When most of us hear the word health, we automatically think of our bodies and the food we eat. We also know roughly what we should be doing to keep our bodies healthy, but often don’t. Our body is important as it holds the mind and spirit so we need to take good care of it.

Some tips to keep your body healthy:

• A healthy, natural diet of the correct portion size: I am a firm believer that your body knows, and will tell you what’s best for it, if you learn to listen to it. Fast foods, sugary foods and drinks, alcohol, and caffeine can trick our bodies into wanting what isn’t good for it. I am definitely not saying that you can’t have any of these things but everything in moderation. The more unprocessed foods you consume, the healthier you will be and your body will thank you for it.
• Regular exercise: Even 30 minutes of physical activity everyday will be beneficial. Try to include physical activity within your daily routine, such as walking up stairs, taking a brisk walk when going somewhere, etc. Try to vary strength, cardio and stretching exercises. I am a big proponent of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).
• Drink sufficient water: The rule of thumb is 2L of water per day, this varies from person to person, how active the person is and what the weather is like but as long as you keep yourself well hydrated, your body will be able to clean itself and will thank you for it.
• Get enough sleep: This is when your body does it’s healing and restoration, give it a chance to fix itself. The amount of sleep needed varies from person to person so determine how much your body needs to be more productive and try stick to it
• Learn to listen to your body: We are very busy people and often push our body beyond its limits, resulting in fatigue and sickness. Listen to your body: If you aren’t hungry, don’t eat. If you feel tired, get some rest.

Remember, there is a big difference between looking healthy and being physically healthy! Regular exercise towards a fit body is ideal, but shortcuts such as ill-researched diets, or ‘health drinks’ that usually contain unhealthy ingredients, do not help.