A Healthy You Starts with a Healthy Home
“Home” is a word that should have a happy association. However, there may be facets of your home that may be working against your health. Scientists have found that the causes of obesity and chronic illness can be linked to how we arrange and relate to the spaces we live in. It takes a few simple changes to break out of our bad home habits. Here are a few ways your home might be hurting you.
Cupboards Full of Empty Calories
Knowing that your trigger foods are in the kitchen or office desk can derail any healthy eating program – no matter if it’s sweets or chips. Cravings tend to be the most difficult to ignore between 3 p.m. and bedtime. The best way to overcome this obstacle is to keep the tempting foods out of the house. Try going for healthier snack alternatives to fill up your cupboards with.
Too Much Light Into Your Bedroom
Studies have shown a relationship between getting a good night’s sleep and healthy weight. People who sleep in the darkest rooms are less likely to be obese than those sleeping in the lightest rooms according to studies. A connection that is tied to the main sleep hormone produced by our bodies, melatonin. Too little melatonin means that we don’t properly get into sleep mode which results in obesity. It’s time you start looking into blackout curtains and switch all lights off for good night’s sleep.
Always Having Gadgets in the Bedroom
Bringing smartphones and other electronics such as tablets and laptops are destroying your sleep. First starters, the blue light emitted by these devices tricks our brains into thinking we should remain awake. It blocks melatonin production, which is essential to sleep. Researcher have also found that students with access to one electronic device were 1.47 times as likely to be overweight as kids with no devices in the bedroom.
Plates and Bowls are the Wrong Size and Color
When we put the same amount of food on a big plate and then on a moderately sized plate, we perceive that the amount of food on the larger plate as being less because you can see more plate showing. Subconsciously when we serve food onto bigger plates, we want to fill the empty space and end up piling more. This can result in the consumption of more calories. The solution to this is to create a greater degree of contrast between the food you’re eating the plate it’s sitting on.
Fruit is Hiding in the Fridge
If you place healthy food in an area where you can’t see it, you’re less likely to eat it. There’s no need to keep the fruits refrigerated, when you can keep them out for an aesthetic appeal. Start by getting yourself a fruit bowl and fill it will colorful, healthful fruits like apples, oranges, mangoes, pears and more.
Thermostat is Set Too High
Studies show that simply blasting the air conditioner or turning down the heat in winter may help us attack belly fat while we sleep. Colder temperatures enhance the effectiveness of the fat that keeps you warm by helping you burn through the fat stored in your belly.
A Cozy Living Room
It’s tempting to come home after a long day to your cozy couch and not move until bedtime. However, whether you’re reading, doing homework, working from home – sitting for so long is bad. Sitting can detrimental to health because the less we move, the less fuel we require – the surplus blood sugar floods the bloodstream and contributes to diabetes and other weight-related risks.
Exercise Gear Tucked Away
When exercise gear is out of sight, not once do you think about working out – which can leave you out of shape. Relocate your workout necessities to places in the house where you’ll always have them in sight. This way your more likely to workout and stay in shape.
