Living Healthier

Our products and tips for more better days

Living Healthier:
how to get started?

Living Healthier: How to get started

We’re all getting older, but how can we make sure we do it healthily and energetically? Temptations are everywhere: chocolate, a glass of wine, the couch. Sometimes, living a healthy life seems impossible. But guess what? It’s not. Start small, with smart choices that give you energy and balance. Before you know it, you’re living more better days.

Living healthier isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. Step by step, without pressure. We’ll show you the key factors that contribute to a healthy lifestyle and how to seamlessly integrate them into your daily life without stress.

What is a healthy lifestyle?

Lifestyle refers to how you live every day. All those daily choices, big and small, impact your body and mind. A healthy lifestyle ensures that you stay physically and mentally in top shape for as long as possible.

Your lifestyle is made up of various elements, also known as lifestyle factors. Nutrition and exercise are the most well-known, but there’s more. These are the six most important lifestyle factors you can influence:

  • Nutrition
  • Exercise
  • Sleep
  • Relaxation
  • Substances
  • Social connections

Living healthily: Why would you want to?

Living healthily might seem like a challenge. Your schedule is already full, and now you’re supposed to work on six aspects of your lifestyle? Don’t worry: you don’t have to do everything at once. Think of it as a gift to yourself and your loved ones. The benefits often show quickly, but the real success is in the long term. Want to grow old fit and vital? It starts with the choices you make now. (1,2)

With a healthy lifestyle, you reduce the risk of diseases like cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular issues. Prevention is always better than cure. (3) Did you know that a healthy lifestyle can add an average of 10 years of disease-free living? (1) That’s 10 extra years to enjoy friends, family, hobbies, and everything that makes you happy. Who wouldn’t want that?

Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle

A healthy lifestyle is a combination of big and small choices. You don’t have to change everything at once; tackling a new element step by step often works better. Once you start, you’ll find that making healthy choices becomes increasingly easier.Below are tips, divided over the 6 main lifestyle factors, to help you live a bit healthier every day.

1. Nutrition

A healthy diet is about what you do eat and what you might want to avoid. Essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals are crucial to keep your body in top condition. At the same time, much of the food we consume daily contains elements our body doesn’t need and can even harm us in the long run. And whether it’s healthy or unhealthy: consistently overeating simply leads to overweight.

Tip: Prevent Overweight

Overweight and obesity are major predictors of a lower life expectancy and quality. (1) But there’s good news: 70% of your BMI is determined by what you eat. By calculating your calorie needs, you can discover how many calories you need daily, tailored to your goal: losing weight, gaining (muscle mass), or maintaining weight.

Read more: What is a healthy body fat percentage?

Finding it difficult to stay within your recommended calorie intake? Try replacing 1-2 meals a day with a high-quality meal shake.

Tip: Eat More Plant-Based Foods

Vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds: plant-based foods are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other bioactive substances that keep your body healthy.

Struggling to reach those 250 grams of vegetables and 2 pieces of fruit per day? Time to change your approach. Start with a good green juice or sneak extra vegetables and fruits into your snacks and recipes. Need inspiration? Check out our healthy recipes. No time? Supplements can give you that extra boost.

Tip: Minimize Unhealthy Foods

We all know it: not everything we eat and drink is good for us. Some choices even have a negative impact on your health. Choose what truly contributes to a fit and healthy life.

In a healthy lifestyle, avoid products with:

  • Sugar: Not only found in candy and soft drinks but also in many ready-made products.
  • Saturated fats: Present in animal products, cookies, pastries, and snacks.
  • Trans fats: Nowadays mainly found in meat and dairy.
  • Acrylamide: A toxic substance that forms when heating starchy products, such as fried foods, chips, and breakfast cereals.

Tip: Stay Hydrated

Your body consists of 50-70% water, so drinking enough is essential. Aim for 1.5 to 2 liters of fluids per day.

For optimal hydration, it’s best to choose water, tea, coffee, or other sugar-free drinks. Do you exercise a lot? Then you lose a lot of fluids. Try Orangefit® Hydrate: a sugar-free, low-calorie electrolyte powder with a balanced mix of electrolytes. Just mix with water, and you’re back on track.

2. Movement

We move too little and sit too much. A shame, because movement does more than just prevent overweight. It keeps your entire body, from your heart to your muscles and from your brain to your bones, in top shape. (4)

Tip: Move at least 2.5 hours per week

And we mean moderate to intensive activity. Think of activities that make your heart beat faster and your breathing quicken. Sports are, of course, ideal, but you can also make smart choices in your daily routine. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, bike to work or the supermarket, go for a brisk walk during your break, or stand up every half hour for some stretches. Every bit of movement counts.

Tip: Do strength training

Strength training is a must for a healthy lifestyle. Why? Because it helps you keep your muscles and bones strong, burn fat, and boost your confidence. It’s not only good for your physical health but also for your mood and mental well-being. And yes, losing weight and strength training go hand in hand.

3. Sleep

We get it: binge-watching, parties, or scrolling on your phone can be tempting, but for a long and healthy life, getting enough sleep is essential.

At night, your body gets the chance to recover and renew itself. Adequate and high-quality sleep is crucial for a healthy lifestyle.

Tip: Sleep 7-9 hours per night

Some people feel refreshed after 7 hours of sleep, while others need 9. But if you think you can function just fine on less than 6 hours, think again. Consistently sleeping too little increases the risk of overweight, chronic diseases, and a shorter lifespan. (5)

Do you often feel tired, irritable, or forgetful? Chances are, you’re not getting enough sleep. Try extending your sleep time and notice the difference.

Tip: Establish an evening routine

Do you wake up feeling tired despite getting enough sleep? It’s likely due to the quality of your rest. This could be caused by a busy mind or a restless bedroom.

Make your bedroom dark and quiet, put your phone on airplane mode, and turn off the TV at least an hour before bed. Also, stop consuming caffeine well in advance. With the right preparation, you’ll sleep like a baby on vacation.

Substances

Unfortunately, most (recreational) substances don’t fit well into a healthy lifestyle. In fact, many are very harmful to your health. Enjoy, but in moderation!

Tip 1: Don’t smoke

An obvious one: quitting (or never starting) smoking is a big step towards healthy living. In fact, smoking is – along with overweight – perhaps the lifestyle factor with the biggest impact on your health. (1,6)

Easier said than done, but if you care about growing old healthily, smoking is a definite no-go. And yes, this also applies to vaping. You can do it!

Tip 2: Say no to alcohol (more often)

A glass of wine while cooking, a nightcap, or a beer with friends. Alcohol seems to be “just part of life.” But don’t forget: alcohol is just as harmful as hard drugs and highly addictive. (7)

For a healthy life, it’s best to cut alcohol out of your diet completely. If that’s not an option, limit your intake to no more than one glass per day – and no, saving it up is not a good idea.

4. Relaxation

Healthy mind, healthy body. When you think of a healthy lifestyle, you might immediately think of nutrition and exercise, but your mental well-being is just as important. Stress affects your body more than you realize – from your hormones (hello, cortisol) to your blood pressure. Too much stress not only wrecks your mood but also your muscles, heart, and even your immune system. (8) Time to recharge and give your mind a break.

Tip: Do what energizes you

Relaxation works differently for everyone. While one person finds zen in yoga or a massage, another prefers diving into a good book or a creative hobby. Find something that makes you happy. Need inspiration? Try:

  • Nature: Take a walk or hop on a bike.
  • Mindfulness: Focus on your breathing and enjoy the moment.
  • Movement: Yoga or your favorite sport works wonders.
  • Touch: A massage or just cuddling.
  • Music: Put on your favorite playlist or try playing an instrument.

 

5. Substances

Unfortunately, most recreational substances don’t fit well into a healthy lifestyle. In fact, many are very harmful to your health. Enjoy, but in moderation.

Tip 1: Quit smoking

An obvious one, but smoking (or vaping) and a healthy lifestyle don’t mix. It’s one of the biggest silent killers of your health. (1,6) Quitting is tough? Remind yourself why you’re doing it: more and better days.

Tip 2: Limit alcohol

A glass of wine or beer can be fun, but alcohol is just as harmful as hard drugs. (7) For a truly healthy life, it’s best to cut out alcohol entirely, but if that’s not an option, stick to a maximum of one glass per day. Spoiler alert: saving up for the weekend doesn’t count.

6. Social

You might not expect it, but your social life is crucial for your physical health. Research consistently shows that both the quantity and quality of your social connections greatly influence your risk of disease and premature death. (9)

Tip: Choose quality over quantity

When it comes to social connections, it’s all about quality, not quantity. A small, close-knit circle of friends and family with whom you have genuine contact is far more valuable than a large group of casual acquaintances.

Ready for more better days?

Living healthier isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it. Choose your first step and start today. With Orangefit as your wingman, living healthier becomes easier and more fun than ever. You can do this! 🚀

Source

(1) Li, Y. et al. (2020). Healthy lifestyle and life expectancy free of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes: prospective cohort study.

(2) Zhang, Y. et al. (2020). Combined lifestyle factors, all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

(3) Vineis, P. & Wild, C.P. (2014). Global cancer patterns: causes and prevention.

(4) Grazioli, E. et al. (2017). Physical activity in the prevention of human diseases: role of epigenetic modifications.

(5) Olson, E.J. (2023). How many hours of sleep are enough for good health? Mayo Clinic.

(6) RIVM. (Geraadpleegd in oktober 2024). Hoe ongezond is roken?

(7) Jellinek. (Laatste update: juni 2020). Hoe riskant is alcohol in vergelijking met andere drugs?

(8) Johnson, T.C. (2022). What Is Cortisol? WebMD. 

(9) Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T.B. & Layton, J.B. (2010). Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review.