Being healthy is so much more than eating a nutritious diet and incorporating an hour of activity into your daily routine. Finding a balanced lifestyle that benefits both your mind and body are crucial to achieving optimal health. Personally, I love finding new health and wellness tools that make me feel like I am being kind to my mind and body, so I decided to share some of my favorites with my fellow wellness-obsessed peers.
1. Dry brushing
Eliminating toxins is probably the most important thing that you can do for your body. You do this through many bodily functions, but your skin is the organ that detoxifies the most. Your skin receives a third of the blood that your body makes in order to carry out daily functions. By dry brushing, you are stimulating your body's lymphatic system to detoxify quicker and on a larger scale. It also helps with exfoliating skin, reducing cellulite, and improving blood circulation
2. Chlorophyll drops
Chlorophyll is another remedy that works wonders with detoxifying the body. You may recognize chlorophyll from science class, as we all learned that it is the green pigment in plants that helps create energy during photosynthesis. While we may not need it for those reasons, it provides humans with several other benefits. These include fighting cancer, liver detoxification, speeding up wound healing, skin protection, and digestion benefits. It also doesn't taste like anything, which is a huge plus since most health-infused drops are hard to get down.
3. Oil diffuser
Essential oils are some of my favorite things to use because they serve so many purposes. For example, eucalyptus oil is great for respiratory and cold problems, lavender oil works wonders for skin issues and sleep, peppermint oil helps with acne, stress, and indigestion, and tea tree oil is antiseptic as well as antiviral. Diffusing oils into your living space can be amazing for relaxing and benefitting from all these oils have to offer. My favorite thing to do is put them on while I sleep and let them work their magic overnight!
4. Eye masks for sleeping
In case you didn't already know, sleeping is so important for your health, as it gives your body time to rejuvenate and revive from your long day. In our digital world, our eyes and brains are constantly stimulated by the kinds of lights that our devices use. Due to this, it is often hard to get a nights sleep that is actually restful. Using an eye mask while you sleep with tune out any distractions, such as phones, that may interrupt your ability to sleep. It will also allow your body to wake up naturally, instead of by light sneaking in through the windows.
5. Coconut oil
Coconut oil is all the rage right now because it can truly be used for everything! Whether it be cooking, hair and skin care, or teeth whitening, having a jar of coconut oil in your home is vital. My favorite uses of coconut oil are using it as a hair mask when the ends of my hair are dull and dehydrated. I also got into oil pulling for a little bit which made my teeth noticeably whiter. It is also a great alternative for anyone trying to cut down on unhealthy oil intake.
6. Journaling
In the past year or so, journaling has become one of the things that have kept me sane. It helps me stay organized, allows me to be creative, and helps to clear my mind of anxieties. Whether it be a to-do list, a doodle or me spilling out my emotions, writing things down on paper helps me visualize what is consuming my mind. It helps me so much with being able to pinpoint why I'm feeling anxious or down, as well as ensuring that I keep all of my responsibilities in order.
7. Warm drinks in the morning
One of the first things I do in the morning is chug a big glass of water. However, I have only recently discovered the damages that ice cold liquids can do to the digestive system. Drinking warm liquids such as tea or water helps wake up your digestive system by tightening your intestines, which is vital to move things along. Warm drinks are also relaxing which helps with loosening muscles, blood flow and in turn, detoxification. On the other hand with cold drinks, the body panics as it instantly scrambles to regulate its temperature and metabolism.
8. Do something creative
Something that being in college has taught me is the importance of creativity. One of my professors said to my class, "Creativity is a muscle- the more you use it the stronger it gets." Taking time out of your day to do something involving art and creativity will build your brain in a way that is different than how being in class or work does. It will challenge your brain to work in different ways, encourage mindfulness, and make you take some fun time for yourself each day.
9. Matcha or tea, instead of coffee
I've experimented a lot with my diet in the past couple years, and I've learned that my body really does not like caffeine- specifically the venti iced coffees I was downing during finals week. I found that I became super jittery, anxious and unable to focus whenever I would drink coffee. However, I am not Superwoman and I definitely need an energy pick-me-up every once in a while. That's why I love matcha and different teas, my favorite is green tea. While these drinks do include mild amounts of caffeine, I find them to be both relaxing and energizing to drink. They are also filled with health benefits and don't bring a midday energy crash.
