health

Cheat sheet: 5 easy ways to improve your health almost instantly.

For those of you who can’t wait for health and fitness results, Nat has created a cheat sheet for almost instant health improvements.

 

 

 

 

 

Want to know how to improve your health and fitness? And do it quickly?

Honestly, it can be hard. When you’re working on your health and fitness, true results take time to develop. And that can be really frustrating, especially if you don’t have a lot of time or if you’re just plain impatient.

Personally? I’m impatient as hell. If I’m doing something, I want to notice a difference just about immediately. Otherwise I’m bound to get bored and take up another (probably unhealthy) hobby. Like eating my way through every flavour of ice-cream available at the local supermarket.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Faulding Probiotics. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100 per cent authentic and written in their own words.

So with fellow impatient people in mind, I’ve created the below. A cheat sheet of five ways to improve your health – and do so almost instantly.

Have a read…

1.  Start taking a probiotic.

Probiotics are, without a doubt, the biggest thing that have made a difference to my health – and they work very quickly and effectively to keep your digestive system happy. It’s because they’re made up of a whole bunch of good bacteria (25 million, in fact), otherwise known as intestinal microflora.

Essentially, if you’ve ever had stomach problems of any kind – diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome, general tummy unhappiness – probiotics can work towards maintaining a healthy digestive function as they rebalance any bacteria levels that have been disrupted. They’re especially good to take after using antibiotics, as they’ll restore healthy digestive function. Alternatively, they’re also excellent if you’re suffering from diarrhoea or a compromised immune system.

As well as supporting your digestive system, they’re incredible for your general well-being. Which is why I’ve been taking them for years, ever since I went to Mexico at the age of 15 on a family holiday and just about ruined my digestive system with a dodgy taco.

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That said, up until very recently, the great majority of probiotics needed to be refrigerated, making them really inconvenient, annoying and difficult to remember.

These days, thanks to the brilliance that is called science, you can buy probiotics in powder form, to sprinkle on your cereal. You can buy kid’s versions for your little ones, whatever you prefer. And everything’s available at your local chemist.

2. Drink a glass of lemon water to start your day.

The benefits of lemon water can include kick starting your digestive system, boosting your immune system and balancing your PH levels.

I was sceptical about this when I first read about it. How much can you really benefit from drinking a glass of warm water with half a lemon squeezed into it, first thing in the morning, every morning?

It turns out… it can change your life, and your health, quite significantly. Claimed benefits vary wildly – apparently it helps to kick start your digestive system for the day, boosts your immune system, energises you and can also balance your PH levels.

Personally, I’ve been stoked with the way that I never get annoying coughs or colds when I’m drinking a lemon juice every day, first thing in the morning, before I crack out the peanut butter and toast.

3. Have a green smoothie every day.

And pop HEAPS of veggies in there, so that you can get a super-decent serving of your daily required fruits and veggies in one delicious hit. Make sure you make a tasty smoothie and have it with your breakfast, or sip on it throughout the afternoon. Your body will thank you for it – you’ll immediately feel more nourished and wholesome.

4. Take up yoga.

It can take a long time before you start feeling the benefits of a particular sport or fitness class. But I find that even after just one yoga class, I feel immediately refreshed and restored, like I’ve had time to step off the never-ending rat race of daily life and get back in touch with what’s most important. My health.

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The same goes for just about anything that’s relaxing and prompts a bit of reflective thinking and mindfulness. Meditation, tai chi, body balance – or even simply going for a walk in the park, or along the beach – can do wonders in restoring you to a healthier mindset and taking your mind off the things in life that really, really aren’t worth stressing about.

Try committing to just one super early night a week.

5. Go to bed earlier.

I know it’s pretty much impossible to commit to an earlier bedtime every night. There’s simply not enough hours in the day to get everything done, and before you know it, you’re crawling into bed after midnight. For the fifth night in a row.

But why not commit to picking just one night a week where you go to bed super early? Just one night, when there’s nothing good on TV and nobody really wants to do anything. Get the kids in bed if need be. Have dinner at 6:30. And then get yourself tucked up and ready to go by, say, 9pm.

Mamamia writer Jo Abi told me last week that she’s committed herself – and her three children – to going to bed at 8:30pm every Wednesday night. “I have woken up feeling like I’ve had 3 green juices, a workout and a super-strength multi-vitamin. Never underestimate the power of sleep!” she told me on Thursday morning. Well said, Jo. Well said.

At the end of the day, there are a thousand different things you can do to improve your health and fitness. And some of them are far more time consuming than others.

If I had to pick just one of the above on a daily basis, it would be my probiotic. I feel the difference if I start skipping them, and they’re so simple to take – I just pop a tablet in my mouth first thing in the morning, right after brushing my teeth.

 

What do you do when you feel like you need to kick start your health?

 

Faulding® Probiotics 4 Kids contains 13.5 billion good bacteria which helps to support gastrointestinal health in toddlers (1 year and over) and children. There are various factors which can throw out the balance of bacteria in your gut, one of those being antibiotics, which can kill both good and bad bacteria. Faulding® Probiotics 4 Kids helps to maintain a healthy balance of healthy microflora which can be beneficial during, or post antibiotic administration.

Faulding® Probiotics 4 Kids are live nonpathogenic micro-organisms administered to improve microbial balance, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract.

• Supports the immune system

• Supports gastrointestinal health of toddlers and children

• Helps to maintain a healthy balance of healthy mircoflora, which is beneficial after antibiotic administration

• Helps in the maintenance of general well-being

Faulding® Probiotics 4 Kids comes in a powder format so is easy to administer to children. It can be sprinkled on food, cereal, yoghurt and also mixed in with smoothies or other drinks. This product is free from dairy, gluten, lactose, artificial colours, flavours and preservatives, sugar, wheat, peanuts and animal products.