To ask those who are health conscious, what habits/routines do you have?

[MelancholicMood]

If you are particularly health conscious, what kind of habits and routines do you have?

The reason I ask is I have never been someone to put much effort into living a healthy lifestyle. My diet has been quite atrocious in the past and I am starting to make small steps to making my lifestyle healthier. I would love to know from those who already live a healthy lifestyle what kind of things run through their minds as they plan and go about their day to promote a healthy lifestyle.

Some examples of what I mean are if you have had a day of sitting around do you ensure in the evening you go for a walk/run to balance that inactivity out, etc? Do you monitor and actively aim to reduce your stress levels? Ensure you get enough fruit and veg? Do you keep up with the latest research for ways to promote longevity and healthy lifestyles? etc.

Thank you. :)

Following for some tips!

I'm not ultra health conscious but I think the best thing to ensure you do exercise is to make it part of your routine. Pre covid I used to run home from work a few times a week because I had to get home somehow anyway - now I go at the end of a work day.

Also, I think the best kind of exercise is the one you can stick with - so me for me running and cycling. HIIT sessions or whatever might actually be most effective, but I hate them and would never be motivated to carry on long term so wouldn't actually do the job!

I'm health conscious and I suppose my method is to use common sense. Processed foods are overwhelmingly shit, therefore I rarely eat them. I buy "real" food and cook 98% of my meals so I know what's in them.

Mindless snacking on crisps, chocolate, biscuits, etc is a path to disaster so I don't buy them. If I do need a snack I stick to veg, fruits or nuts. I don't drink anything aside from water and my nightly glass of red wine. Drinking sweetened rubbish is just foolish.

I don't deny myself anything if I really want it, but I also don't eat a tonne of it. Moderation is the key and works every time. I never eat until I'm full. Our systems are not made to get full, and it will just lead to chronic overeating.

I absolutely love food and the food I make is delicious, but I also know that food is not my friend. It's not for dealing with emotions or boredom.

I stay active, on my feet as much as possible. No tv during the day and I never, ever have snacks while watching tv. Once dinner is over, that's it for food for the day.

There's lots of other things, I'm sure, but those are what first springs to mind.

Only real food, home cooked that's one of my rules too
Wide variety of exercise... And large amounts of

No processed food. No sugary snacks. Exercise for ~4 hours a week. Sleep 7 hours minimum.

Sounds boring to some but I always have tonnes of energy and I had a set of bloods done recently and ‘the science’ told me I’m in tip-top shape at aged 45.

if you have had a day of sitting around do you ensure in the evening you go for a walk/run to balance that inactivity out, etc?

I get up and either go for a walk/run or go on my exercise bike for at least 20 minutes first thing every morning. Workout clothes are set out night before with a bottle of water in the fridge ready to go. I find exercising first thing helps boost my mood and energy for the rest of the day, and I'm more likely to do it than if I tell myself I'll do it later. I listen to music while running, podcasts/audio books while walking, and watch TV on my bike.

Do you monitor and actively aim to reduce your stress levels?
I need to improve on this! But exercise definitely helps with my stress levels. I have also recently started listening to some mental health podcasts while I'm walking, which have been helpful.

Ensure you get enough fruit and veg?
I have a nutribullet I use to make smoothies in the morning, which can be high in sugar, so I mostly make "green smoothies" as in main ingredient is something like spinach with a bit of strawberry or pineapple for sweetness (I use frozen veg and fruit to make it easier). Also have a soup maker than I use to make veggie soups, and batch cook stuff like veggie chilli to take to work. I try to meal plan as it saves time and money. I definitely eat enough fruit but it can be hot and miss with veg.

I keep track of how much water I've drank on my smartphone too, I can easily forget to drink all day and then wonder why I've got a massive headache.

I also recently listened to a book on audible called "atomic habits" (saw a recommendation on here), and even though it was a bit of a slow start and a lot of the concepts were common sense, I found it helpful and interesting.

I'm trying to develop some healthier habits and break some bad ones, using a habit tracker app (there's loads of free ones on the play store) on my phone to keep track of my progress, so far it's going okay apart from the "be in bed by midnight" one .

Thank you for the replies, they are so interesting and helpful.

I think I need to try and cut out processed foods. I have made a start during lockdown and I now cook from scratch probably 80% of my meals now. However I still eat things like crisps with my lunch which I don't really need and could probably cut out.

I have also started doing yoga and am two weeks into a 30 day challenge and I have really been enjoying it. It's the longest I have ever stuck with an exercise plan. I know it is not the most exertive exercise there is but as a PP mentioned it's better to do something you enjoy and will stick to rather than force yourself to do something like HIIT that you don't enjoy.

I will look up atomic habits and habit trackers, it sounds interesting. Thank you. :)

I run 5 days a week, whatever the weather! (Unless it’s snowing then I do a HIIT YouTube video instead). This is no longer a chore for me, it’s such a habit I don’t even think about - just get up and do it before breakfast.

I stretch and spend some time breathing properly before bed (I guess some people would call this yoga and meditation but I’ve never been to a class or anything). Keeps me supple, injury free, anxiety free and sleeping well.

I’ve cut out processed foods. And I feel a million times better since I have. Takes more time to plan and cook, as there aren’t many quick fixes when avoiding processed stuff, but when you’ve been doing it for a couple of months, it becomes second nature and you think of options more quickly (including very tasty ones!)

By the way I’m never hungry. I pre-prepare lots of snacks and eat large portions at meal times, but it’s all whole foods and so good for you. (Just try to stay away from the maple syrup - the main unhealthy whole food!)