Health Ideas That Will Change Your Life

Add, don't eliminate

If sex with my exes has taught me anything, it's this: What's suddenly forbidden is also suddenly thrice as appealing. (Also yes, they probably did learn that oral sex trick from that girl they met at Union Pool...)

So, if you want to eat healthier, instead of focusing on what you can't eat, think of all the delicious good-for-you things you want to add to your diet. “Yay, let's eat more quinoa” is much more uplifting than “Wah, no more unlimited bread baskets.”

Make a nice list of healthy things you want to munch, and then fill your grocery cart with those. You will be too full of blueberries and joy to miss whatever food you're avoiding.

Pro tip: Eat before you're too hungry. I don't mean eat when you're still full, I mean eat before you're ravenous so you still have enough sense to make good choices.

Sleep

When you're well-slept, your entire universe changes. You will be less irritable. You will be less stressed. You will look and feel younger. You will be less likely to eat your feelings because your body isn't struggling to find an energy source, and also because your feelings are telling you to smile, not to conquer a jar of Nutella. I go to bed absurdly early now because the benefit it has on my life is not worth sacrificing for anything. I repeat: anything.

Pro tip: If you're trying to set an earlier bedtime for yourself, but can't seem to fall asleep, try a natural sleep aid like melatonin or kava. They're non-addictive, and once your body gets used to your new sleep sched, you won't need them.

Move

My mom is constantly sending me links to various studies all concluding the same thing: sitting for extended periods of time will kill you. Ironically, I always read these articles while sitting at my desk, and when I'm done, I get a little panicky and do a zillion jumping jacks.

Anyway, you don't have to be a total gym rat to undo the damages of sitting. Any type of movement works. Cleaning counts, as does dancing, and dancing while you're cleaning. Sex counts. Basically anything that isn't sedentary. Have a desk job like most of us? Try and get up every 20 minutes or so even if it's just to stretch.

Pro tip: Drink gobs of water so you have to pee several times an hour. Not only will your skin blossom with dewey hydration, but your bladder will act as an automatic internal timer. Okay, don't drink too too much water. A gallon a day should do it.