70 healthy habits for the Queen’s 70-year reign

To celebrate the Queen’s jubilee, we’ve put together a list of 70 healthy habits that we think must be the secret to the Queen’s long reign. At Second Nature, we believe in small and sustainable habit changes that add up over time to produce big results. The focus might be on the Queen this week, but why not take the time to pick out a new healthy habit for yourself? Here are 70 ideas to get you inspired.

70 healthy habits

1. Eat a new vegetable each week
2. Start a gratefulness journal
3. Read a good book outside in the sunshine
4. Cook at least one meal a day from scratch
5. Swap fruit juices or fizzy drinks for water/ herbal tea
6. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
7. Stop calorie counting
8. Buy a reusable water bottle and keep it on your desk
9. Swap refined carbohydrates for wholegrain carbohydrates
10. Ditch low-fat products
11. Eat carbohydrates every day, they help to fuel our bodies
12. Take the stairs instead of the lift when you can
13. imit takeaways to twice a week
14. Try exercising with a friend (it’s way more fun)
15. Have a source of protein at each meal
16. Eat a nutritious and balanced breakfast each morning
17. Schedule your workouts in advance
18. Spend more time outdoors
19. Do one random act of kindness each week. e.g posting a card to your friend, looking after your neighbour’s dog
20. Sit down to eat your meals instead of eating on the go
21. Put on your favourite song and dance around
22. Listen to feel-good music or podcast
23. Practice deep breathing for 2 mins a day
24. Get to bed 20 mins earlier
25. Avoid screen time for 1 hour before bed
26. Increase your daily step count
27. Spend time catching up with friends and family
28. Plan your meals ahead of time
29. Snack on whole foods rather than processed alternatives
30. Stop labelling foods as ‘treats, syns, or cheat’
31. Focus on positive self-talk
32. Practice 5-mins of meditation each day
33. Try one new recipe a week
34. Say positive affirmations out loud each morning
35. Wear brightly coloured clothing if you want to
36. Avoid food and drinks containing artificial sweeteners
37. Focus on achievements that aren’t related to your weight (fitness, confidence)
38. Eat distraction-free (e.g. not in front of the tv or while on my phone)
39. Add extra vegetables to every meal you have
40. Reduce your alcohol intake
41. Have a glass of water in-between alcoholic drinks
42. Snack on exercise (e.g squats while waiting for the kettle to boil)
43. Take hot drinks without sugar
44. Avoid caffeine after midday to improve sleep
45. Put enough food on your plate to keep you full until the next meal
46. Pausing and engaging with your senses when you eat e.g. How does this food taste? smell? feel?
47. Prepare healthy snacks to have to hand for the week ahead
48. Aim for half your plate to be filled with vegetables
49. Be kinder to yourself
50. Find alternative outlets for emotions other than food, such as puzzles, podcasts, or speaking to a friend
51. Unfollowing social media accounts that promote unrealistic body images
52. Avoid the all or nothing mindset
53. Prepare packed lunches for the week ahead
54. Find a form of exercise that you really enjoy e.g yoga, Zumba, boxing
55. Get up every hour from your desk to do 1 minute of activity (squats, star jumps, stretching)
56. Write a to-do list at the end of each day to help you feel in control
57. Swap milk chocolate for 70% dark chocolate when you fancy something sweet
58. Allow yourself to eat a certain food (e.g. biscuits, pizza) when you feel like it, but eat mindfully and distraction-free
59. Calling a different friend or family member for a chat once a week
60. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day
61. Aim to be outside in nature for at least 10 minutes each day
62. Turn off unnecessary notifications on your phone/tablet
63. Take a shopping list to the supermarket to avoid any spontaneous purchases
64. Take at least 15 minutes to eat your meals
65. Swap coffee catch-ups with friends for walks instead
66. Read 10 pages of your book before bed rather than scroll on electronic devices
67. Set a daily steps goal and look for opportunities to walk more
68. Take a vitamin D supplement daily
69. Replace negative thoughts about your appearance with positive ones
70. Reach out to friends and family when you’re struggling and need support

70 healthy habits is a lot, so we recommend choosing one or two habits that you think you can easily slot into your life. At Second Nature, we take a holistic approach to health, so our healthy habits cover mindset, nutrition and exercise! There’s plenty to choose from, so you can find one that works for you! Let us know what you’ll be choosing in the comments below.