30 ways to wellness

Life’s complicated, but your journey to better health doesn’t have to be. We’ve gathered a bouquet of easy, affordable and sustainable ways to help you reclaim your health, one day at a time.

- KATE DALEY

1 Get Lost in the Weeds

There’s definitely a physical aspect to gardening – all of the squatting, lifting and carrying involved in yardwork torches lots of calories. But that’s not why gardening expert Tara Nolan loves it. “It’s very meditative,” explains Nolan, author of Gardening Your Front Yard: Projects and Ideas for Big and Small Spaces. “Weeding typically sounds like such a bane-of-your existence type of activity, but there’s something really soothing about putting on your gardening gloves, pulling away and getting lost in your thoughts.” Studies show that getting out in the garden has a myriad of health benefits, from increasing quality of life to reducing anxiety.

2 JOT ON THE SPOT

Writing down your feelings in a journal reduces activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for controlling the intensity of your emotions.

3 Be a Pop Star

Indulge in the nostalgia factor of a Popsicle. There’s nothing like this sweet treat to bring back some of your best memories and cool you down on a warm summer day. To up the wellness factor, make it homemade. Try blending berries, yogurt and almond milk – basically anything you’d put in a smoothie – for a hit of antioxidants, suggests Dr. Jessica Cardona, a naturopathic doctor at Kleinburg Integrative Health.

4 DIG IN THE DIRT