10 Simple Swaps to Improve Your Health

You’re probably in a rush right now, wondering who has the time to change their lifestyle or the patience to abstain from the luxuries they enjoy? The pace of modern life barely seems to allow for healthy living! Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be the case, and by swapping certain elements rather than completely altering your lifestyle, you will be amazed at how much your life can improve. Check out these 10 quick tips:

1. Swap the Office Chair for an Exercise Ball
The evolution of the body is yet to catch up with the threat of endless hours straining over a desk, which is why you need to give it a fighting chance. One highly recommended option is to use an exercise ball as a chair because they keep the lower body engaged, realign your spine, and can even burn a few extra calories throughout the day.

2. Swap the Dinner for a More Active Date
Going out for a big meal with loads of drinks or watching a film with a huge tub of popcorn isn’t exactly the ideal definition of fitness, which is why you should surprise your date by suggesting something more interesting, such as ice skating, miniature golf, or even a romantic hike. These physically active options are not only fun, but they will also impress your date with just how uniquely exciting you are.

3. Swap the Forks for Chopsticks
Eating too fast has been linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome, which means a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes. Force yourself to slow down by learning how to master the chopsticks, allowing your stomach to work at much easier pace, while you’ll look very fancy with your proficient East Asian skills.

4. Swap Couch Gaming for Exergaming
Keep playing your video games, but do so in the name of health! Connect up your Wii Fit or Just Dance and then jump around the living room, shaking those calories right off of your body. You will still experience that rewarding sense of achievement as you reach new levels and unlock bonus content, except in these games, the achievement is actually real.

5. Swap Rubbing for Patting Yourself Dry
After a shower, your warm damp skin is at its prime level for absorbing moisture, including any creams or oils you should be applying. However, if you’re rubbing yourself dry, you are eradicating these moisture benefits while risking a skin irritation. Be kind to your outer surface and pat yourself dry with a clean towel, preferably one which is extra soft and fluffy.

6. Swap Butter for Avocado
While the butter health debate rages on, rather tune out by venturing down the avocado path. You will consume around a quarter the number of calories, all saturated fats are replaced by the good fats, and you’ll receive an additional 20 vitamins and minerals for good measure. It also tastes much better, some may say.

7. Swap the Television for a Book
Of course, it’s far easier to collapse on the couch and turn your brain off by turning your TV on, but a book engages with much deeper regions of your mind, stimulating your imagination by playing the story in your head and improving your overall language skills at the same time. Not to mention that a book will also help you fall asleep in a snap.

8. Swap Driving for Walking or Cycling
This may be a difficult order for some people, but if you can ride your bike to work instead of using a car or a train, give it a try! You may find you arrive at your destination much faster as you skip traffic and take shortcuts, all the while burning your calories, upping your heart rate, and breathing in so much fresh air that you won’t even need your morning coffee.

9. Swap Beer for Wine
As much as certain people consider beer to be a holy beverage, it’s worth noting that the term “beer belly” exists for a reason. The carbohydrates in this drink are infamous for halting the fat burning process, which is interesting when comparing these figures to the relatively low carbs and sugar content in wine (dry white or red). Of course, to reach the maximum health level it is good to limit alcohol intake overall.

10. Swap Salad Dressings for Balsamic Vinegar or Olive Oil
Nothing says “healthy salad” quite like a bottle of goo loaded with saturated fat, sodium, and sugar. Stop! Clear out your fridge of such detrimental condiments and replace them with some balsamic vinegar and/or olive oil, which work together to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, using vitamin K, vitamin E, and healthy unsaturated fats, all to bless your meal with love.

This a guest blog entry.