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Taking good care of your health is vital for obvious reasons but, more often than not, we put our health and wellness aside because of all the other stuff we have on our agenda every single day. Our job, never-ending deadlines, kids – we put all that first, and only think about our health when we find a few minutes to spare.

Needless to say, that is not the way to live a healthy life. You need to put your health first because all your daily tasks and obligations will still be there waiting for you. Don’t blame it on them and the lack of free time, and start taking the steps to improve your health right now. The sooner you start, the sooner you will feel much better and significantly improve the quality of your life.

There are plenty of health and wellness trends that pop up every year, but what every single long list of trends has in common are several true classics that stick around. Read on to learn what those are and why they should be a part of your everyday routine.

Take Care of Your Gut Flora

Your gut health is essential for your overall health, so you need to make sure you take really good care of your gut flora. You need to listen to your gut, in the literal sense, and make some changes if it tells you that some foods simply don’t agree with you.

As you certainly know, it all starts with your diet. After all, you are what you eat, as they say. Make sure you eat a lot of plant-based probiotic foods, such as pickles, sauerkraut, tempeh, and kefir, because they will stimulate the production of good bacteria that will fight off the bad bacteria in your gut.

The same goes for prebiotic foods, such as onion, garlic, broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, bananas, and apples, to name just a few. Also, avoid fast food, as it contains a lot of sugar and fat, and lower your sugar intake in order to keep bad bacteria away from your gut.

Work on Your Strength

When I say that you should work on your strength, I don’t exclusively mean hitting the gym and lifting weights. That’s usually the first thing that pops into people’s minds when they hear about strength exercises, but there are a lot of other physical activities that can help you improve your strength and flexibility.

Why is this important? Because you will improve the health and function of your muscles and joints, and successfully avert a lot of dangerous health conditions. You will also improve your posture and lower the risk of injuries, not to mention that you will simply feel a lot better in general, and you will maintain a healthy weight.

Cycling, hiking, jogging, walking up a hill, walking up the stairs, Tae Bo, Pilates, and even dancing are all activities that can improve your muscle strength and significantly boost your health. If you start playing a sport, even better! The key is to take the time to engage in a physical activity regularly since that will completely turn your life around.

Take Your Vitamins – Improve Your Immune System

You need to make sure that your immune system is in top condition, because how else are you going to fight off illnesses? This is especially important now, what with the season change and everyone around you coughing and sneezing all the time.

Foods rich in protein and antioxidants are crucial for the immune system, but you shouldn’t forget to take your vitamins as well. You can find Vitamin A in spinach, kale, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, apricots, papaya, and berries. Enrich your health and strengthen your immune system with Vitamin B6 by eating salmon, tuna, chicken, green vegetables, beans, nuts, and pistachios.

Don’t forget about Vitamin C, as it is one of the greatest boosters of the immune system. You can find it in strawberries, kiwi, papaya, pineapple, guava, broccoli, kale, spinach, parsley, bell peppers and, of course, citrus fruits, such as lemon, lime, oranges, mandarins, tangerines, and grapefruit.

Let’s not forget about vitamins D (dairy products, salmon, tuna, egg yolks, etc.) and E (avocado, spinach, sweet potato, nuts, and seeds), as they also play a huge part in strengthening your immune system.

Look for Essential Oils

Did you know that essential oils can provide you with health benefits? People have been using them for centuries to get relief from pain or to deal with various side effects from certain medications. They are a huge part of aromatherapy, obviously, but that’s because they can really improve one’s physical and mental health.

Essential oils can eliminate pain, such as headaches, reduce skin inflammation, reduce stress and anxiety, help you get rid of nausea and fight depression, and help you relax and sleep better, to name just a few of the numerous benefits. Just make sure you use 100% pure essential oils because only then will you experience real therapeutic effects.

Consult Your Doctor

Last but not least, you should consult your doctor about the best tips for leading a healthy lifestyle and making sure that your health and wellness always stay in top condition. Now, this is not something you would think of as a “trend”, but it should definitely be on your list of priorities, not only for 2018 but… well, forever.

Make it a habit to visit your doctor on a regular basis to talk about all the activities that you should engage in, habits you should have and foods you should eat, because your doctor will provide you with the best possible advice, having a clear insight into your unique needs and lifestyle.

Many people look at these health and wellness trends as just temporary solutions for getting their health back on track, and they go about living the way they used to once they feel a little better. You don’t want to do that. Take care of your body and health by always following these tips and take a huge step towards a much healthier and happier life.