BY AYBALA DENİZ aybala.deniz@ug.bilkent.edu.tr
Drink Water
Of course, I’ll start with the “must” of healthy living: drinking water. Water renews the cells and nurtures your organs; basically, it keeps you alive. If you aren’t drinking enough water during the day, your skin will dry out, you’ll feel tired all the time, and you’ll often have headaches or muscle cramps. Pay attention to those signals, because they’ll get more serious over time. Remember to drink two liters of water every day.
Walk
Walk for at least half an hour (outside in the fresh air, if possible) every day. It will help you think through your problems and will regulate your circulatory system; plus, it’s a great form of exercise if you don’t have time to go to the gym.
Eat An Apple Every Day
An apple a day – sounds easy, right? I have this habit of eating an apple (preferably organically grown) every day, and ever since I started doing that, the health of my skin has improved unbelievably. Even if you don’t like apples, try eating them in muesli or cereal.
Use Rose Water as a Facial Toner
This suggestion works well with the previous one. I don’t use any manufactured moisturizers or toners on my face, since they have so many chemicals in them and while fixing one thing, may harm something else. But rose water works well for this purpose: it moisturizes the skin, removes excess oil and gives your face a healthy, fresh appearance. It’s also much cheaper than any commercial product and lasts longer. So, every night before you go to bed, wash your face, pour some rose water in your (clean) hands, and massage your face with it. You’ll notice the difference in about a week.
Learn to Breathe Right
I can’t tell you how important it is to breathe properly. Our lungs are actually huge, and we’re designed to use their full capacity; however, we generally use only a small part of them. This is extremely inefficient for our bodies, in that it leads to less oxygen going to our cells and in turn to less energy being produced. Improper breathing narrows your blood vessels and airways. This results in an unbalanced nervous system and causes you to feel stressed and tired all the time. So, learn to breathe right by breathing through your nose, using your diaphragm, and breathing rhythmically.
Improve Your Posture
Good posture gives you self-confidence, improves your mood and relieves the stress on your joints and spine caused by poor posture. Do you get those back and neck pains after a long day at school? It’s probably because your posture is bad. Align your body properly as soon as you notice that you’re slouching; standing and sitting straight will become easier and more natural over time.
Wear Natural Fibers
Your skin hates clothing made of non-breathing synthetic fabrics such as polyester and nylon. It’s basically plastic, and therefore irritates your skin and causes you to sweat. It also encourages the growth of bacteria and fungi. Try to buy clothing made of cotton, viscose, tencel or modal instead. These are natural or semi-natural fabrics that breathe and are healthy to wear.
Stop Eating Refined Sugar
I really don’t want to sound like Canan Karatay, but there’s pretty much nothing in your body that sugar doesn’t harm. It’s basically toxic. To kick the sugar habit, start small. First, stop eating junk food and drinking sugary beverages. Then, stop drinking tea and coffee with sugar. Continue by decreasing the amount of bread you eat; and if do you eat it, eat whole- grain bread. Your overall health will improve in no time.
Don’t Be a Painkiller Addict
We all have fast-paced, stressful lives, and this has a negative effect on our health from time to time. But don’t try to mute the signals from your body, which is trying to tell you to slow down and rest for a bit, by immediately taking painkillers. Strengthen your immune system by letting it deal with the illness by itself; help it by resting, drinking plenty of water and eating well.
Limit Your Caffeine Intake
Caffeine is irreplacable, especially during midterms or finals week, right? I know it’s very hard to go on studying without it during those sleepless nights. So my advice is, don’t consume caffeine the rest of the time; limit it to exam periods only. Try choosing water, soda or fresh fruit juice instead of going with coffee or tea every time you need something to drink.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleeping well and on a regular schedule is one of the most important things for your skin, heart and mental health. I’ve heard that before fashion shows, models are told to sleep as much as they can, since this makes the skin look fresher and healthier. That’s why they call it “beauty sleep”!
Limit Your Time on Social Media
Researchers say this a lot, but I’ll say it one more time: The time you spend on social media harms you in ways you’re not even aware of. First, it shortens your attention span, meaning that you start to have trouble focusing on anything. It also harms your self-confidence, causing you to constantly compare yourself with other people. Plus, hunching over a device can cause neck pain and spinal anomalies. And obviously, devoting too much time to social media robs you of the precious hours you could be spending with your loved ones or doing something creative.
References:
https://physioworks.com.au/FAQRetrieve.aspx?ID=31641
https://www.trustedclothes.com/blog/2016/11/25/natural-synthetic-fabrics/
https://patrikedblad.com/habits/how-to-breathe/