglect your body by eating whatever junk you want without consequence as a teenager. When you get older, you have to put in work to actually stay healthy. Crazy right? With that being said, there are some things that you may have once considered being optional that are now mandatory.
1. Eat Breakfast
You’ve heard the saying “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” enough that it has probably lost its meaning at this point. But the reality is that if you skip breakfast, it could lead to some other consequences. You could lack in energy at work which could affect your overall performance. You could be starving by 10 am which sucks when you still have a couple more hours before lunch and by the time you eat you scarf down ANYTHING. Since you ate terribly unhealthy food for lunch and after repeating this process for several months you begin to wonder why you started packing on the pounds. But my primary motivation for eating breakfast is that it is my opportunity to get the day right. Begin with a protein rich breakfast and make good food choices for the rest of the day. For me eating breakfast is one of those things you need to stay healthy.
2. Drink Enough Water
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Drinking enough water has a bigger impact on your body than you may realize. When you have enough water, it improves your skin, hair, and nails. Drinking enough water helps you sleep better and also helps you release any water weight. Drinking water also helps curb your appetite temporarily. Not to mention being hydrated means you go to the bathroom more regularly keeping your organs functioning well. If you are wondering how much you should drink, the answer is drink between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh.
3. Pay Attention to Food Labels
Believe it or not, everything is not what it seems on the packaging. For example, if you buy wheat bread and the first ingredient on the label is “enriched flour” then this bread is not any healthier than white bread. If you buy a wheat bread, and the first ingredient is “Whole wheat flour” then you are actually buying something healthy. It sucks that the packaging can be so deceptive, but it’s the world we live in. Check the labels, you may be surprised what ingredients are in your food.
4. Go to The Doctor (And not just when you are sick)
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As an adult, you should have regular physicals and pap smears, make sure you are up to date with your shots and get a flu shot every year. This is the best way to continue your preventative care for your body. If you are regularly inspecting your body and taking care of yourself if you do get seriously sick, you can hopefully detect it early enough to be taken care of. Yes going to the doctor can seem like a chore, but it is needed. Since you are legally required to have health insurance in the U.S., why let your hard-earned health insurance coverage go to waste?
5. Take Your Vitamins
While we are encouraged by the doctor to take multivitamins, I am a huge fan of just taking individual supplements for what my body needs. I like taking Milk thistle for healthy Kidney function, St. John’s wort for positive mood (especially during that time of the month) and Super B-Complex for Energy. Thanks to NatureMade for having such a wide variety of supplements to choose from. I recently learned that they are the nation’s #1 best-selling brand of quality vitamins, minerals and supplements* to help support nutritional gaps. I went right to Walmart to get them pretty affordable. Want to win your own supplements? Sign up for the contest below!
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6. Get Enough Sleep
Hopefully, you are done pulling all nighters now that you are out of college and realize how important sleep really is. The average adult in their 20’s and 30’s should get 7-9 hours of sleep per night. So if you are missing the mark, you should understand some of the symptoms you’ve been experiencing including:
- forgetfulness
- saggy skin
- inability to concentrate
- lack of sex drive
- impaired judgement
- weight gain
Losing sleep consistently is no laughing matter. Check out this video by one of my favorite YouTube channels ASAPScience as they describe what happens to your body if you stopped sleeping altogether.
7. Exercise
You have to exercise. Exercise does not have to be going to the gym and getting on a treadmill. It can be walking in your neighborhood, going kayaking with friends or just taking a hike. Make it something you enjoy because there are so many benefits to exercising including but not limited to:
- Reducing stress
- improving self-confidence
- sharpening memory
- boosting brainpower
- tap into your creativity
- prevent cognitive decline
Oh and exercise is a great way to shape up. Did I mention that? Everyone goes into exercise with the goal of losing weight in mind when in reality, most weight loss comes from what you eat. Yes, you can lose weight with exercise, but focus on the many other benefits of exercise. There are many reasons to do it. And it can be fun!
8. Go to the Dentist
I hate going to the dentist. Let me just say that outright. Since I lived in a different place every year for four years in college, it was always hard to get regular maintenance done to my teeth for those years, and I am literally paying for it now. The reality is, tooth pain is horrible. I have gone to the dental emergency room more than once, and it sucks. Do yourself a favor and get your teeth cleaned every year and get your cavities filled before they become bigger problems. This is not optional.
9. Eat Your Veggies
Speaking of preventative care, eating enough veggies and fruits is the best way to prevent yourself from eating other bad junk foods during the day and also give you much needed flavonoids you just don’t get from other foods. Flavanoids are a diverse group of phytonutrients (plant chemicals) found in almost all fruits and vegetables. These chemicals are linked to several health benefits. For example did you know that Kale helps relieve Hay fever and that blueberries helped with diabetes and heart disease prevention? There are many benefits of eating fruits and veggies so eat em!
10. Take Some You Time
Lastly, but surely not least, you need to take a little time to yourself. Give yourself the opportunity to completely “turn-off” and recuperated to give the next day your best. I suck at this, and I pay for it every few months. We all get a little overwhelmed sometimes and having a chance to have a little you time is one of those things you need to stay healthy as an adult.
I hope these tips help you understand the things you need to stay healthy as an adult. It all seems to change overnight one day when the things you neglect become a necessity. Stay on top of your game and you can potentially feel as good as you do in your 20’s in your 30’s 40’s 50′ and on!
*Based in part on data reported by Nielsen through its Scantrack Service for the Vitamins Category for the 52-week period ending 9/26/2015, for the xAOC, FDM, and FM Markets. Copyright © 2015 Nielsen.
Sources:
How Much Water Should You Drink?
13 Awesome mental health benefits of exercise
