There are many ways to improve your health naturally and safely at home – and elsewhere.  If you follow these ten tips every day, they will soon become a habit.

Oil Pulling

Oil pulling means that you rinse your mouth out – ideally with coconut oil. This can have a very powerful cleansing and healing effect, detoxifying or cleansing the body.The process can also help with dental problems in the mouth.

This is a simple and inexpensive way to whiten teeth and freshen breath.  It can also improve several health conditions (ranging from eczema to arthritis) through its effect on oral bacteria. Imagine the oil that lubricates and cleans vehicle engines for many miles before being changed and fresh oil put in. Oil pulling works the same way in our mouth, getting rid of dirt and grime.

First thing in the morning – on an empty stomach and before drinking any liquids – put 1 to 2 teaspoons of the oil in your mouth. Push, pull and swish the oil between your teeth and all around your mouth for 15 to 20 minutes, long enough to bind bacteria with the oil. Spit out the oil and rinse.  You can then brush your teeth with a natural toothpaste and even a natural sea salt and water mouthwash.  At the start, carry this out 3 times a day if possible for a full detox. Later, change to once a day for maintenance.

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Vitamin D supplement and/or Sunlight Exposure

Unless you are a lifeguard on a California beach or you live on the equator, there is a strong possibility that you will be Vitamin D deficient.  Today, we spend much of our lives indoors, under artificial light and when we do get out in the sunlight, we are encouraged to slather on the sunblock.  Make the change to exposing as much skin as possible to the summer sunlight (without skin block) until the skin starts to turn a light pink (if you are light skinned).  Darker skin tones can tolerate more sun.  The darker your skin, the longer it takes to absorb vitamin D.  Aging can also prevent absorption.

During the winter months, most of us need to supplement with a high-quality vitamin D3 and the dosage can be up to 5000 IUs daily.  If you are unsure about how much you should take, get tested.

Coconut Oil

Often considered to be one of the healthiest oils in the world, the flesh of the coconut is very high in healthy fatty acids. While the composition of fat varies depending on the type and processing of the oil, medium-chain saturated fatty acids make up approximately 90% of coconut oil with a slight contribution of mono-unsaturated fatty acids and poly-unsaturated fatty acids.

Many natural health followers believe that adding coconut oil to your diet will help in preventing the onset of Alzheimer’s. Take two tablespoons daily with food. Start off with just a teaspoon of coconut oil and gradually build up, making sure you use organic virgin coconut oil.

Resistance Exercises

Resistance exercise is any form of exercise that forces your skeletal muscles to contract. For this form of strength training, you can use resistance bands or one of those chest expanders.  You can put your foot on one end and pull upwards with your arm for several times and then change to the other foot and arm.  A resistance band can be attached to a chair or a handy pillar.  Any external resistance will lead to increases in muscular mass, strength, endurance, and tone.  An invaluable way to improve your health.

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Grounding – Going Barefoot Outdoors

There are numerous health benefits when you are grounded or connecting electrically with the Earth. But, unlike our ancient ancestors, we no longer have this grounding connection – unless we walk barefoot on grass, sand or even in a body of natural water. Grounding helps to combat inflammation by restoring circulation to fingers and toes, can be very beneficial for problem varicose veins, can thin the blood making it less viscous, and even helps to counteract jet lag.  An hour of grounding after a long flight or car journey can eliminate those unwanted effects of long-distance travel.

A Weekly Epsom Salt Bath

Two cups of Epsom salt in a warm bath can be very beneficial, relaxing and therapeutic.  The bath will help to detox; provide a further form of treatment for skin conditions such as eczema and acne; soothe inflammation, bruising, swelling and muscle strain; and top up magnesium levels where deficient.

Relax Your Back

Apart from an Epsom salt bath above, there is a very useful exercise for the relief of lower back pain.  Lie flat on the floor facing upwards before lifting your legs straight up into the air and, bending at the knees, place your feet on the seat of a dining room/kitchen chair.  Remain like this for at least twenty minutes.  Relax as much as you can and even practice deep breathing at the same time.

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A Daily 30-minute Walk

And a brisk one at that!  We all need to get moving more and this is an ideal way to start and a very good habit to get into.  Of course, an hour is even better, but I am not pushing it!

Hydrating

Are you drinking enough liquids and especially water?  A jug or glass of water next to your bed at night helps to keep you hydrated and even aids sleep.  During the day, keep a glass or reusable bottle of water at your workplace to remind you to keep drinking. Carry that same bottle with you when traveling or out and about.  Water is not always as drinkable and as safe as you would hope or expect.  Investing in a high quality home water filter is probably the most practical and affordable solution.

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Standing in the Workplace

We don’t have to tell you that most people don’t stand enough, preferring to take the comfortable easy way out.  And yet, spending too much time sitting is now considered to be as dangerous for your health as being a smoker, increasing the risk of diabetes, heart failure, invasive breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, reducing blood flow, and even leading to deep vein thrombosis.

Think and plan on how you can become more of a stand-up person.

Taking that daily brisk walk above is one way while re-thinking your workplace set up is another.  Change your workstation to a standing one; take all phone calls on your feet; pace up and down while you talk; and urge your work colleagues to try standing or walking meetings.

These tips are all ones that I try to follow regularly.  Not always every day but I have the best intentions and I do benefit!

Related Reading:

• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet
• How to Make the Healthiest Smoothies – 4 Recipes

With a new year comes a reset button. The slate is wiped clear and we step into a fresh dream of how our ideal life could be. This year I will… (fill in the your desire here). By January’s end our resolutions are gathering dust. You may find yourself snoozing instead of hitting the gym, or you start to give in on that 2 glass of wine rule and have an extra one before bed (just this one time…right?)

But some people seem to have so much more staying power. You know, “Perfect Patty”, your co-worker who seems to be on a roll with her daily lunch of healthy salads and taking the stairs. What actually makes the difference to those who keep on track with a new goal and are successful?

When our shiny new resolutions begin to slip, it’s easy to think things like, “What is wrong with me? Why can’t I do it? Do I just need more will power? Do they just want ‘it’ more than I do? Do they have more support?  What if I had more money to hire a fancy personal trainer? Or an assistant to manage my crazy schedule? THEN I will be successful!”

I work with people to make lifestyle changes, and when we are successful, these changes make big positive impacts across their lives, deepening a sense of purpose and building a strong foundation to go forth and be even more awesome. I want to make that difference with people so, of course, I am always nerding it up on new brain science around habit, routine, structure, and what we are now finding about why we do what we do and why we don’t. Here is what I found.

Willpower Is So Yesterday

Put down the bat of self disapproval and shame. Turns out, what was once thought of as low will or being lazy is just lack of planning. Planning can be packing our lunch the night before rather than in the a.m. as we rush out the door. It can also look like a new schedule or bringing the gym shoes to the office so we have no excuses. We are either setting up our environment for success or we’re just mindlessly going with what was already in play. We can plan and create an atmosphere that is physically conducive to making the changes we desire.

Make a Plan for Success and Failure

Plan for what will you do when it fails. When you oversleep (or umm push snooze 5 times), or you have a sick kid, or a deadline that is dropped in your lap, what is your plan for that? What we often define as failure (relapse, falling off the wagon, repeating old patterns we are comfy in that cause us to feel miserable) are all part of what being successful looks like. It teaches us how to dust ourselves off and keep going. Most of life will not go as planned, so having the “oh sugar backup” is where it’s at to getting our well-deserved success.

Track It To Change It

Powerhouse digital companies know this about us, we need a lot of cues to change our behavior, so they are coming up with resources to help us win. Seems everyone is wearing a smart device that measures, track, time and measure our efforts. Tracking can be helpful to show us how we are failing and well, that’s successful. We no longer use the power of will but now can use consistency and accountability.

Remember, a new habit is new and you are in fact learning. There is a curve to this, so allow for it. We can measure it with complicated technical devices or use a pencil and paper, it really doesn’t matter. The key is consistency. How you create the consistency is what will bring you the results you desire.

Again and Again

So if it’s not really willpower, then what is it? Turns out it’s simple, a matter of repetition. We are what we repeatedly do, says Aristotle. What we all want is to turn our new habits into automatic action without thought. What can I do to have automaticity alive and well in my life? According to top scientists and the wisdom of sages throughout history, it’s all about consistency.

Let It Sink In

Give it time. How much time? How much time does it take before a new habit becomes hardwired? Some say a mere 21 days. I have read and heard everything under the stars from the range of 21 days to 180 days. So what is the magic number, really? And why? When you are giving everything you’ve got to making change, it would be nice to know when you can expect your payoff. Just like everything else in life, it depends on the individual and the depth of dive or habit complexity for you. Simply adding a fruit to your daily diet maybe be child’s play for some, while exercising consistency could take a bit more effort. So allow for your own timing to come forth and enjoy the journey.

How To Make It Stick

Plan it. Measure it. Then repeat it and let it sink in. Soon you will have a new habit you don’t even have to think about. Now that is awesome.

Further Reading:

• Keeping Your New Year Resolutions
• Beat Unhealthy Habits and Live Better in 2015
• Developing an Attitude of Gratitude Can Help You Live a Longer, Happier Life
• What to Expect When You Hire a Personal Trainer