BETTER HABITS,
BETTER LIFE
By Esther Bell, Health & Nutrition Coach
LevelUp Nutrition Coaching
We all want to be healthy and lead a good quality life. But what is health? The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not just the absence of illness and disease. Being healthy does not happen by accident. It’s a result of consistently making healthy choices and sticking to them. Developing healthy habits is not as difficult as you would think, and it will ensure that you live long and live well.
Improving your physical and emotional well-being comes down to taking what you have, changing it to a healthier version, and sticking to it consistently. Before you know it, these new habits are part of your daily routine, and you have created a healthier lifestyle.
As it turns out, having a set of good habits in place is very helpful to achieving your goals and keeping you focused and a lot more organized. Becoming healthier can be as simple as this:
Sleep more, sleep better
It is recommended that adults sleep between 7 to 9 hours each night. While 9 hours of sleep seems impossible in our busy lifestyles, sleeping 7 hours a night makes a big difference. In fact, sleep deprivation negatively impacts our health, immune systems and even our body weight.
It’s while we are sleeping that our bodies use the most calories to optimize metabolic processes such as hormone production, digestion, cell renewal and recovery, to name but a few.
Waking up after a night of too little sleep leaves us lacking the energy and motivation to take on the tasks of the day, so we are less productive and unlikely to do that workout. Besides feeling tired, we tend to wake up hungry – often with a craving for foods with a higher fat and sugar content, as our bodies try to compensate for the lack in energy. Seeing an increase in body weight if you are not sleeping enough is rather commonplace for exactly these reasons.
Feeling tired all the time, lacking motivation to exercise and gaining some extra weight is not likely to put you in a good mood either. Sleep deprivation has been linked to depression in a number of recent studies.
Sufficient sleep is of utmost importance to our health, mindset and productivity. Put aside at least 7 hours a day for sleep and you are sure to see the change.
Have a daily routine
Most of us have some kind of routine. We need to be at work at a certain time, fetch the kids from school etc. However, with the limitations recommended during the covid-19 pandemic, many of us have fallen out of routine, with resulting lack of productivity, anxiety or just that uncomfortable feeling of being unsettled. Although few people bring a routine in context with a healthy life, most of us would agree that it has major value in keeping our lives a little less chaotic.
A routine creates expectations and purpose. It makes time available for planning and execution of those plans. This must lead to an increase in productivity.
Schedule time for activities like daily workouts, meal preparation, meetings and phone calls, work and self-care. If you have set aside time for your daily workout, you are more likely to do it, right?
But creating a routine doesn’t happen in an instance. The all or nothing approach sounds a lot like work, or something you need to force yourself to do. Take it easy. Incorporate slight changes that don’t suddenly disrupt your whole life.
Start with the little things, like rising and eating breakfast at a set time each day. Add to your routine as you go along until you have a routine that fits you comfortably. You’ll get there; calm, collected and productive.
Optimize hydration
Drinking enough water is crucial to our survival. Water helps us to regulate body temperature, optimize metabolic processes, deliver nutrients to cells, lubricate our joints and move foods through the intestinal track. Staying hydrated will also improve your mood, sleep quality and cognition.
Trust me, that’s not all! Your state of hydration affects a number of areas:
Even mild dehydration can have up to 15% detrimental effect on your physical performance;
Dehydration brings about a drop in energy levels and brain function, which can also have an effect on your mood;
Drinking enough water may prevent and treat headaches – this is the most common symptom of dehydration;
Staying hydrated may relieve constipation. Mineral water that is rich in Magnesium and Sodium can improve bowel frequency and consistency in people with recurring constipation;
Drinking water can help prevent a hangover. Alcohol is a diuretic, which makes us lose water which can lead to dehydration. Although this is not the main cause of hangovers, dehydration does cause symptoms like thirst, fatigue, headaches and a dry mouth.
Sufficient water consumption can aid in weight loss. It leads to an increase in satiety and energy levels, boosts physical performance as well as energy output.
Optimize your water intake by consuming at least 1 liter of water per 30 kg of body weight per day. It might sound a lot, but you’ll get used to it in no time.
Ditch the processed foods
In today’s life of “fast” everything, we tend to head for the section with the boxes in the supermarket. Quick, easy, convenient right? Processed foods tend to have a long shelf life and taste really good. Thanks to all the added fats, sugars and preservatives. As if this is not bad enough, most processed foods have out-processed most of the nutrients, leaving us with high calorie junk of little or no nutritional value.
Eating processed foods robs you of the opportunity to nourish your body with nutrients it can use to function and perform better. Food is fuel. You won’t put low grade oil in your high performance vehicle, will you?
Skipping the boxes and choosing whole foods instead will have you seeing improvement in many aspects of your life, such as:
Weight management
Boost in energy levels
Improved physical performance
Better sleep
Diminished cellulite appearance
Improved muscle tone
Better hormonal balance
Fewer cravings
Stabilized blood glucose levels
Regular bowel movements
Improved brain health
Less headaches or migraines
Fewer colds
Eat your foods in their natural form … rice grows in rice fields, but pizza doesn’t grow on trees … get it?
Increase your protein consumption
But you’re not a bodybuilder, you say? While most people eat enough protein to avoid deficiency, fact it that most of us can benefit from increasing our protein intake. A higher-protein diet has major benefits for weight loss and metabolic health.
Here are some good reasons to eat more protein:
Eating more protein keeps you satiated for longer. It has long since been proven that protein is the most filling macronutrient. This is in part due to the fact that protein reduces the level of Ghrelin (hunger hormone) in our bodies. It also takes longer to digest, keeping us full.
Not only bodybuilders benefit from increased muscle mass. The more muscle mass you have, the stronger you are. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories your body needs to maintain bodyweight. Consuming more protein can help prevent the loss of muscle mass during weight loss.
People who eat more protein tend to maintain bone mass better as they age. This is especially important in preventing osteoporosis and bone fractures.
Prevent cravings and late-night snacking by increasing your protein intake. Eating a high protein breakfast may have a powerful effect on the rest of your day.
The digestion of protein uses more calories than the digestion of other nutrients. A high protein intake has been shown to boost metabolism and increase the number of calories you burn.
Protein forms the main building blocks of your tissue and organs. Consuming more protein can help you recover from injury and intense workouts.
Everything that lives contains protein. Both animals and plants. You can easily increase your protein intake by having an animal protein and a wide variety of vegetables and whole grains with each meal.
Manage that stress
It’s difficult not to become overwhelmed at times. We need to juggle work, school, relationships, children. It’s totally normal to become anxious and worried at times. We do however need to set time apart to relax and calm down. If you’re stuck on what to do, these ideas might help you:
Deep breathing. This might not sound effective, but you’ll be surprised what 5 minutes of deep breathing does for you. Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes, imagine yourself in a peaceful setting and slowly breathe in and out. Do this for 5 minutes at a time.
Slow down. Not everything needs to be done at once. Break down big jobs into smaller ones – answer the most important e-mails now, and do the rest later.
Take a break. Set aside time for meditation, reading, prayer, listening to music, whatever makes you relax.
Make time for hobbies. You don’t have to do this for hours on end. Twenty minutes a day will do. Relaxing hobbies include things like painting, knitting, doing puzzles, art projects etc.
Talk about your problems. If you don’t feel like telling other people your problems, write them down. Keep a diary. Listen to what you say. If you’re continuously repeating negativity, change it to a positive note. If this doesn’t help you can always talk to a therapist – it’s his job to listen.
We are the ones putting the most pressure on ourselves. Stress is not our friend. Make the choice to set time apart for yourself. You’ll be much calmer, relaxed and focused in the long run.
Get off the couch!
Working out regularly is a great way to relax your body and your mind! But exercising once in a while just won’t cut it. Doing some form of exercise 3 to 5 times a week is optimal. Try for at least 30 minutes at a time.
Regular exercise improves your mood, boosts energy, prevents excess weight gain and aids in weight loss. It also helps combat health conditions and diseases, such as high blood pressure and blood glucose levels.
Set yourself a new fitness goal ever so often and increase your intensity as you grow fitter and stronger. Did I mention that exercise improves body composition (hello, bikini)?
Developing good habits can help you transform your life for the better. Sticking to your bad habits can lead you away from your goals, or even worse, negatively affect your health and happiness. By going to a bit of trouble and investing in your own personal wellness and development, you are set on the path to becoming the best version of yourself.