The way you start your morning will influence your whole day – and more! Read about five habits that you should practice every morning to stay healthy, lose weight and be more productive.
Eat fruit in the morning
When you eat fruit on an empty stomach, nutrients and fiber can be processed more easily, so you can take full advantage of their benefits. You can eat fruit for breakfast by itself – if added to food or consumed after a meal, fruit may ferment in the intestines. Effective ways to consume fruit in the morning is either as freshly squeezed juice or a smoothie, to which you can add other beneficial ingredients.
Exercise
Prior to grabbing an apple or a banana, do your morning exercises. Studies show that sport done in a state of abstinence – in this case on an empty stomach – helps the body to use more energy reserves, build muscle mass and absorb food consumed after exercise more efficiently. Exercise performed in the morning before breakfast has proven to help the body lose fat faster.
First deal with the most difficult thing on your agenda
Does the thought that you have to exercise scare you? Or are you terrified of the project that you have to submit at the end of the day? Take care of them first. Will is a limited resource – you have plenty of it in the morning, but it begins to deplete as other chores pile up. Start your day with jogging and you will not have to try and convince yourself go to the gym exhausted in the evening. Get rid of the most difficult task in the morning and you will not have to find yourself trying to finish it after 5 o’clock in the afternoon.
Walk or bike to work
You do not have to be told about the stress of commuting to work by public transport or by car. But did you know that people who started to go to walk or ride a bike to work are able to concentrate better and are less stressed than those who drive? In addition, increased physical activity reduces the risk of diabetes.
Get out early in the morning
If you walk or bike to work, you’ll find it easier to keep yourself in shape, and enjoy the sun and fresh air. A study by the Northwestern University showed that people who were exposed to morning sunlight had a lower body mass index than those who were exposed to it later in the day, regardless of their physical activity and calorie intake.
Meditate / pray
Besides the activities above, it is important to start the day in as harmonious way as possible. Your spiritual and emotional energy during a day is given by the things you do during the first hour after you wake up. It’s very useful if you find a few minutes to meditate, pray or simply to induce yourself a good feeling of gratitude and love to accompany you throughout the day.