Give your health a boost with these five simple everyday tricks.

To improve your health eating right and staying active are very important. But there’s a lot more you can do each day to boost your overall wellness.

1. Combine carbs and protein
A banana is good for you, but it’s even better if you combine it with peanut butter. You’ll hold off cravings by taking in some protein with your carbs. Moreover, it can help prevent sweet cravings. Other power combos: crackers with almond butter or hummus, and oatmeal with nuts.

2. Sleep more
Do you think you don’t need that much sleep? Chances are that that’s not right. One hour more of sleep can make you less cranky, think more clearly and be more active. It can even help lower the risk of cancer and diabetes.

3. Stand up
Prolonged periods of inactivity (like sitting at your desk) have been linked to greater risk of heart disease and diabetes. Combating that is easy: Stand up. Of course, you cannot stand the whole day, but try getting out of your chair as much as you can – even if it’s for a minute or two each hour. If you have a desk-bound job, try standing while you’re on the phone or make of habit of getting up to refill your water bottle throughout the day.

4. Stretch
A period of light stretching, say 5 to 10 minutes, before you go to bed and right when you wake up can help you sleep better and get you ready for the day ahead. A stretch like the spinal twist can be done in bed. Lie on your back, bring your right knee to your chest, and cross it over to the left side of your body. Turn your head to the right and extend your right arm in a T-shape to your body (with your palm facing the bed), then rest your left hand on your right leg. Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on the opposite side. You can also try morning and evening meditation to start your day and relieves stress before bed. If you’re new to meditation, start small, with just three to five minutes a day. Focus on your breathing, taking slow, deep breaths. If your mind drifts, that’s okay. Simply refocus.

5. Soak up a little sun
Getting a few minutes of sun exposure a day can give your body the dose of vitamin D it needs to keep bones healthy. That means heading outside without sunscreen for a quick walk around the neighbourhood or an outdoor lunch break. The amount of time you’ll need to shun sunscreen to produce vitamin D depends on your skin and where you live, but a good rule of thumb is about 10 minutes. You’ll need to bare as much skin as possible – think short sleeves, shorts, and no hat.