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Ten Holistic Health Tips for the New Year

Living a holistic lifestyle is a lot healthier than most lifestyles. It basically means that you choose to live your life and heal your body through natural remedies. What is unique about this way of living is that you observe everything as a whole.
Here are the ten holistic lifestyle tips for a healthy and holistic 2019:

Sleep hygiene – Sleep in a cool, dark room. Aim for seven or eight hours a night. Stretching gently before bed can relax your body and help you fall asleep. But avoid vigorous exercise and alcohol and caffeine before bedtime.

Lavender, an essential oil, can be calming and analgesic at bedtime. It is also good to occasionally take the supplement melatonin to reset your sleep and wake cycles. If you're still having trouble falling asleep, don't keep tossing and turning. Get up and do something relaxing for a while, like reading or meditating.

Mindful Eating – Don't swallow your food. Take your time. Chew slowly. Taste the smell, taste and texture. And don't eat too much – stop before you feel full.

Plant-based diet – Limit animal foods and limit carbohydrates. Eat mainly vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts. Berries are among the healthiest fruits and vegetables are even better. Eat the rainbow – fruits and vegetables of different colors provide different nutrients and phytochemicals (disease-fighting compounds found in plants).

Take a time out – Spend at least 20 minutes a day in a quiet space where you can express your inner voice. Put down your smartphone, turn off the TV and walk, meditate, play an instrument, draw, dance or write in a journal.

The healing of nature – Studies have shown that spending time in nature improves mood, lowers stress hormones and lowers blood pressure. A walk in the woods can also boost the immune system. Plants secrete chemicals called phytocides that protect against insects and harmful microbes. When you inhale phytocides, it increases the natural cells of the immune system.

You don't have to go to the forest especially. Walking in a park or even sitting in your backyard can also help. Plus, spending time outside in the sunlight helps regulate the circadian rhythm (your body's 24-hour internal clock).

Move! – Every week, adults should do 2 to 5 hours per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity. Aerobic activity is anything that makes your heart beat faster, such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, dancing, swimming, etc. In addition, you should perform muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week. Examples are lifting weights, carrying heavy things and heavy gardening.

Yoga Yoga offers many physical and mental benefits, including increased flexibility, muscle strength and resilience, protection against injury, improved balance, better sleep, improved mood and stress reduction. Depending on the type practiced, yoga can also count as an aerobic or muscle-strengthening activity.

Help others – Assisting other people, such as volunteering at a food bank or performing a random act of kindness, can have multiple health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, increasing self-esteem and relieving stress.

Magic Words – Maintaining your personal relationships is also good for your health. Three of the best ways to do this are to show gratitude, express your love, and be the first to apologize. So don't forget to say "thank you" and "I love you" and if necessary, "I'm sorry".

Glass half full – Studies have shown that a positive attitude can help manage stress, which can lead to many health benefits, including better heart health and lower depression.