Best Way to Improve Your Well-Being

When we are being bombarded with demands and are suffering from the stresses and stains of life, attaining a state of total well­being can seem like a hopeless dream, but if you want to look and feel your best and enjoy life to the full, you’d better start making a few sacrifices. If this means giving up your daily diet of a packet of cigarettes, two bars of chocolate and a bottle of wine, then that’s just tough. You may have a zillion and one excuses not to do so, but if you manage to make one or two lifestyle changes you will look and feel so much better. Here are ways to help improve your well-being.

Eliminate Toxins

Toxins are prolific in every aspect of our lives: environmental pollution, cigarette smoke, alcohol, caffeine, drugs, chemicals, pesticides and preservatives contained in processed food all have a toxic effect. An overload of toxins can result in the body’s natural detoxifying system becoming sluggish, which can lead to such complaints as cellulite, dull skin, lacklustre hair, allergies, eczema, brittle nails and fatigue.

Detoxifying rids the body of toxins, as well as clearing out any waste products that might be clinging to the colon and preventing the absorbtion of nutrients. In order to avoid toxic build-up, cut down on your intake of alcohol, caffeine and processed foods. Where possible, aim to take natural remedies rather than conventional medicine, and always detoxify your system after a course of antibiotics. Eliminate toxins daily by drinking two litres of water and, every couple of months, cleanse your body for a full day with detoxifying drinks.

Water power

Water is nature’s own internal moisturiser and a great purifier. Drinking plenty of H20 rehydrates every one of the millions of cells in our body and helps to flush out toxins. Our bodies are made up of seventy-five per cent water. Deprive your body of this essential nectar and you will shrivel up like an old leaf, so aim to drink at least two litres of either mineral or purified water a day. (Unfiltered tap water can, at worst, be contaminated or, in areas where it is safe to drink, can be highly chlorinated, which may destroy nutrients, especially if you’re drinking two litres of it.)

Breathe correctly

Oxygen keeps cells healthy and is vital to our looks and well-being. But it’s taken the opening of oxygen bars (where people pay for a fix) to highlight its benefits. If you breathe deeply rather than taking shallow gasps, you can absorb plenty of oxygen – absolutely free. This helps oxyginate cells and keeps your complexion fresh looking. In order to check that you are breathing naturally, do the following test: place one hand on your diaphragm and the other on your chest and breathe normally. When you inhale, it should be the hand on your diaphragm that rises higher, not that on your chest. If this isn’t happening, concentrate on breathing from your diaphragm and it will soon become second nature.

Meditate

Before you dismiss it as a form of New Age mysticism, let me point out the benefits of meditation: it not only relaxes you, but also clears your mind of trivia. Many people wonder what happens during meditation. The answer is nothing: meditation does not involve thought. However, switching off the mind at will is not easy for most of us, which is why even meditation fanatics need a focus.

You can count your breaths, repeat a word (your personal mantra) silently, or emulate a Buddhist monk by chanting. Other ways in which you can focus your mind include staring at an object, such as a candle, a joss stick or even a spot on the wall. If you prefer to close your eyes, you might want to visualise a strong image, such as the face of a loved one, a serene landscape or waves lapping against the shore. Initially, you will need to concentrate hard on your chosen focus in order to avoid your mind becoming side-tracked.

Think positively

A healthy mind is vital to your well-being: if you are not at peace with yourself your biochemistry becomes unbalanced, affecting your looks, self-image and self-confidence. Each day, take time to gather positive thoughts. Positive thinking and an optimistic outlook will keep you both mentally and physically fit. So learn to take the view that your glass of juice is half full – not half empty.