6 of My Weirdest Healthy Habits

People who are above average when it comes to being healthy might not do some of the weird activities that the people in the 90th percentile and above do in order to keep themselves healthy. At that point, being healthy is more of a lifestyle than an hour of exercise and semi-conscious meal decisions. Here are some of the weirder things that I do to keep myself healthy.

1. Coffee smoothies. – I add grass-fed butter, collagen proteins, and coconut oil to my coffee, turning it into a fat and protein-loaded smoothie, instead of just a stimulant. This usually helps me fast for about 4 hours, the longest period of time in the day when I’m not eating.
2. Squat while you wait. – When I’m waiting in line at the store, at the barber, or outside, I sit into a deep squat instead of standing. You’ve probably heard the term “standing is the new sitting”. Well, it’s not that bad. We weren’t meant to sit all day, but we weren’t meant to stand all day. Squatting is my compromise.
3. Sir lunge-a-lot. – Squatting tightens your hip flexors, and if you’re doing it properly, your ankles start to work to the point where you get tired. To counter this, I do lunges. Sometimes  I’ll even bring around a piece of cloth to put on the ground to prevent my knee from scraping the cement or resting on hard tile.
4. Bed time ritual. – Your before-bed ritual is just as important as your morning routine. Why? Because sleeping is literally the most important part of your overall health; even more important than what you eat and how you exercise. Before bed, I make sure that I’m not being exposed to bright lights, that I’ve created separation from my work and my bedroom (either through meditation, breathing exercises, or restorative yoga), and that I’ve had some fats and proteins to satiate my body.
5. I clean. – Cleaning is external meditation. I usually spend 5 – 10 minutes doing dishes, sweeping the floor, or organizing my work space in order to reduce clutter in my external surroundings to clear out the crap from my internal mind.
6. Posture nazi. – Very rarely will you catch me slouching forward. I’ve policed myself to that point that when I am aware of my posture every time that I am slouching forward. Does that mean that I never slouch? No. But it does mean that I am never unconsciously slouching.

So there’s 6 really simple healthy habits that you can incorporate into your life to be more healthy. Here are some other things that I do that aren’t really that weird, but are habits that aren’t all recognized as mainstream quite yet:

1. Practice gratitude. Thank the universe for what you have, whether that’s the opportunity to choose, a meal, a bed, or a great family.

2. Meditate. Clear your head. Organize your thoughts. Realize that your life isn’t as much of a shitstorm as you think it is.

3. Eat little often. Instead of 3 big meals, split up your meals over the course of the day into 5-6 smaller meals. You won’t crash afterwards.

4. Train moderately. Don’t kill yourself every workout. People think that they have to extremely tired after every workout in order to have had a good workout. This just isn’t true. You want to have some workouts where you are feeling extremely tired afterwards, but if this is happening every time you work out then are probably doing more harm than good. You’re not going to turn into the next winner of the CrossFit Games in one week. Build up your workouts gradually.