As many of you may know by now, the past year has made me, like many others, conscious about prioritizing my health and wellness, irrespective of how busy my life is. So, through this journey of bettering my body and learning to treat it right, I’ve compiled a list of five habits that I believe have really made all the difference.
- Eating my leafy greens
-
I know this may sound repulsive to most of you, but, girl, listen to your mom when she tells you to eat your greens because it has transformed my skin and gut-functioning. It has been about five months of eating a bowl of leafy-green salad every single day with my lunch, and I’ve noticed that my gut is happier because of all that extra fiber while my skin gets all the vitamins and minerals for a healthy glow. I have also started having a green smoothie every morning with some spinach, kale, cucumber, and pear combined with a squeeze of lemon and superfood green powder, which is a concoction of superfoods like fenugreek, moringa, spinach and wheatgrass. Now, I’m not going to lie, it does take a week of getting used to the taste, but you just have to suck it up and look at the bigger picture: a happy gut and healthy, glowing skin: who doesn’t want that?
- Shot of aloe vera juice
-
You’ve probably heard me gush about the plethora of benefits this succulent carries with it. While I usually would use it topically, after much reading and consulting with my doctor, I decided to try drinking a shot of aloe vera juice every morning on an empty stomach to help detoxify my gut and cleanse my body over the last month. Among other things, aloe vera is known to be a great detoxifier that helps promote a healthy liver and gut in the long-run which keeps your body feeling young, light, and functioning!
- Drink turmeric tea
-
Okay, with the number of times I’ve mentioned it, at this point I may as well become the poster girl for turmeric! Growing up in an Indian household, this spice has always been a staple and cure-all for my family. As a kid, while I used to hate how it tasted, my grandmother often forced it down my throat on a sick day, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t help. So, it’s no secret that since the pandemic hit, this drink pretty much became a morning-routine staple for everyone at home, and I haven’t fallen sick since, so this definitely works. Other than the immunity factor, I notice a massive improvement in inflammation and bloating, especially around my period — I’ve forgotten what it feels like — thank God!
- Drinking coconut water
-
This one was by far the easiest to implement and stick to because who doesn’t love a bit of fresh, cooling coconut water daily? It is heavily hydrating, quenches my thirst, and is literally the reason I don’t reach out for some heavily processed iced tea or lemonade like I used to. What’s more? It’s a great source of potassium and promotes healthy hair and glowing skin, which is always a plus!
- Consuming reishi and chaga mushroom powder
-
This is the newest edition to my superfood stash, and, can I just say — these shrooms are truly magical (no pun intended!). Packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, this has really helped reduce any bloating in my gut and inflammation on my skin. I usually add it into my smoothies, hot chocolate, or even soup because the best part is that you can’t taste it at all!
I hope these habits help you in your journey toward a healthier body or help you kick-start it, if you haven’t already begun. We only have one body, so we really should learn to treat it well!
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, and read our latest Tweets!