The Ultimate Guide to Taking Care of Your Health & Your Body

An Introduction to Body Care

Learning how to take care of your body properly is essential for both your physical and mental health. The two are interdependent, and there are many different aspects you must consider.

It’s about more than what you eat, how much you weigh, and whether or not you exercise, though all of those things are certainly important. When considering your body, skin care is important and a healthy sleep schedule is imperative. We cover the three main pillars of physical health to help you better understand how they work together and contribute to wellness.

Why Should You Look after Your Body?

It’s likely that you’ve been told to eat well and exercise your entire life, but has anyone ever explained to you exactly why that is? The systems in our bodies are interconnected. Your nervous system affects your mental health, your gut health can affect your hormones, and sleep can impact virtually every aspect of everyday life. What you eat can affect your hair, skin, and nails.

When one system falls off balance it creates a domino effect that ripples throughout the rest of our physical selves. It’s imperative to learn how these systems work, how caring for your body can keep things in check, and learn to recognize signs that something is wrong.

You must look at caring for your body as a comprehensive, 360-degree approach. As a puzzle of sorts that is only complete when all the pieces are properly in place.

What Does “Caring for Your Body” Mean?

Each person requires individualized body care tips. Not only do our needs differ based on any specific underlying medical conditions or health conditions we may have, but our needs are ever-changing. It’s essential to learn how to take care of your body as you age, as your needs will change. Additionally, men and women have different needs, as do children. At GR8NESS, we don’t leave anyone out of the conversation.

Whether you follow a specific diet protocol, have questions regarding pregnancy, have unique fitness goals, or anything else, we have you covered. If you’re looking for pain management tips, foods for gut health, or information on topics such as hypertension and diabetes, we’re here for you.

Of course, the importance of body care goes beyond these things. When you need information regarding skin care, ways to treat inflammation, ways to improve your respiratory health, or simple tips to ease cold symptoms, the information in this guide can help you significantly.

How to Take Care of Your Body

There are many elements to consider when wanting to learn more about how to look after your body. However, it’s always best to start with the basics and get into the more detailed, granular parts later.

When you address the three main points of physical health, sleep, nutrition, and physical activity in an individualized way that is best for you, you will begin to see positive results fairly quickly. Then, you can move onto more specialized aspects of body care to hone in particular areas that interest you.

The Pillars of Physical Health

To begin caring for your body, look at the three pillars of physical health. Just as self-care has many pillars, such as psychological, physical, emotional, and social, physical health has several components as well. In fact, body care falls under the larger umbrella of self-care and overall wellness, and is crucial to living your best, most productive life.

Physical Activity

The first pillar of physical health is physical activity. Physical activity encompasses not just exercise, but also focuses on getting the right kind of exercise for your unique body. It’s also more than developing a fitness routine; physical activity includes things like making sure you get up and walk around periodically throughout the day and stretch your muscles out. Your physical routine will be different than any other person’s.

Perhaps you need low-impact exercise ideas due to joint issues, or maybe you’re looking to build muscle. Identifying your needs and building the right routine around those needs is essential. If you have questions regarding what sort of fitness plan is right for you, consult with your doctor for ideas.  Then, come back to GR8NESS for fitness tips that can help with that routine.

Sleep

The second pillar of physical health is developing a healthy sleep pattern. It is easier said than done. With only so many hours in a day and so much to do, many people find themselves staying up late into the night and then rising early. Alternately, some individuals have a tendency to oversleep, which leads to an entirely different set of health issues and concerns.

Your sleep pattern affects everything from your mood to your memory, your level of energy to your attention span. It’s no secret that many individuals struggle with developing a healthy sleep routine, and many suffer from insomnia. However, oftentimes you don’t need to turn to medication to lull yourself off to dreamland. There are many natural sleep remedies available, ranging from breathing techniques to herbs, yoga poses to ambient noise and aromatherapy.

And if you’re a parent, you know how difficult it can be to help infants and small children stay on a healthy sleep schedule. We have tips and advice for you too, because you’re never too young to start building healthy habits.

Nutrition

When you’re looking for nutrition advice, GR8NESS is the place to turn. Whether you’re looking for everyday healthy eating tips, information on how to get all your vitamins naturally, or follow a specific diet, there are articles for you.

Getting the right nutrition for your body and needs is key. Again, different health conditions, age, and gender all play a role in developing an individualized approach to eating right. You’ve heard that you are what you eat. When you eat GR8, you feel GR8, and become the GR8EST version of yourself.

We feature healthy recipes that you can make any night of the week, recipes that respect allergies and food sensitivities, as well as recipes and food suggestions to promote gut health, boost your immune system, and explain the benefits of many superfoods. One thing is for sure–there are no boring recipes here. Only delicious, fun-to-make and fun-to-eat creations that anyone can make.

What Are the Benefits of Body & Health Care?

The importance of body care goes well beyond the physical benefits, although of those there are many. When you don’t look after your body it can lead to a myriad of negative effects on the rest of your life, too.

Your mental health can suffer, as you may experience mood swings, irritability, depression, or anxiety from improper nutrition, a lack of physical activity, and unhealthy sleeping habits.

Additionally, when you don’t feel well physically it can negatively affect your self-image, making you feel less confident in yourself, more withdrawn and isolated, and doubting your true potential. We know you’re GR8, which is why we’re here to provide tips to take care of your body so you stay in fantastic shape mentally, as well as physically.

When we begin to experience symptoms associated with poor mental health and self-image, it can damage not just our own psyches, but also our relationships with others, professional careers, and more. Remember, everything is connected.

At GR8NESS, we take a holistic approach to health. You’ll find articles that will help you perform a body cleanse if you’re looking to reset your gut or detox from sugar, and we let you know what foods may help different medical conditions or help alleviate symptoms.

What Is the Importance of Body Care?

If you’re still wondering if body care tips are right for you, let’s look at the true importance of it all. Aside from contributing to your mental health, social health, and emotional health, how well you care for your body now will impact you for many years to come.

When you take care of your body now, implementing as many health tips as possible, as recommended by your doctor, the better your future will be. Preventative care is always better than reactive care, and we provide GR8 information on how to take care of your body as you age.

The healthier you are now, and the more you maintain positive habits, the healthier you are bound to be as you get older. This can increase your lifespan and decrease the chances of developing chronic health conditions and illnesses.

Additionally, you’ll feel better now. Many individuals report feeling more energetic, happier, and even more accomplished as they begin to dive deeper into the world of holistic body care.

Getting Started Taking Care of Your Health

Whether you’re just dipping your toe into changing your body care routine, or you’re a body care guru, we have information for you. If you’re somewhere in the middle that’s GR8 too. We’re happy to have you here with us.

To get started on your journey to better body care, slow and easy does it. Changes that may seem small and insignificant add up to a much larger picture and can make a huge difference. Take joy in each of these small victories along the way.

Starting to change your body care routine will involve several steps. First, you’ll want to develop a plan that’s unique to your needs and individual lifestyle to address the three pillars we spoke about before. We’ll talk about building a better sleep routine, easing into a fitness routine, and all sorts of ways you can take care of your body that you may have never thought of before.

Body Care Tips for Beginners

If you’re reading the body care tips for beginners section, congratulations! You’re already on your way to better health and wellness. The first step of any journey is deciding to pursue it, and here you are. Welcome!

We recommend that you pick one or two habits to focus on as you’re starting out, and master those before you expand your horizon. Remember that small steps add up to miles, and sometimes when we bite off more than we can chew we become discouraged and give up. Today, pick just one thing you want to work on, and then pick one small action that can help you reach that goal.

Once you pick these goals, turn your actionable steps into habits. We know that this is easier said than done. At first, habits take a lot of work. You may have to consciously force yourself to take that mile walk or fight off some serious sugar cravings, for example. However, the longer you go the easier it becomes and eventually these actions become second nature. Start introducing new habits and goals as you go.

It’s common to get off track, sometimes. In fact, it happens to all of us. Even the most avid fitness enthusiasts miss a day at the gym. Even those who are skincare superstars forget to wash their makeup off sometimes. It’s part of human nature. The key is not to get discouraged. If you get off track it’s totally okay. Forgive yourself, brush it off, and then keep moving forward.

Developing a Body Care Plan

Every idea needs a plan, and every accomplishment is the result of a plan. Thinking about improving body care will not yield results and if you’re just starting out you may feel slightly overwhelmed. Don’t worry, we’re here to help.

The best way to achieve your goals is to develop your own plan, based on your needs, schedule, and lifestyle. We suggest building one plan per health pillar, and then climb the ladder on each one.

How to Create a Plan

To create a plan, following these steps. You may need to change your schedule or plans as you go and learn what works best for you.

1. Take an inventory of your current activity level, sleep schedule, and diet. How much do you move each day? How often do you work out? How much are you sleeping and what are you eating (or not eating) regularly?
2. Set a goal of where you would like to be. Do you want to make it a point to get up and walk around the office every hour? Do you want to be able to lift 100 lbs? Maybe you want to wake up an hour earlier each day or switch to a plant-based diet. Write this goal down somewhere and hang it where you can see it as motivation.
3. Think of three small ways you can help yourself start working towards your goal. Write them down. Set alarms on your phone if you find it helpful.
4. Measure your progress. Reward yourself when you hit a milestone, such as taking one step towards your goal every day for a week.
5. As your actionable steps become easier with practice, add more challenging habits to adapt.

Developing Better Sleep Habits

Developing healthy sleep habits is essential. If you’re not getting enough sleep, sleeping too much, or are not getting good quality sleep, the rest of your physical self will suffer. You will not have the energy you need to support a healthy level of physical activity, and it can cause food cravings and slow your metabolism.

There are many ways that you can ensure you get a better night’s rest:

• Turn off your electronics an hour before bedtime
• Meditate before bedtime
• Use ambient or white noise machines
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol
• Go to sleep at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning
• Avoid sleeping in on weekends

You can also try adding herbal teas, such as chamomile, to your bedtime routine to help you relax and unwind. Many people find this soothing. Additionally, try breathing techniques for sleep. They help slow your mind, ease tension from your body, and lull you to a sense of calm.

Starting a Physical Activity Routine

Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a “gym person” you can get a GR8 physical activity routine going. And in today’s world you can find lots of digital support. We found that these motivational fitness apps help us to stay on track. Give them a try to see if they help you too.

Other ways to start a physical activity routine include:

• Pick an exercise you enjoy or try new activities until you find your favorite
• Block out a specific time on specific days to exercise
• Incorporate movement into your everyday life: set a timer to get up once an hour and walk around the office, take the stairs not the elevator, park far away from the door.
• Find a workout buddy to hold you accountable and make exercise fun
• Find a workout calendar online that you can follow for the month
• Stop making excuses, instead counter the thoughts with encouragement
• Make a list of fitness motivationals
• Make a mood board of your goals to reference when you’re feeling discouraged

Making Changes to Your Eating Habits

Changing the way we eat can be one of the most challenging things when learning how to care for your body. We love our favorite foods, and sometimes those foods aren’t good for us. And, it’s everywhere. There are parties, date nights out, lunches at the office, and times when you have to grab food on-the-go. But nutrition is a huge part of physical self-care.

The key is to cut back on those not-so-healthy foods and incorporate more power foods into your diet. You don’t have to become a clean eater overnight, but rather start making small changes to your eating habits that can make a big difference.

Small, easy changes to your diet that you can make include:

• Make it a point to eat one fresh fruit and veggie a day
• Try the whole-grain versions of bread and pasta
• Try “swap” recipes, such as cauliflower and chickpeas as substitutes for carbs
• Avoid eating late at night
• Meal prep for the week
• Pack lunch to take with you to work or school
• Make “overnight” breakfasts that you can grab-and-go in the morning
• Opt for veggies as your side at restaurants
• Order dressing and sauces on the side
• When eating out, save half your food to take home

Ensure You Stay Hydrated

Water is the essence of life, and as much as 60% of the human body alone is made up of H2O. Your brain and lungs have even more. Staying hydrated is essential. It keeps your cells going and keeps your muscular skeletal system working properly. It also helps your metabolism, aids proper digestion, and so much more.

But how much water should you drink a day? We hear the eight, 8 oz glasses rule, but that isn’t true for everyone. Learn how much you need to function at optimal capacity.

Ways to make sure you get enough water include:

• Drink one glass of water before each meal
• Use a water bottle that blinks or buzzes as a reminder
• Download an app on your phone that will alert you to drink more water

Incorporating Skincare into Your Routine

Skincare is more than makeup and beauty products. Your skin goes through a lot, and it’s what faces the world. It’s important that you care for it to maintain vitality as you age. We’re not just talking about preventing fine lines and wrinkles, but also protecting your skin against the sun, toxic ingredients in beauty products, treating acne, and so much more.

Whether you have dry skin, oily skin, chronic acne, or a multitude of other skincare concerns, we have information for you. With advice on clean, all-natural beauty products that won’t harm your skin or the environment, and holistic remedies for treating common ailments, we cover it all.

Physical Health Activities for Beginners

If you’re just starting out on your journey to improving your physical health you may be looking for ideas on how to get started. We’re here to help. On GR8NESS, you will find new activities and challenges for health and wellness that we update regularly. You’ll never get bored with the fresh content available to you, with actionable ideas you can bring into your everyday life.

Ideas for physical health activities for beginners include:

• Going on a sugar detox
• Doing a body cleanse and resetting your gut
• Developing a meditation routine
• Practicing breath work
• Starting to meal prep
• Trying a new style of eating, such as the Mediterranean diet
• Finding exercise routines for beginners or trying a new kind of exercise
• Increasing your water intake
• Incorporating more fresh foods into your diet
• Regulating your sleep schedule
• Check-in with your grooming routine, ensuring your hair, skin, and nails are in GR8 condition

Once you begin incorporating these small activities into your daily life you can dive deeper into how to take care of your body based on your specific needs.

Resources for Beginners

To make your journey a little easier, we’ve compiled a list of resources for those who are just dipping their toe into the waters of all things related to body care. We know that at first the process can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.

GR8 resources for beginners:

• Learn how late-night eating can negatively affect heart health
• See how you can develop a new fitness routine in just 30 days
• Find out your body type so you can care for it accordingly
• Learn all about body positivity and embrace your unique qualities
• Take our quiz to see if you may have a vitamin deficiency

These articles are an excellent place to start, laying the foundation for improving your health and well-being. Once you know the basics, you can plan the next steps in your routine.

Going Deeper in Your Body Care Experience

Once you master the basics of how to care for your body, you’ll likely crave more. As you begin to feel better both physically and mentally you will need a GR8ER challenge to continue moving forward. Activities that were once difficult will become easier and we’re here to help you push yourself to new heights.

As you go deeper in your body care experience, you will find ways to increase the intensity of your physical activity, continue developing healthy sleep habits, and find new nutrition challenges to overcome. We’ll provide you with tips to create a full-body skincare routine and continue helping you find new activities to bring into your daily life.

Challenge Yourself Physically

Now that you have a physical activity routine in place, it’s time to take it up a notch. It doesn’t have to be by leaps and bounds, but slowly increase the intensity of your workouts. If you currently walk half a mile every evening, try increasing the distance to one mile.

Similarly, if you participate in beginner yoga classes or strength training exercises, give a more advanced course or workout a shot. It may be challenging at first, but just as when you began this journey, the more intense routines will become easier over time. You will also begin to feel a deeper sense of accomplishment and you will notice your mood and self-esteem continue to improve.

Improve the Quality of Your Sleep

While getting enough sleep is an excellent start to adjusting your schedule, the quality of your sleep matters too. Learn more advanced techniques such as yoga poses to help you sleep, breathing techniques to promote deeper sleep, and ways to help yourself rise naturally in the morning with more energy.

When you improve your quality of sleep you will feel more invigorated throughout the day, happier, and more efficient. Learning ways to help yourself stay asleep throughout the night and get the deep sleep your body and mind need is key.

Nutrition Challenges

Now that you are implementing small changes to your nutrition plan, you may want to challenge yourself to make more significant shifts. Perhaps you’ve cut down on your sugar intake and begun eating more fresh fruits and veggies. Maybe you’ve even dabbled in a new eating style, like Paleo or vegetarian. Let’s keep going and revamp your diet even more.

This is the time to try things like temporary diet plans, say where you cut out carbs entirely for a set period. Or, participate in nutrition challenges and body cleanses that last longer and cut out unhealthy foods entirely. If you have slowly been making the switch to vegetarian or vegan, see if you can make the jump entirely. It’s time to really get down to business and kick things into gear.

A Full-Body Skincare Routine

In the beginning you may have gotten down the basics of caring for your skin based on your unique skin type, learning how to properly exfoliate, cleanse, and moisturize and begun experimenting with clean beauty products. Now it’s time to really dive into taking care of your full body.

This may be the perfect time to learn how to make your own skin care products at home, completely detox your makeup bag, and learn how to manage conditions such as dry skin or eczema. Many individuals don’t realize that diet plays a large role in maintaining healthy skin, and that many skin conditions are aggravated by food sensitivities. Take a look back at the changes in your diet and any changes in your skin to see if there is a connection. If so, maintain the positive changes.

If you’re still experiencing issues such as dry skin, oily skin, acne, or redness and bumps, now is the time to begin looking at environmental factors and nutrition to improve your ailments.

Activities for Body Care Enthusiasts

You may not be a body care beginner anymore, but it’s important to maintain all those GR8 habits you formed when you began this journey. It’s also time to build upon them and expand your horizons for better physical care.

Activities for body care enthusiasts include:

• Making your own makeup and beauty products
• Taking an intermediate fitness class
• Increasing the number of days a week you workout
• Trying a more advanced diet or cleanse
• Becoming more in tune with your sleep cycle
• Learning more about what works for your unique body care needs

Resources for Enthusiasts

Now that you’re a body care enthusiast you’re likely hungry for more tips and advice to keep your momentum going. We have you covered. There are many ways that you can continue to deepen your experience as you learn how all the systems of your body work together.

GR8 resources for enthusiasts:

• Learn how your gut bacteria can help you gain muscle strength
• Train for your specific body type
• Learn new ways to improve your quality of sleep
• Learn the nutritional benefits of each fresh food
• Keep finding new ways to stay hydrated

As you can see, deepening your body care experience centers on nurturing the habits you have already developed and taking them to the next level.

Becoming a Master of Caring for Your Body

As you continue on your journey, one day you may wake up and realize that you’re now a body care master. It’s taken some time to get to this point, yet the effort was undoubtedly worth it. You feel GR8, your outlook on life is more positive, and your confidence levels are rising by the day. Congratulations!

Now that you’ve become a master of caring for your body, it’s time to do more than simply make your health a hobby. It’s time to make it a true lifestyle. You may find that you wish to continue your health education professionally, or become active on social media and share your journey with others.

Making Health More Than a Hobby

Is health and body care your new passion? Do you find yourself devoting more and more time to researching, learning, and participating in health-related activities such as working out, finding new recipes, or improving your daily habits? You may want to take it one step further and make health more than a hobby.

How to turn your new passion into something more:

• Pursue a certification as a dietician, personal trainer, or yoga instructor
• Go back to school and earn a degree in a health-related field
• Find a career in the health field you’re most interested in
• Spread your knowledge to others

Participate in a Sleep Study

Professional sleep studies can unveil a lot about your body. For instance, they can uncover whether or not your body properly moves through each cycle of sleep. They can also provide insight to conditions such as snoring and sleep apnea, chronic insomnia, chronic fatigue, and vivid dreams.

These studies are non-invasive, are not painful, and measure biological mechanisms such as brain activity, rapid eye movement, the rhythm of your heart and breath rate, and more. All of these things can help your physician develop a plan to better meet your body’s needs based on individualized data.

Develop Your Own Recipes

By now you’ve probably tried your fair share of nutritious recipes, either from GR8NESS or other sources. While we will continuously post healthy meal ideas for you to try, we encourage you to get creative and start experimenting in the kitchen on your own.

Now that you know your favorite spice and seasoning combinations, your favorite fresh foods, and what elements of nutrition your body needs most, we say get to cooking! Mix and match ingredients and see what delicious, healthy combinations you come up with. Be bold and daring with it.

Take Your Health to the Next Level

As a master of body care, it’s essential to monitor and maintain your health. Do a quick inventory to see what areas you may need to check in with a doctor in the near future.

Medical care to consider:

• When was your last annual physical?
• When was your last dental exam?
• Learn what medical specialists men should see
• Learn what medical specialists women should see
• Are there any specialists, such as a dermatologist, that you need to see?
• When was the last time you had bloodwork done?
• Are you keeping up with your vitamin and medication regimen?
• Are there any ailments you still have that you can’t seem to solve?

Also continue to incorporate any holistic treatment therapies you find effective into your routine, such as taking CBD supplements, seeing a chiropractor, or using natural remedies to help with everyday ailments.

Physical Care Activities for Gurus

Think back to when you started your journey and all of the milestones you’ve reached along the way. Those physical care activities that once seemed so challenging are now part of your daily routine, but you can keep going and learn more new skills.

Physical care activities for gurus include:

• Master an entirely new type of exercise routine, such as HIIT or CrossFit
• Continue regular body cleanses, resetting your gut, and detoxing your lungs
• Integrate physical well-being into your home: build an in-home gym, revamp your refrigerator to conductively store fresh foods so they last longer, create a grooming station with your new products, or re-do your bedroom for better sleep
• Try advanced exercise calendars
• Participate in a marathon or fitness competition
• Start your own physical care blog or start documenting your journey on social media

As you go, you will find certain areas of interest that attract you more than others. Keep building on those interests.

Resources for Body Care Gurus

Body care gurus are always on the hunt for new information, and at GR8NESS we never fail to deliver. We’re here for the body care beginner and the body care master alike. No matter where you are on your journey, we have content just for you.

Resources for body care gurus:

• Take a 21-day challenge to a healthier you
• Learn about plants that help clean your lungs
• Learn more about transitioning to a plant-based diet
• Learn about the benefits of lymphatic draining
• Learn what blood tests you should get based on your family medical history

Body Care Activities, Tips, and Ideas

If you’re looking for more information on how to take care of your body, we have plenty of activities, tips, and ideas on our site. We encourage you to check them all out, find your favorites, and follow along for new content daily.

For more activities, tips, and ideas:

• Learn how to overcome body insecurity
• Learn these 5 surprising things breathwork can help
• Check out the ultimate gut health guide
• Read the complete men’s health guide
• Learn how to lose weight the healthy way
• Try these healthy recipes for the weekend
• Get tips to remind yourself to drink more water
• Learn how to maintain your immune system

With these resources, you’re well on your way to becoming a master of body care. We’re happy to have you as part of the GR8NESS self-care community.

A Note from GR8NESS

GR8NESS.com and its content contributors may provide information about various health and medical conditions and products. Such information is not a substitute for advice provided by a licensed physician or other medical professional. Always consult a licensed physician or medical professional to determine what treatment, if any, is appropriate for you.