HEALTHY HABITS: 10 daily habits that changed my life (science-backed)

Summary

This video outlines 10 daily habits that have significantly improved the speaker's life, covering aspects of physical, emotional, and brain health. Habits include drinking water upon waking, daily meditation, outdoor brisk walks, weight training, consuming greens, eating colorful fruits and vegetables, listening to relaxing music, daily learning, spending quality time with loved ones, and avoiding phones before bed. The speaker emphasizes the gradual development of these habits over five years and the importance of consistency rather than perfection.

Takeaways

• 💧 Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning helps combat mild dehydration and boosts energy levels.
• 🧘 Meditating for 10 minutes daily can improve mental clarity and reduce anxiety, with guided meditation being a helpful tool for beginners.
• 🚶 Going for a brisk walk outdoors daily is a mood booster and counts as a form of cardiovascular exercise.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Incorporating weight training into an exercise routine helps preserve muscle mass and bone density as we age.
• 🥗 Eating greens daily is crucial for nutrient intake, with smoothies being an easy way to include them in the diet.
• 🌈 Consuming at least two to three servings of brightly colored fruits and vegetables daily provides a variety of health-promoting phytochemicals.
• 🎵 Listening to relaxing music in the evening can reduce stress and cortisol levels.
• 📚 Engaging in daily learning activities, such as reading or using educational apps, can slow cognitive decline with age.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Spending quality time with loved ones, free from digital distractions, fosters better communication and emotional well-being.
• 🛌 Avoiding phones an hour before bed helps improve sleep quality by reducing mental stimulation and blue light exposure.

Q & A

What is the main goal of the video?

The main goal of the video is to share 10 daily habits that have positively impacted the creator's life in areas such as physical health, emotional health, and brain health.

How did the creator develop these daily habits?

The creator developed these daily habits gradually over the last five years. They emphasize that habit formation takes time and isn't something that happens overnight.

Why does the creator not put pressure on themselves to follow these habits daily?

The creator believes that lifestyle changes are not about perfection but about doing what one can. They try to follow these habits 3-5 times a week, especially during stressful times, as they help reduce stress and keep them on track.

What is the first daily habit mentioned, and why is it important?

The first daily habit is drinking a glass of water after waking up. It is important because it helps with hydration, which can improve energy levels and reduce fatigue, as we may wake up mildly dehydrated.

What are the benefits of meditation according to the creator?

Meditation can reduce anxiety, improve immune function, reduce pain, and provide mental clarity. The creator particularly values the calmness and mental clarity it brings.

What does the creator suggest for beginners who want to start meditating?

The creator suggests being open-minded about meditation and giving it time to feel the benefits. They recommend starting with guided meditation using apps like Calm or Headspace to help stay on track.

How does the creator incorporate exercise into their daily routine?

The creator goes for a brisk walk outdoors every day, weather permitting, as a way to boost mood and get cardiovascular exercise. They track their heart rate using an app to ensure the walk counts as moderate cardiovascular activity.

Why does the creator emphasize weight training in their exercise routine?

The creator emphasizes weight training because it helps preserve muscle mass and bone density, which naturally decline with age. They suggest at least two sessions of weight training per week as recommended by health guidelines.

What challenges does the creator face with eating greens, and how do they overcome them?

The creator finds it challenging to eat greens because they did not grow up eating them. They overcome this by incorporating greens into smoothies, which is an easy way to add nutrient-dense foods to their diet.

What is the significance of eating brightly colored fruits and vegetables?

Eating brightly colored fruits and vegetables is important because different colors contain different phytochemicals with various health benefits, such as cancer prevention and liver support. The creator tries to eat 2-3 servings daily from a variety of colors.

How does listening to relaxing music benefit the creator?

Listening to relaxing music helps the creator wind down at the end of the day. It can reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels, with nature sounds like rustling leaves and waterfalls being particularly effective.

Why does the creator avoid using phones an hour before bed?

The creator avoids using phones an hour before bed because the blue light emitted by phones can interfere with the production of melatonin, making it harder to fall asleep. Turning off the phone helps them sleep better.

Outlines

00:00

💧 The Importance of Daily Habits and Hydration

The video begins by emphasizing the significance of establishing good daily habits for overall health, including physical, emotional, and brain health. The speaker notes that these habits were gradually developed over five years and advises against striving for perfection. The first habit introduced is drinking a glass of water after waking up, which helps combat mild dehydration and boosts morning energy levels. The speaker suggests personalizing this habit, whether by adding lemon or drinking the water at room temperature.

05:00

🧘‍♀️ Meditation for Mental Clarity and Calmness

The speaker discusses the daily habit of meditating for 10 minutes, initially expressing skepticism about its benefits. Over time, meditation has proven effective in reducing anxiety, improving immune function, and providing mental clarity. The speaker shares tips for beginners, recommending patience during the initial sessions and trying guided meditation through apps like Calm or Headspace.

10:03

🚶‍♂️ The Benefits of a Brisk Walk Outdoors

The third habit involves taking a brisk walk outdoors daily, which the speaker finds boosts mood and serves as a primary form of exercise. Although not possible year-round due to Canadian winters, the speaker stresses the importance of cardiovascular activity, as recommended by the World Health Organization. The speaker uses an app to monitor heart rate, ensuring the walk counts as a workout.

🏋️‍♀️ The Importance of Weight Training

The speaker highlights the importance of incorporating weight training into a well-rounded exercise regimen, particularly for preserving muscle mass and bone density as we age. The World Health Organization recommends at least two sessions per week, and the speaker advises beginners to seek professional guidance to prevent injury. The speaker prefers to exercise at home, using free weights and bodyweight exercises.

🥦 Eating Greens Daily for Nutrient Density

The speaker admits to struggling with eating greens daily, despite being a nutritionist. However, the importance of consuming nutrient-dense greens is emphasized, particularly for obtaining a variety of vitamins and minerals. The speaker suggests starting with green smoothies as an easy way to incorporate greens into one's diet.

🌈 The Health Benefits of Eating the Rainbow

The speaker discusses the habit of eating two to three servings of brightly colored fruits and vegetables daily, which provide various phytochemicals with different health benefits. The 'eat the rainbow' approach encourages consuming a variety of colors to obtain a range of nutrients that can help with cancer prevention, liver function, and metabolism.

🎶 Relaxing Music for Stress Reduction

The speaker emphasizes the benefits of listening to relaxing music or nature sounds each evening to wind down. Research suggests that such sounds can reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels. The speaker enjoys listening to calming music, like flutes or waterfall sounds, as a way to relax at the end of the day.

📚 Learning Something New Every Day

The speaker values the habit of reading or learning something new daily, which is both enjoyable and beneficial for brain health. Mental stimulation can help slow age-related memory decline. The speaker suggests various ways to keep the brain engaged, such as reading, learning a new language, or watching educational content.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Spending Quality Time with Loved Ones

The speaker discusses the importance of spending quality time with loved ones, emphasizing the need to be fully present and engaged rather than distracted by phones. Quality time can help strengthen relationships and reduce stress through the release of oxytocin, the 'cuddle hormone.' The speaker has made a conscious effort to put away the phone and truly connect with loved ones.

📵 Avoiding Phone Use Before Bedtime

The final habit is avoiding phone use in the hour before bed, as the blue light emitted by screens can interfere with melatonin production and disrupt sleep. The speaker shares personal experiences of difficulty sleeping when using a phone before bed and now switches the phone to flight mode an hour or more before sleeping. This habit has helped the speaker improve sleep quality.

👍 Conclusion and Call to Action

The speaker concludes the video by encouraging viewers to adopt these habits, emphasizing that they don't need to be perfect. Viewers are invited to share in the comments the one habit that has changed their lives. The video ends with a reminder to subscribe for more content.

Keywords

💡Daily Habits

Daily habits refer to the consistent actions or behaviors that are performed regularly, typically every day. In the context of the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of establishing positive daily habits to improve overall health and well-being. These habits, such as drinking water in the morning or meditating, have been gradually formed over five years and contribute to physical, emotional, and mental health.

💡Hydration

Hydration is the process of maintaining an adequate amount of water in the body. The speaker mentions starting the day by drinking a glass of water after waking up to combat mild dehydration that occurs during sleep. Proper hydration is linked to better energy levels and reduced fatigue, highlighting its importance as a simple yet effective daily habit.

💡Meditation

Meditation is a practice where an individual uses techniques such as mindfulness or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity to achieve mental clarity and emotional calmness. The speaker, once skeptical about meditation, now practices it daily for 10 minutes and has found it beneficial for reducing anxiety, improving mental clarity, and promoting a sense of calmness.

💡Brisk Walk

A brisk walk is a form of moderate exercise where one walks at a pace that raises the heart rate to a moderate level. The speaker integrates a brisk walk into their daily routine for both mood enhancement and cardiovascular exercise. This habit is particularly effective as it combines physical activity with the mental benefits of being outdoors in nature.

💡Weight Training

Weight training is a type of physical exercise that involves lifting weights to build strength and muscle mass. The speaker advocates for weight training as a key component of a well-rounded exercise regimen, especially for its benefits in preserving muscle mass and bone density as one ages. This habit is important for maintaining physical health and combating the natural decline that comes with aging.

💡Nutrient-Dense Foods

Nutrient-dense foods are foods that are high in vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients relative to their calorie content. The speaker emphasizes the importance of incorporating greens and brightly colored fruits and vegetables into daily meals. These foods provide a variety of vitamins and phytochemicals that support overall health and prevent various diseases.

💡Phytochemicals

Phytochemicals are naturally occurring compounds found in plants that have various health benefits. In the video, the speaker mentions the importance of consuming a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, as different colors indicate different phytochemicals. These compounds contribute to cancer prevention, liver health, and metabolic function, making them a crucial part of a healthy diet.

💡Relaxing Music

Relaxing music refers to soothing sounds or melodies that can help reduce stress and promote relaxation. The speaker uses relaxing music, such as nature sounds, to wind down in the evening, highlighting its role in lowering stress levels and improving overall well-being. The calming effect of such music is linked to the reduction of cortisol, the stress hormone.

💡Mental Stimulation

Mental stimulation involves engaging in activities that challenge and activate the brain, helping to maintain cognitive function. The speaker practices daily mental stimulation by reading or learning something new, which is beneficial for brain health and slowing down memory decline as one ages. This habit is a key part of maintaining sharpness and cognitive vitality.

💡Quality Time

Quality time refers to spending meaningful and engaged time with loved ones, free from distractions like phones. The speaker stresses the importance of genuinely connecting with family and pets, which can enhance relationships and reduce stress through the release of oxytocin, the 'cuddle hormone.' This habit is crucial for emotional health and strengthening bonds with others.

Highlights

Daily habits improve overall health in physical, emotional, and brain health.

Forming habits takes time, often years, and doesn’t happen overnight.

It's okay if habits aren’t followed perfectly; aim for consistency, not perfection.

Starting the day with a glass of water boosts energy levels by rehydrating the body.

Meditation helps reduce anxiety, improves immune function, and enhances mental clarity.

Guided meditation is helpful for beginners to stay on track and manage the learning curve.

Daily brisk walks can boost mood, provide fresh air, and count as cardiovascular exercise.

Weight training twice a week helps preserve muscle mass and bone density, especially important as we age.

Eating greens daily improves nutrition, even if it’s hard to incorporate for some people.

Consuming two to three servings of brightly colored fruits and vegetables provides essential phytochemicals with various health benefits.

Listening to relaxing music or nature sounds in the evening helps reduce stress and cortisol levels.

Learning something new daily, like reading or language learning, supports brain health and slows memory decline.

Spending quality time with loved ones, without distractions like phones, enhances emotional connection and reduces stress.

Avoiding phones an hour before bed improves sleep quality by reducing blue light exposure and mental stimulation.

The overall goal is to improve lifestyle in a balanced and manageable way, without striving for perfection.

Transcripts

Good daily habits can make such a big difference to your overall health and your

life. In this video I'm going to share 10 daily habits that have changed my life

to talk about 10 daily habits that have made a really big difference to my life

in different areas such as physical health, emotional health and brain health.

Before we dive in I wanted to say a few things so you know the context. The first

thing is these daily habits have been the result of gradual habit forming over

the last five years- it's not something that happened overnight. It is difficult

to form habits and it does take time. The second thing - although these habits are

daily habits I don't put pressure on myself to do them every day especially

when things get too busy or things are too overwhelming. Sometimes things slide

a little and that's okay. When you're making lifestyle changes it's not about

perfection it's about doing what you can and generally I do try to do these

habits at least three to five times a week IN the times that I'm really

stressed out because I feel that they do help me stay on track and they do help

reduce stress. Anyway enough with the introduction let's get into the habits.

The first daily habit is that I drink a glass of water as soon as I get up. Well

not as soon as I get up -I brush my teeth, I go to the bathroom and then I have a

glass of water. I find that this has made a big difference to energy levels in the

morning. When we're sleeping we're not taking it any water and when we wake up

we can be mildly dehydrated and when we're dehydrated our fatigue levels go

up. There is some science behind this - I'll put it in the description box. So a

good thing to do is start your morning by getting enough hydration. I drink a

glass of filtered water. If I feel like it, I'll add some lemon to it I don't always

do that and it's usually at room temperature but if you like warm water

that can work too. It really is about personal preference but drinking some

water in the morning is a great thing to do for your energy levels. Number two I

meditate for 10 minutes every day. I used to be very skeptical about

meditation when I first started. I didn't really believe in it I didn't think that

there was science behind it but there is actually quite a bit of science. It can

do things like reduce anxiety, it can help you improve your immune function, it

can help reduce pain. There's a lot that it can do I have a few links in the

description box but for me the biggest change is mental clarity and I feel much

more calm. I am not naturally a calm person I may appear calm on YouTube but

I am not naturally a calm person. Meditation - years of meditation has

gotten me to this point and I really do think that there are a lot of benefits

to trying it out. Now if you're a beginner, meditation can seem very

daunting and I have two tips to provide. So the first one is try to just be very

open about meditation in the beginning. The first 10 to 15 sessions for me were

very difficult. I didn't know what I was doing and I felt overwhelmed and I felt

like I was doing it the wrong way. It wasn't until the 15th or 16th session

that I really got into it and I started to see the benefit. So give it time. The

second thing is if you are starting out try guided meditation versus meditation

where you're just doing it on your own. Guided meditation can really help you

stay on track and can really guide you through the process. I use an app called

Calm - I highly recommend it. I love it. There is also another app called

Headspace which you could try out. Number three I go for a brisk walk outdoors

every day. Now I have to say that I live in Canada so a brisk walk outdoors every

day does not happen year-round! It doesn't happen in the winter but for the

rest of the year I do try to get outside because I find it's such a mood booster

to get some fresh air.. to get some sunlight and to be out in the greenery

and there are studies that show that exposure to greenery is good for your

health. As usual, everything's in the description box. Now for me the brisk

walk is not just a mood booster - it's also the way I get exercise. I am NOT a

gym person I have never been in gym person I just don't enjoy it who knows

who the people who enjoy the gym I would love to do that but I just can't I don't

like it so for me getting exercise has to be something that's part

of my lifestyle and I love going up the walk so I started to make my walks my

exercise now the World Health Organization recommends that we get

about 150 minutes of moderate cardiovascular activity week or 75

minutes of cardiovascular activity a walk can count if your heart rate is

high enough so when I'm walking I test my heart rate I have an app on my phone

samsung health is the app that I use and my heart rates usually between the

moderate and thicker zone so my walk actually counts as a workout it counts

as water and activity so that's how I get my 150 minutes of exercise per week

through my walk number four in addition to the walk ayuh exercise so the walk is

great for cardiovascular activity if you're doing a brisk walk or if they're

jogging or running but a well-rounded exercise regimen should include more

than just cardio I like to include some weight training and yoga but I

specifically wanted to talk about weeds there's a lot of women shy away from it

especially because they think they're going to look a certain way if they

train with weights the World Health Organization recommends at the average

adult do at least two sessions a week why is it so important as we age we tend

to lose muscle mass it's a normal part of Aging another normal part of aging is

losing bone density it happens but we can slow that process down with one

thing and that one thing is weight training so it doesn't matter what age

you are it could be in your 20s or 30s it's never too early to start preserving

your muscle mass and preserving your bone density if you're a beginner you

should always speak to a professional learn the proper moves you could do body

weights or free weights but always speak to someone who knows what they're doing

so you don't get injured and then eventually when you know what you're

doing you could always work at a home that's what I do I am NOT a gym person

as I mentioned earlier so I don't go to the gym but I will use free weights and

bodyweight exercises at home if you're interested in the exercise channels that

I follow I have them in the description box below number five I try to eat

something green every day it's rather embarrassing but I will admit that even

as a nutritionist I find it hard to eat greens I did not grow up eating greens

so it's a very foreign concept for me but I do understand that they are very

nutrient dense and it's a good idea to get some greens on a daily basis

especially a variety of greens you are getting a variety of vitamins and

minerals if we're interested in nutrient density score that I have one link in

the description box below now if you're beginner the easiest way to add greens

to your diet really is smoothies I find that that was the best gateway for me to

get into the habit of eating greens if you're interested in how to make green

smoothies taste better I do have a video on it which I will link in the

description box below number six I eat at least two to three servings of

brightly colored fruits and veggies every day this is my bare minimum two to

three I usually try to eat more why is it important to eat brightly colored

fruits and veggies well you may have heard of the term eat the rainbow eat

the rainbow basically suggests eating fruits and veggies from different colors

but different colors mean they have different phytochemicals which mean they

have different health properties some phytochemicals can help with cancer

prevention some can help with liver some can help with metabolism there's

different reasons to have those phytochemicals and it's a good idea to

get a variety so I do try to cut at least two to three servings of fruits

and veggies from those different groups if you're interested in learning more

about eating the rainbow I have a link in the description box below number

seven I listen to relaxing music every evening as a way to wind down so music

has many different health benefits the science is still emerging but what I

found very interesting is that nature sounds and relaxing music can help

reduce stress it can help reduce the stress hormone called cortisol if you're

interested for the science is in the description box so I do try to listen to

something that's very relaxing flutes maybe some nature sounds rustling with

leaves things like that a waterfall those are all really nice to listen to

at the end of the day as a way to wind down and just relax number eight I try

to read or learn something new every day and I love to do this because it's

something that I truly enjoy but there are other benefits to it especially when

it comes to brain health so as we age there is that natural decline in our

memories it happens but mental stimulation can slow down that decline

so for me it's reading I will like to learn new things for you it

could be whatever works for you if you're a reading person read a book

fiction and nonfiction both have their benefits if you're not into reading

learning a new language on an app such as duolingo could work or you could

watch something every day like short snippets on Ted Ed to learn something

new it's all about keeping your brain engaged and stimulated number-9 I try to

spend quality time with loved ones every day and I want to underline the word

quality time because a lot of us end up spending time with our loved ones but

we're on our phones and we're not properly engaged with them they're not

really talking to them it's not good communication and this happens to

everybody it's just the digital age that we live in I used to scroll on my phone

next my husband and I felt like I was spending time with him but that wasn't

really spending time so now no phones properly talked to him I spent time with

my cats - I find that cuddling a pet or a human - can help you release oxytocin

which is known as the cuddle hormone or the love hormone and it can help reduce

stress number 10 I avoid phones in the one hour before bed so I used to be on

my phone right before bed and I found it very difficult to fall asleep because my

brain was all over the place it was very mentally stimulated and phones also emit

something known as blue light and that blue light is something that your brain

thinks is they like so when you're on your phone and that blue light is going

to your brain your brain thinks it's not time to sleep so it won't produce

melatonin very well and it becomes harder to sleep I actually have talked

about this in another video on sleep which I will link in the description box

below but what I tried to do is I switched my phone off an hour or an hour

and a half before bed like flight mode so I don't look at any notifications I

don't look at anything and that way I'm actually able to sleep better I hope you

find this video useful and you enjoyed it if you liked it give it a thumbs up

and don't forget to subscribe because I create videos like this every week and

before you go let me know in the comment box below what is the one habit that has

changed your life I will see you in the next video bye