5 Easy Lifestyle Changes to Improve Your Health

Everyone should take a proactive approach towards improving their health and wellness -- something that's actually easier to achieve than you may realize. Here are some simple lifestyle changes that can yield big improvements in your health.

Go Out with Friends

Don't underestimate the importance of keeping in touch with friends. Not only is it fun to go out with your friends, but it could even improve your health. As explained in this article published by Harvard University,

Watch Less TV

How much time do you spent watching TV? According to a recent study, the average American watches more than five and a half hours of programming per day. There's nothing wrong with catching up on your favorite show, but you should avoid prolonged hours of inactivity. Perhaps you can limit yourself to watching just an hour of TV per day, while spending the remaining time outdoors.

Cut Back on Sweets

You can also improve your health by cutting back on sweets. Fruits are perfectly fine when consumed in moderation, but it's the processed foods with refined sugar that you need to watch out for. Refined sugar suppresses the immune system, increasing the risk of infectious illness and disease. Furthermore, it contributes to diabetes and obesity. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting your daily consumption of refined sugar to 25 grams for women or 37.5 grams for men.

Get More Sleep

Some 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). When you don't get enough sleep, it can adversely affect your health in several ways. For starters, you'll wake the following morning feel tires and fatigued. More so, your body won't have the energy to fend off foreign invaders, meaning you'll get sick more often.

Relax

Stress can wreak havoc on the body, increasing production of stress hormones like cortisol while throwing off the body's natural metabolism. While it's nearly impossible to avoid all forms of stress, you should strive to minimize stress in your daily life. Performing meditation or deep breathing exercises are two quick and easy ways to relieve stress. Some people have also reported success using acupuncture and massage therapy to relieve stress.

These are just a few simple lifestyle changes you can make to improve your health.