Staying healthy can feel like so much, well, work (think: logging hours at the gym and whipping up nutritious meals from scratch). However, there are plenty of small moves that you can make in your everyday life that will have big health benefits.
We've rounded up 10 practically zero-effort ways to fight disease, whittle your waist, lower stress, and more. Bonus: Many of these good-for-you moves feel good, too. So say sayonara to the old adage, "no pain, no gain" and try these tips today.
8 Lazy Ways To Flatten Your Belly
Protect Your Ticker By Snoozing
Need a good excuse to grab your comfiest set of pajamas and hit the sack? Skimping on shut-eye may do more than make you cranky or unproductive—it also boosts your risk of a heart attack.
According to one Norwegian study, people who reported that they did not wake up feeling refreshed in the morning had a 27 percent higher risk of a heart attack, those who had trouble staying asleep almost every night in the last month had a 30 percent higher risk, and those who had trouble falling asleep almost every night in the last month had odds that jumped to 45 percent.
Some researchers speculate that insomnia might trigger your body to release more of the stress hormone cortisol. High levels of cortisol have been linked with high blood pressure and diabetes, which are both risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Plus, when you're exhausted you may be more likely to make unhealthy choices that up your heart disease risk, such as skipping your workout or reaching for fatty or sugary snacks for a quick energy fix.
10 Ways To Get Your Best Night's Sleep Ever
Ward Off Weight Gain with Protein
You may not have to stress so much about cutting calories: Whether you're packing on the pounds or simply want to maintain your current weight, adding more protein to your dish could be your slim-down secret weapon. Past research has found that protein keeps you feeling full longer than either carbs or fat, so you can eat less and still be satiated.
A new study supports this idea: Researchers from the University of Sydney estimated that the extra calories eaten by participants in their study eating the lowest protein diets could add up to an extra 2.2 pounds of weight gain a month.
Protein is the building block of muscle, and more calories are required to maintain muscle than to preserve fat, which means muscle helps boost your metabolism. Bonus: Foods rich in protein are also filled with zinc and B vitamins, both of which strengthen your immune system to ward off colds and flu.
If you're eating about 1,800 calories a day and want to get 15 percent of your calories from protein, you should aim for about 68 grams of protein. Here are 3 easy protein switches that up your protein intake for the same number of calories or less. Remember, you want to eat more protein—not calories!—to keep your waistline slim.
Instead of…1/2 cup granola with 1 cup berries (7 grams protein, 250 calories) Try…1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese with 1 cup berries (15 grams protein, 131 calories) Instead of…1 ¼ cup mashed potatoes (5 grams protein, 296 calories) Try…1 ¼ cup vegetarian baked beans (15 grams protein, 295 calories) Instead of…6-inch pancake sans butter or syrup (5 grams protein, 175 calories) Try…1 cup low-fat plain yogurt with ½ cup apricots (13 grams protein, 186 calories)
6 Grab And Go Proteins
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More from Prevention:
7 Health Habits That Aren't
11 Fast Fixes For Instant Energy
14 Worst Health Mistakes Even Smart Women Make
7 Kids Foods to Never Eat
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