Health Hacks You Won’t Find Anywhere Else!

Based on the four minutes of research I just did, the most popular blog posts are about health and fitness. And while there’s countless trendy diets and new exercise regimens, most health experts recommend the same basic things: eat a balanced diet, work out regularly, drink lots of water and get plenty of sleep. Ya know why? Because those things work!

I admit I’m no fitness guru, but I have become increasingly interested in health and wellness over the past year. I try to do the basic things above, and they have definitely helped.

However, I have a few additional strategies I use to increase my consistency and results. To the best of my knowledge, I’m the only one recommending these three #HealthHacks:

3. See Junk Food as Work

I was always the guy who finished off whatever anyone else didn’t eat at a meal. If I saw a dessert or snack laying around, I’d scarf it up. So trust me when I say I know it’s hard to resist baked goods or salty, crunchy snacks.

To help me put the brakes on when I see a donut, some ice cream, or a bag of chips, I visualize how much work it will take me to burn off those empty calories. Like when I see a donut (about 300 calories), I know I would have to bike pretty hard for 30 minutes to burn that off. I don’t have that kind of time! Seeing junk food as a chore very often shuts down my interest in it.

Another way to frame it is, when you look at questionable food, ask yourself “Where on my body do I want this to end up?” Odds are, you don’t want it anywhere! If you don’t want it on your body, don’t put it in your body.

Of course I still enjoy an unhealthy treat now and then — if you don’t bend a little, you’ll break — but I can usually make smarter choices with this simple mind trick.

2. Fidget More

Exercise is important, but most people burn the majority of their calories just going through their normal day. It takes a lot of energy just to keep your body running — doing 30 minutes of cardio helps, but it doesn’t compare with your inner workings and daily movement.

So, yes, I still exercise (about 45 minutes a day), but I bet I burn just as many calories simply shifting around while I’m standing, sitting, or driving. There are several studies that indicate fidgety people live longer, and part of the reason for that is that they burn more calories all day just moving a bit more than their more sedentary counterparts.

Now, you might look weird bouncing your legs during meetings or fluttering your hands as you walk, so I tend to do my fidgeting while I’m in the car. I call it “Commut-ercising.” Basically, I put on some upbeat music during my drive to and from work, and I groove along to the beat. (If you’re worried about other drivers giving you weird looks, just wiggle from the waist down. No one will see!) I have no specific data to prove I’m burning significant calories, but it must be better than just sitting there, plus it puts me a better mood — win-win!

1. Brush Your Teeth!

For me, this trick probably provides the most bang for the buck. Of course everyone should brush their teeth daily, but I take it further: I brush my teeth after every time I eat (and I eat every 3 hours).

Why so much teeth-brushing? Two reasons: one, I have very sensitive teeth because I didn’t take care of them as a kid, so it really bothers me to have anything on my teeth after I eat. But more importantly, after I brush my teeth, I really don’t want to eat anything else. Most things tastes gross right after brushing, and I’ve conditioned myself to brush after I eat, so eating any more would mean I have to brush yet again. Like I said before, I don’t have time for that! The more you can associate negative behaviors with unpleasantness (i.e. work or wasted time), the more you won’t want to do them.

So there you have it: three of my favorite, simple #HealthHacks to make nutrition and exercise a little easier. If you’re really hungry for more tips, check out my forthcoming “Health Supplement” with even more helpful habits I use to improve my overall well-being!