With so much health and nutrition information out there today many of us have made some healthy tweaks to our lifestyle. Whether it’s cutting back on sugar, eating less refined food, or exercising more, as we become aware of new information we tend to adapt and modify our behaviours so we can live healthier lives.

Today we share with you some of the top tips for kicking your already healthy habits up to the next level to continue improving your health and wellness.

  • If you already drink water each day why not kick it up to half your body weight in ounces each day to hydrate, prevent premature aging, reduce pain and headaches, lessen hypertension and promote weight loss.

  • If you already like salads and leafy greens why not aim for at least one big bowl a day. Dark leafy greens like kale, collards, swiss chard, spinach and bok choy are chocked full of vitamins and minerals which help to promote a healthy gut, strengthen our circulatory and respiratory systems and build bone strength.

  • If you are already cutting back on white flour and refined grains, why not take the leap and eliminate gluten all together. Gluten causes inflammation in the body and can lead to serious health conditions. The New England Journal of Medicine lists 55 different diseases that can be caused by eating gluten. If you have digestive issues gluten might be the culprit.

  • If taking an omega 3 fish oil is already part of your daily routine, why not boost your intake of these essential fatty acids by adding sardines to your diet. Omega-3s help to reduce inflammation throughout the body and are good for heart health and other conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, depression, asthma, prenatal health, Alzheimer’s and depression. Sardines are one of the only sources of fully formed omega 3 fatty acids.

  • If beating the sugar blues is already a priority why not amp things up by replacing refined sugars with sweet vegetables and fruit for sweetness.

  • If you’ve already switched from cow’s milk to almond, rice or soy milk why not go all the way and eliminate dairy from your diet. Nutritional research by T. Colin Campbell has conclusively linked casein, the protein in dairy, to cancer growth. In fact he states that casein is very likely the most relevant chemical carcinogen we consume.

  • If you occasionally pop into your local farmers market to pick up some seasonal veggies, why not support local farmers on a more regular basis by participating in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. You sign up and pay to receive weekly boxes of fresh, local, organic produce that is either delivered or picked up at a central location.

  • If you already compost kitchen and table scraps why not make further use of the veggie peelings by making homemade veggie broth. Keep all your peelings in a big freezer bag and when it’s full put the peelings and scraps in a big pot, cover with water and boil for a couple of hours. Strain the peelings and scraps and voila, you have homemade veggie broth ready for soups, stews and casseroles.

  • If you are already noticing the negative impacts of sugar and processed foods in your life — why not try a whole foods whole body cleanse to really kick the addiction once and for all. Cleansing can be done in many different ways but a whole foods cleanse of just fruit and veggies for one to three weeks can really start to eliminate all the toxins built up in our system from years of processed foods and sugar.

Source: thechronicleherald.ca