Doesn’t being healthy just seem hard these days? Every other commercial on the TV or radio is for a gym, weight loss product, superfood shake, or magic pill all supposedly necessary for good health. Honestly, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, and it can be hard to know where to start or what to actually do in order to improve your health.

But once you cut through the advertisements and get down to the facts, it’s really quite simple: eat well, drink water, exercise, get enough sleep and take care of yourself emotionally and physically. That’s it. And if that seems too basic for you, we’ll explore 5 simple things you can do everyday to improve your health.

  • Drink water

Your body is made of mostly water, so it only makes sense that you should replenish it with plenty of fluids, right? In fact, if you DON’T drink enough water, you could face some serious health problems. This is because water facilitates these vital functions:

  • It keeps your body temperature stabilized
  • It provides lubrication for the movement that occurs in your joints
  • It creates a protecting cushion around your spinal cord and other vital tissues and organs
  • It regulates your body processes, including waste elimination and sweating

There isn’t a process in your body that isn’t improved by proper hydration; it can even help if you have headaches or fatigue.

  • Take care of your skin

Proper hygiene is also essential to good health. Regular showers, cleaning your body and face, wearing clean clothes, and brushing your teeth all may seem like trivial components of your day, but spend an hour with someone who neglects these habits and you’ll understand why it’s so important.

Proper hygiene can help rid your body of harmful bacteria and protect against infection. Proper skin care can even help fight the aging process, with some skin care products even working on a cellular level to provide redox signaling molecules in order to allow your skin cells to regenerate more quickly.

The winter months can be especially harsh on the health of your skin due to the drier weather. Utilizing a good moisturizer that replenishes skin and helps with the anti-aging process is a beneficial addition to your daily routine. Emerging skincare research from scientists at the global healthcare company, ASEA, has proven that a redox signaling moisturizer can improve skin texture, smoothness and elasticity by over 20%.

  • Get your heart pumping

If there was a panacea for good health, exercise might be it. The benefits are endless, and are felt physically, mentally, and emotionally. You will feel better, look better, and perform better if exercise becomes a staple in your day. The blood rushing to your brain can help with mental function, the work from your muscles will make you stronger, the pounding of your heart can improve its function, the endorphins that are released can fight against depression and age-related mental degradation, and the list goes on.

  • Unplug

Even if it’s for 15 minutes, turn off your phone. Close your computer screen and be present in the real world. Have a personal conversation with someone while looking into each other’s eyes. Even better, get out into nature. Listen to the sounds, and be aware of the world around you. Regular meditation can be a powerful tool in maintaining balance in a busy life, and you would do well to make time for it.

  • Eat vegetables

Vegetables always seem to be the most difficult food to fit into a tasty meal, but it is worth it to do so. They are the superfoods of our diets, containing vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, cancer-fighting properties, and much more. They are low-calorie and nutrient-dense, so you can eat a lot of them and still feel full without having consumed too many calories.

Regular consumption of a variety of vegetables may also result in a reduced risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and osteoporosis. Start experimenting with cooking methods and trying new vegetables to find ones you like, and then stock up on them. Make them fill up most of your plate, and try to have some at every meal. You will never regret eating more vegetables, but you may regret leaving them out of your diet.

With these five tips, you don’t have to worry so much about the latest dieting trends of fitness fads. You’ll be already giving your body the care and attention it deserves!

5 Things to do Everyday for Your Health by K. Fisher (December 9, 2016).  Retrieved on February 9, 2017.