Five Healthy Habits

[soundararajan50]

Fitness entrepreneur, Amrit Dhaliwal, who describes herself as the first Indian PRO Fitness Bikini Model, shares a few habits you could easily inculcate into your daily life, no matter how hectic it is

1) Take 30 (minutes) — This is the minimum amount of physical activity you must try to include into your daily schedule. Whether you walk to work, hit the StairMaster or take your dog out for a jog, ensure that you clock at least half an hour of your activity of choice. This 'me' time has multi-fold benefits from boosting your body confidence to enhancing your mind power.

2) Fruit Up and Veg Out — Four to five servings of fruit and vegetables will ensure that you get the vitamins, minerals, fibre and natural sugars that are essential for efficient metabolic activity as well as healthy skin and hair. Eating fruit about half an hour before a heavy meal will also release the appropriate digestive juices and fill you up enough to ensure that you don't over indulge.

3) Hydrate — With 70% of our body made up of water, it seems ridiculous that most of us forget to stock up on it. A litre or two of this elixir not only flushes toxins out of our systems for healthier skin and hair, but also improves brain function and energy levels. Using a bottle (carry one wherever you go) instead of a cup will also help you keep track of your water consumption.

4) Carbohydrate Shift — Move your servings of carbohydrates from lunch to breakfast. This will not only give you greater amounts of energy to get through your day, it will also reduce the chance of weigh gain if you dose off too soon after a heavy meal. Try replacing rice with quinoa or eating smaller portions of carbs later in the day, if you're one of those, who can't live without them.

5) Snack Pack — Almonds, raisins, apples, bananas... all make for instant energizers and healthy snacks on the go. Making it a habit to carry a snack bag wherever you go, will prevent you from gorging on chips or other inappropriate food that may be easily accessible. More importantly, if your body knows you will feed it when it's hungry, the less likely it is to store fat.