Every year more than $50 billion is spent on dietary supplements in the United States alone, many turn to pills and potions in hopes of improving wellbeing. It’s true that supplements are often a great method for enhancing a healthy lifestyle, but they are not the only way. Often the foundations of a healthy lifestyle – the bedrock upon which everything else rests – get overlooked.
Science confirms over and over again that those consistently practicing basic wellness pillars enjoy the best long-term health outcomes. These include:
- Engaging in regular exercise
- Aiming for quality sleep
- Finding ways to manage stress
- Connecting meaningfully with others
- Eating nutritious whole foods in balanced amounts / nutrition supplementation
While not always easy to put into practice, make these five areas priorities and you can transform your health dramatically.
Move Your Body with Exercise
Along with nourishing foods, regular exercise lays vital groundwork for wellbeing. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans detail proven benefits: reducing risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression and various cancers. Exercise also helps maintain healthy body weight and brain/cognitive health.
Experts suggest both aerobic and muscle strengthening activities weekly. Even low-to-moderate intensity exercise counts, with health gains coming from accumulative physical activity. Going for walks, gardening, active household chores or recreational sports all promote health.
Finding activities that you enjoy and building more movement into daily routines makes regular exercise more sustainable long-term. Set manageable goals that fit your current fitness level and lifestyle constraints. Consistency with reasonable efforts pays compounding dividends over time.
Get Quality Sleep for Restoration
Sleep often gets discounted as wasted time that good health requires sacrificing. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sufficient high-quality sleep bolsters nearly every aspect of wellness.
Poor sleep increases risks for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, mood disorders and dementia according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Meanwhile, adequate healthy sleep enhances concentration, problem solving, memory, emotional stability, stress resilience and overall cognitive performance.
For adults, the National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours nightly. Support restful sleep through relaxing pre-bedtime routines, limiting electronics use before bed, and optimizing sleep environment – cool, exceptionally dark and quiet rooms. Scheduling consistent bed/wake times, even on weekends, helps lock in natural circadian rhythms maximizing sleep quality too.
Manage Stress Levels
Living stress-free may not be possible, but minimizing chronic stress proves pivotal for wellbeing. The mind-body connection sees emotional pressures manifesting physically through inflammation, hypertension, nervous system changes, and worsened cardiovascular health over time.
Research confirms activities like meditation, yoga, conscious breathing, nature immersion and art/music therapy all reduce markers of stress. Carving out daily down time to engage the parasympathetic “rest and digest” nervous system counters fight-or-flight overdrive. Leverage whatever healthy coping strategies resonate most – humor, spiritual practices, journaling, therapy, peer support groups.
Human connection also relieves stress powerfully. Feelings of loneliness correlate tightly with chronic stress and associated health declines. Even introverts need some degree of positive social interaction.
Stay Connected with Supportive Community
Science confirms that supportive relationships boost wellbeing as much as quitting smoking. Social isolation conversely rivals heavy drinking or physical inactivity as mortality risk factors.
Seeking community doesn’t necessarily mean maintaining lots of close friendships or romance (quality over quantity). It simply means meaningful engagement that fulfills core psychological needs for bonding through mutual care, understanding and respect.
This social nourishment often starts at home with close family. But also cultivate community through clubs, volunteer work, classes, religious gatherings or other avenues matching interests. Especially critical for older adults are senior centers facilitating social ties and purpose. Online groups can supplement real-world interactions without fully replacing face-to-face bonding.
Nourish Your Body Through Good Nutrition and Supplements
Extensive research notes that many chronic diseases can be prevented or managed through improved nutrition and supplementation alone – including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, and more.
For foundational healthy eating advice, experts point to dietary patterns like the Mediterranean Diet or DASH diet. These are plant-focused diets full of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. They include low-fat dairy, poultry and fish while limiting red meat, sugary foods, saturated fats, and sodium.
When it comes to portions, visual guides like the Healthy Eating Plate by Harvard Medical School demonstrate reasonable serving sizes. Half your plate filled with non-starchy vegetables and fruits, one quarter whole grains, the remaining quarter split between quality proteins and healthy fats.
While restrictive diets may work short-term, balanced diets are easiest to maintain long-term. Moderating sweets or junk food through mindful indulgence rather than outright banning can satisfy cravings while still supporting overall nutritious habits.
How to Build a Healthy Lifestyle with Supplements
In the ever-evolving world of health and wellness, the spotlight has recently shined bright on the remarkable benefits of cannabinoids, particularly CBD (Cannabidiol) and CBG (Cannabigerol). These natural compounds, derived from the hemp plant, have gained popularity for their potential in promoting a healthier lifestyle and providing relief from anxiety, pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and more.
Understanding CBD and CBG supplementation
Before we go further, let’s clarify what CBD and CBG are. CBD is a non-psychoactive compound extracted from plants. CBG is also found in the cannabis plant, but in smaller quantities. CBG has been gaining major recognition for its purported health benefits, which include neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties.
The market is now flooded with a variety of CBD and CBG products, including CBG capsules, CBD oils, and even products that combine the two, for example these Simple Leaf CBG+CBD products. These supplements offer a convenient and discreet way to incorporate these cannabinoids into your lifestyle. Let’s explore some of the popular forms:
CBD and CBG Capsules: If you’re someone who likes supplements to be straightforward, then capsules are probably the best for you when it comes to consuming CBD and CBG. Offering an easy-to-swallow format and precise dosages, they are ideal for those who are always on the go.
Softgels: Similar to capsules, softgels are another popular form. They are often preferred for their smooth texture and faster absorption rates.
Gummies: For those who prefer a tastier option, CBD and CBG gummies are perfect. They come in various flavors and are a fun, inconspicuous way to take your daily dose of cannabinoids.
The Benefits of Combining CBD and CBG
While both CBD and CBG have their unique advantages, combining them can enhance their effects. This synergy, often referred to as the “entourage effect,” suggests that taking CBD and CBG together can amplify their benefits, making them more effective than when taken separately.
Choosing the Right Product
With the plethora of options available, choosing the right CBD and CBG product can be overwhelming. Here are some tips:
Quality Matters: Look for products that are third-party tested for purity and potency.
Concentration: Pay attention to the concentration of CBD and CBG in the product to ensure you’re getting the right dose.
Source: We recommend choosing products made from USA grown organic hemp to avoid exposure to pesticides and other harmful chemicals.
Incorporating CBD and CBG into Your Routine
Integrating CBD and CBG supplements into your daily routine can be simple and effective. Start with a low dose and gradually increase it until you find what works best for you. Remember, consistency is key to experiencing the full benefits.
Potential Health Benefits
Research on CBD and CBG is ongoing, but early studies suggest several health benefits:
Pain Relief: One of the best natural alternatives to traditional painkillers are CBD and CBG. Both have shown incredible promise in managing pain.
Anxiety and Stress Reduction: CBD is renowned for its calming effects, which can help in reducing stress and anxiety.
Anti-inflammatory Properties: Both cannabinoids have anti-inflammatory properties, which can be beneficial in managing conditions like arthritis.
Safety and Side Effects
While CBD and CBG are generally considered safe, it’s important to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement, especially if you have existing health conditions or are taking other medications.
Start Building Your Healthiest Lifestyle
Supplements like CBD and CBG may offer specific benefits for some, but they are no replacement for the five basic pillars discussed above. Consider an honest self-assessment across these areas without self-judgment. Where could small, sustainable changes move you towards better long-term health?
Rather than an all or nothing quest for perfection, instead choose 1-2 foundational areas needing attention. Perhaps joining an exercise class, scheduling a medical checkup, cooking more nutritious meals or reaching out to an old friend. Anchor starting points in your deeper values and vision for wellbeing.
Building healthy lifestyles works best as a patient, positive journey trusting in progress through simple consistent actions over time. Much as fitness requires gradual training adaptation, so too does nurturing sustainable wellness habits. With commitment matched by compassion towards ourselves and others, a thriving community enables anyone to become their healthiest self over a lifetime.