BETTER LIVING
Check out my latest video on 10 Little Steps to Being Healthier, this is the post that will go into further detail and will hopefully be easier to refer back to, less waffling and to the point. Please note that I am not a health care professional and all the tips mentioned in this post as well as the video are from things I've researched, discovered myself and what I think of as common sense.
And if you would like to see more of my videos don't forget to subscribe!
Please do remember that these are all little things to improve your health, if you're just starting out by no means do all these at once. Just go at your own pace and take one or two at a time.
1. DRINK MORE WATER
It's really important to drink water, not only does it keep you hydrated but when mixed with fruits, spices and/or teas it can have increased benefits of cleansing the digestive system, flushing out toxins and can contribute to the decrease of over eating. Drinking a glass of water before every meal can decrease your chance of over eating. Water is also beneficial with combating muscle fatigue, clearer skin and kidney function.
2. MOVE MORE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
I know that this doesn't sound ideal, but I'm hardly suggesting a 5am walk (though I do thoroughly enjoy these) even if it's something along the lines of a gym workout, a run or pilates doing this to start your day kick-starts your metabolism and leaves you feeling energised for the rest of the day. This can help combat feelings of anxiety or stress for the day ahead and can make you feel refreshed and wake you up. What's more is that this means you get you workout done and out of the way for the rest of the day - so no excuses!
3. SLEEP MORE
I really cannot stress how essential this is! Especially between the hours of 10pm and 6am since hours before midnight count as double (according to Madeline Shaw) and from 1am to 5pm is an important time for your digestion, thus rest is key. Sleeping enough will put you in a better mood, help with weight control, it's great in improving memory as wells as fortifying immunity.
4. COMMIT YOURSELF TO AT LEAST TWO WORKOUTS A WEEK
Exercise is vital to a healthier lifestyle and though, when concerning weight loss it counts towards 20% and diet is the remaining 80% exercise helps to burn calories, improves your physical endurance and is a great stress reliever. There are a whole range of different exercises you can do, just find what suits you best, whether it's yoga, a class of some sort or a work out at the gym. For the most effective results and to get the most out of work outs try High Intensity Interval Training and this type of workout means that you can push yourself in a shorter amount of time. Try and commit to two work outs a week to begin with.
5. EAT YOUR GREENS
This is something your parents may have nagged you about but as it turns out they had good reason! Greens are incredibly good for you as they are of an alkaline pH as well as which can help with detoxifying your liver and blood. What's more is that they are very good for you in terms of improving immunity, the functionality of the digestive system and the alkalising effect they have on you body can protect you against illnesses such as cancer. So don't forget to eat you greens personally I love spinach, broccoli and kale.
6. INCREASE FIBRE INTAKE
Increasing you fibre intake is real good for you as fibre keeps things moving through you gut, and keeps your stool soft, maintains healthy bowl movements and can prevent digestive issues. Additionally it helps you feel fuller for longer, better than carbs would whilst aiding in weight loss and can lower cholesterol as well as high blood pressure .
7. LIMIT PROCESSED FOODS
Ideally it would be great if you could eradicate all processed foods, but I'm not gonna lie, the paleo diet would be tricky to adjust to and I personally am a great fan of pasta and would prefer not to live without it. But limiting processed foods is a compromise that means you won't have to miss out completely on things you love as such foods are full of stuff that aren't great for us and half the time we hardly know what's actually in it. Additionally they can be full of flavourings and preservatives that do us no good - what's more is that you can't control the sugar or salt in them which you usually can't taste. Thus in terms of the added sugar, you are consuming empty calories, Processed foods are linked to heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes. At the end of the day you are in fact what you eat.
8. REDUCE YOUR SUGAR INTAKE
Many people don't realise how much sugar they consume and how addictive it is and as it turns out sugar is far more addictive than cocaine. What's more is that most of the time you don't realise how much added sugar is in our food as well as empty calories consumed in things like juice. Thus in relation empty calroies in juice but eating the fruits instead keep you fuller for longer than drinking juice. For example it's easier to consume the juice of 10 oranges rather than eat 10 oranges. Additionally the obvious danger is developing type II diabetes but the fructose in sugar can also overload your liver and contribute to heart disease as well as a rise in cholesterol.
9. SUBSTITUTE HEALTHIER OPTIONS
Substituting healthier options is a great compromise between what you love and what you know you should eat. Little things like swapping white flour, pasta, rice, bread and sugar for the brown stuff is a great way to start. I also prefer gluten free pasta to normal pasta - I wouldn't say I've come round to gluten free bread just yet but I feel much lighter when it's gluten free. Additionally as I'm lactose intolerant I choose nut milks over cow or goat milk (I don't mind rice or oat milk too), my favourite brands for these are Alpro and Coconut and/or Almond dream. The Almond Dream brand also do dairy free ice-cream as well as Booja-Booja. Furthermore try having healthier alternatives from health food stores and maybe choosing fruits over a cheeky chocolate bar instead?
10. MAKE YOUR OWN FOOD
Making you own food is really beneficial since you know exactly what's going into it and can control how much sugar and salt is added. It usually works out cheaper, especially if you buy in bulk and compare prices. Additionally this gives you the chance to try out new recipes and make you use whole foods as opposed to processed ones. Also try to go organic when it comes to most things and free range eggs and chicken as well as seafood and fish that are caught sustainably.
* MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF
This is key to allowing all the previous tips to manifest is a healthy mindset by making time for yourself, you can learn to appreciate yourself. Even if it's doing your nails, reading a book, giving yourself a DIY spa treatment - looking after yourself becomes second nature once you have the right mindset. For more on this check out my previous blog post on being #BodyProud here.
Just to reiterate what I said at the start of this list, take your time and listen to your body, change and improvement is gradual - not overnight .
Please do remember that these are all little things to improve your health, if you're just starting out by no means do all these at once. Just go at your own pace and take one or two at a time.
1. DRINK MORE WATER
It's really important to drink water, not only does it keep you hydrated but when mixed with fruits, spices and/or teas it can have increased benefits of cleansing the digestive system, flushing out toxins and can contribute to the decrease of over eating. Drinking a glass of water before every meal can decrease your chance of over eating. Water is also beneficial with combating muscle fatigue, clearer skin and kidney function.
2. MOVE MORE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
I know that this doesn't sound ideal, but I'm hardly suggesting a 5am walk (though I do thoroughly enjoy these) even if it's something along the lines of a gym workout, a run or pilates doing this to start your day kick-starts your metabolism and leaves you feeling energised for the rest of the day. This can help combat feelings of anxiety or stress for the day ahead and can make you feel refreshed and wake you up. What's more is that this means you get you workout done and out of the way for the rest of the day - so no excuses!
3. SLEEP MORE
I really cannot stress how essential this is! Especially between the hours of 10pm and 6am since hours before midnight count as double (according to Madeline Shaw) and from 1am to 5pm is an important time for your digestion, thus rest is key. Sleeping enough will put you in a better mood, help with weight control, it's great in improving memory as wells as fortifying immunity.
4. COMMIT YOURSELF TO AT LEAST TWO WORKOUTS A WEEK
Exercise is vital to a healthier lifestyle and though, when concerning weight loss it counts towards 20% and diet is the remaining 80% exercise helps to burn calories, improves your physical endurance and is a great stress reliever. There are a whole range of different exercises you can do, just find what suits you best, whether it's yoga, a class of some sort or a work out at the gym. For the most effective results and to get the most out of work outs try High Intensity Interval Training and this type of workout means that you can push yourself in a shorter amount of time. Try and commit to two work outs a week to begin with.
5. EAT YOUR GREENS
This is something your parents may have nagged you about but as it turns out they had good reason! Greens are incredibly good for you as they are of an alkaline pH as well as which can help with detoxifying your liver and blood. What's more is that they are very good for you in terms of improving immunity, the functionality of the digestive system and the alkalising effect they have on you body can protect you against illnesses such as cancer. So don't forget to eat you greens personally I love spinach, broccoli and kale.
6. INCREASE FIBRE INTAKE
Increasing you fibre intake is real good for you as fibre keeps things moving through you gut, and keeps your stool soft, maintains healthy bowl movements and can prevent digestive issues. Additionally it helps you feel fuller for longer, better than carbs would whilst aiding in weight loss and can lower cholesterol as well as high blood pressure .
7. LIMIT PROCESSED FOODS
Ideally it would be great if you could eradicate all processed foods, but I'm not gonna lie, the paleo diet would be tricky to adjust to and I personally am a great fan of pasta and would prefer not to live without it. But limiting processed foods is a compromise that means you won't have to miss out completely on things you love as such foods are full of stuff that aren't great for us and half the time we hardly know what's actually in it. Additionally they can be full of flavourings and preservatives that do us no good - what's more is that you can't control the sugar or salt in them which you usually can't taste. Thus in terms of the added sugar, you are consuming empty calories, Processed foods are linked to heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes. At the end of the day you are in fact what you eat.
8. REDUCE YOUR SUGAR INTAKE
Many people don't realise how much sugar they consume and how addictive it is and as it turns out sugar is far more addictive than cocaine. What's more is that most of the time you don't realise how much added sugar is in our food as well as empty calories consumed in things like juice. Thus in relation empty calroies in juice but eating the fruits instead keep you fuller for longer than drinking juice. For example it's easier to consume the juice of 10 oranges rather than eat 10 oranges. Additionally the obvious danger is developing type II diabetes but the fructose in sugar can also overload your liver and contribute to heart disease as well as a rise in cholesterol.
9. SUBSTITUTE HEALTHIER OPTIONS
Substituting healthier options is a great compromise between what you love and what you know you should eat. Little things like swapping white flour, pasta, rice, bread and sugar for the brown stuff is a great way to start. I also prefer gluten free pasta to normal pasta - I wouldn't say I've come round to gluten free bread just yet but I feel much lighter when it's gluten free. Additionally as I'm lactose intolerant I choose nut milks over cow or goat milk (I don't mind rice or oat milk too), my favourite brands for these are Alpro and Coconut and/or Almond dream. The Almond Dream brand also do dairy free ice-cream as well as Booja-Booja. Furthermore try having healthier alternatives from health food stores and maybe choosing fruits over a cheeky chocolate bar instead?
10. MAKE YOUR OWN FOOD
Making you own food is really beneficial since you know exactly what's going into it and can control how much sugar and salt is added. It usually works out cheaper, especially if you buy in bulk and compare prices. Additionally this gives you the chance to try out new recipes and make you use whole foods as opposed to processed ones. Also try to go organic when it comes to most things and free range eggs and chicken as well as seafood and fish that are caught sustainably.
* MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF
This is key to allowing all the previous tips to manifest is a healthy mindset by making time for yourself, you can learn to appreciate yourself. Even if it's doing your nails, reading a book, giving yourself a DIY spa treatment - looking after yourself becomes second nature once you have the right mindset. For more on this check out my previous blog post on being #BodyProud here.
Just to reiterate what I said at the start of this list, take your time and listen to your body, change and improvement is gradual - not overnight .
Much love,
Margaret xXx
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