We’re all on the lookout for quick fixes. We know that the best way to get slim is to devote months to exercise and dieting and we know that the best way to gain muscle is to spend countless hours pumping weights in the gym. But that’s not the sort of advice that appeals to most of us.

Fortunately there are some simple quick fixes that can help you to improve your health without requiring a great deal of time or effort.

Meditate

It’s one of those things that you can’t truly understand until you try it yourself, but after just a few minutes of meditation you will notice a huge difference.

It can become your go-to way of de-stressing, whether work is dragging you down or you are going through all kinds of legal or business issues (click here for more info). The hardest part for beginners is just to sit still and clear their heads, but persist—it’s worth it.

Make Substitutions

A lot of the things we eat and drink are causing us harm, from processed food to energy drinks, alcohol and more. You could stop these things altogether, but that’s only going to result in a lot of frustration and even an eventual relapse.

The reason we fail with these resolutions is because we try to do too much too soon. So, rather than giving up everything that’s bad for you, take it one step at a time. Start with sugar, for example, swapping it bit by bit for a little honey or sweetener until, a few weeks or months later, you don’t have any in your diet. Then move onto alcohol, processed food, etc.,

You don’t even have to focus on the thing that causes you the most harm. In fact, giving up something easier first may give you the motivation you need to focus on the harder things.

Change The Times and Ways you Eat

One of the most misunderstood aspects of dieting and weight loss is that a calorie is a calorie. That’s not the case. Studies have shown that a diet rich in whole foods will always result in greater health and much faster weight loss than a diet rich in sugar and fat, even if they both consume and burn the same amount of calories.

You can also get a lot of results by switching-up the times you eat. Try eating most of your day’s calories in fewer meals, try an intermittent fasting diet, or try to consume as little food as possible before you sleep.

You can also try blending some foods up, adding water and eating them as a soup. You would be amazed at how satiating a few vegetables, some stock and water can be when consumed as a soup.

Drink Tea

There are a host of herbal teas out there that can work wonders for your health, including turmeric tea, which is making waves in the health and fitness community right now. These teas can help with inflammation and they may be able to extend your life.

Green tea probably won’t cure cancer like the guy at your local health food store insisted, but by adding this tea and other teas to your diet on a regular basis you may be able to reduce your chances of it developing in the future.

Exercise

Not all exercise has to be hard or long. It has been said that just a few minutes of exercise a day can drastically extend your life, even if that exercise is only of a mild or moderate intensity.

One of the best things you can do is to get yourself a training bike (read this for some good options) plonk it in front of the TV, and then combine your TV time, your reading time or even your Facebook time with your exercise time. Now that’s being productive.