good things you can do for your body

Meditation may seem like a passing trend, but the newly popular practice touts some serious health benefits.Om ing is optional, but regularly taking 10 20 minutes to unwind and focus on yourself is one of the greatest secrets to longevity. Meditation is going to help with stress reduction,better sleep, lower blood pressure, improved immunity, and improved cardiovascular function, says Kerry Bajaj, a certified health coach at the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City. Its also going to make you feel much better because youre disconnecting from all the stimulation of life.

Its no secret that most hard working guys are sleep deprived, but just because its common does not mean its OK. Sleep makes or breaks a healthy lifestyle. All that time and effort you spend eating right and working out wont be as effective and your physique will actually be harder to maintain if youre not getting seven to eight hours a night. Catching up on sleep on the weekends wont work either. Research from Rochester University suggests that insufficient sleep disrupts our brains ability to flush toxins from the body and as a result, can impair brain function. So, when you show up for work after a bad night s sleep and you re unable to focus on anything thats why.

Drink warm water with lemon

Drink more tea. Just do it. Aside from water, tea might be the best beverage for your body. Research published in theEuropean Journal of Clinical Nutritionshows that regular consumption of green tea can improve memory and cognition in men. Green tea is also credited with a host of other health boosting benefits, like firing up yourmetabolism, lowering blood pressure, preventing bad breath, boosting immunity, and acting as an anti inflammatory agent.

Flossing wont just make your pearly whites brighter, the habit will improve your health on a much deeper level. If your gums get infected, the bacteria in your mouth can enter the bloodstream and lead to inflammation throughout the body, says Bajaj.

Check in with your gut a healthy digestive system is often seen as the window to your overall health. One way to boost good gut bacteria and keep things running smoothly: take a daily probioticsupplement. Probiotics help with digestion, and theyre good for your immunity, says Bajaj. Fixing the balance of good bacteria in the gut can even improve your mood. A lot of our serotonin is actually produced in the gut, so theres a big connection between whats happening in the gut and how we feel.

Static stretching before aworkoutdoesnt do your body much good. In fact, research from Stephen F. Austin State University found that exercisers who did static stretching before lifting had impaired strength compared to those who performed a dynamic warm up, a muscle warming routine that includes moves like walking lunges and high skips. Get in the habit of performing a dynamic warmup before any kind of workout and you ll not only enhance your performance, but also help prevent injury.

According to research from Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Birmingham, high intensity interval training (HITT) can result in the same benefits as those you get from endurance training but you ll spend a hell of a lot less time in the gym. While breaking a sweat of any kind is vital, HIIT improves your fitness while also fighting heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes.

BPA stands for Bisphenol A, a chemical used to produce many common household products, like water bottles and food cans. In recent years, the compound s effects on health and human development have generated quite a bit of controversy, and for good reason. Research has found links between exposure to BPA and reproductive disorders, diabetes, andcardiovascular disease. While the FDA reports evidence on both sides of the debate, its better to be safe than sorry. Purchase typically canned items, like tomatoes, in glass containers instead, and if youre sticking with plastic containers, check for a recycle code of 3 or 7 on the bottom those may be made with BPA.

Your skin is your largest organ, so youve got to take care of it like you would any other part of your body. That means applying sunscreen daily and being picky about the products you use. Look at your hair and skincare products, and clean up those products so youre not putting chemicals on your skin, advises Bajaj. Check labels for Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate, and toss products that contain these compounds. Sulfates not only strip your hair and skin of necessary moisture and protective barriers, but they also become toxic when combined with other ingredients commonly found in skincare products.