Many people want to be a bit healthier, a bit fitter, or maybe a bit slimmer, but they can struggle to get off the starting blocks and create change. Often they know what they want to do, but they just don’t know where to start. Maybe the task feels too big or daunting, or maybe life just feels too full to do anything except what the norm.
Achieving a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be really hard, or even require a massive overhaul. Implementing a few small, but long-lasting changes can add up to big results over time.
Instead of trying to do it all, perhaps choose one, a few, or if you feel like it all of these tips and start to incorporate them into your life. You don’t have to do it all in one go either. Maybe choose one, work on it until it is firmly embedded into our life and then work on another.
- FIND YOUR WHY. What will it mean for you to improve your lifestyle habits? What might happen if you don’t? Use this to motivate you to create change AND stick with it. Write it down, keep it safe and keep reminding yourself as you go along.
- PLAN IT OUT. You know the saying; don’t fail to plan, plan to succeed. But did you also know that those who plan their meals are more likely to succeed at losing weight and keeping it off? Save yourself time and stress in the moment by knowing what you’re eating for your next meal and prepping what you can in advance. Don’t forget to schedule time for exercise too and don’t let other demands or people get in the way of your plans.
- STOCK UP AND CLEAR OUT. Make sure your kitchen is ready for your healthy lifestyle – stock up on dried beans and pulses, whole grains, herbs and spices, nuts, oils, frozen and fresh fruit and vegetables. Throw out/donate/give away anything that doesn’t fit within your new healthy framework and don’t buy it again. If it’s not there, you can’t eat it! Make healthy options an easy alternative by having them ready and available to eat.
- DOUBLE UP. As often as you can, make double and portion up half (before you eat) for another day – ready meals, only better! Don’t forget to save portions of your evening meal for breakfast/lunch the next day too.
- DRINK WATER. An important step that many people forget, but hydrated bodies function better and burn more fat, so dig out your favourite (plastic free) water bottle and ALWAYS have it with you. Drinking a cup of water before a meal can also lead you to eat less.
- PACK IN THE GREENS (and reds and yellows…). Eat vegetables with EVERY meal, make at least half of your plate up from plants. Try to eat a rainbow every day and 30 different fruits and vegetables every week. Vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, anti-oxidants, fibre, alkaline load – it’s the stuff that makes your body work, so load up on variety.
- ADD SOME BEANS. Many of the longest lived populations and those with the lowest disease rates eat at least 1 portion of beans per day. Beans and legumes are loaded with fibre, which literally carries calories out of your body and helps to control blood pressure, so pad out your diet with these life saving little beauties. Chickpeas, lentils, red beans, black beans, butter beans, pinto beans…. there’s so many to choose from and a million ways to eat them.
- BE MINDFUL (stick with me). Give yourself food which will nourish you, eat only when hungry, slow down, turn off distractions, enjoy every mouthful and stop when full. It takes 20 minutes for the brain to recognise that the tummy is full, so make sure you haven’t over-eaten by the time the message gets through.
- LIMIT caffeine, alcohol, sugar and processed food. If this thought fills you with dread, try not to focus on not having them, but choosing some better options to put in their place. Simply crowd them out by filling your days with only good stuff.
- MOVE, BUT NOT TOO MUCH. Purposeful exercise and daily movement are both essential elements of a healthy life, but don’t forget to take rest to allow your parasympathetic nervous system chance to surface. My personal favourites are a good mix of resistance training, gentle cardio activities such as swimming, cycling, walking/jogging and then some yoga, pilates or something similar.
- REDUCE STRESS (or improve your reaction to it). Cortisol and adrenalin are survival hormones, they exist to ensure we get through tough times and hold on to the resources we have. This is why a stressed body will hold onto weight (usually around the middle) and increase your chances of developing systemic inflammation and high blood pressure, making this an important first step in any weight loss and health improvement attempts.
- BREATHE. Hopefully you’re doing this anyway, but when did you last REALLY BREATH? I mean, like a proper, fill your lungs, feel your belly expand breath? If you’re not sure, then today is the day to introduce some regular deep breathing into your life. It’s so simple, there’s loads of techniques and it only takes a few moments but the benefits are immense. It tells the brain and body that everything is ok, it will switch off that over-active SNS and activate your more relaxed PNS. It will reduce stress, can help with sleep, it can even improve your posture and relieve soreness around the neck, shoulders and upper back.
- HAVE PURPOSE. It could be your career, your family, a hobby or pastime or even just a love of being healthy or being a good friend! People who live the longest maintain their purpose in life long into old age so find yours.
- SLEEP. Get into good sleep habits, keep a regular schedule which gives you ample sleep opportunity (7-9 hours), switch off screens before bed, keep your room cool and expose yourself to daylight early in the morning – especially in the winter months.
- MASSAGE. Get yourself a massage or body brush. Far from being a luxury, I think this should be an important part of everyone’s self maintenance. Massage stimulates the lymphatic system, aids circulation, flushes out toxins, aids relaxation, helps tired muscles to recover, restores muscular imbalances. It doesn’t have to be a formal one – you can do it yourself (there are various appliances to help with this), get a partner, friend or family member to assist you (yes we are still talking about massage!).
- GET COLD. Submerging yourself in cold water activates dormant brown fat which is more metabolically active and will help you burn more calories at rest. Just 30 seconds a day will do it, so finish off your shower by turning the dial to blue (go gradually at first) or if you’re up for it, go for a wild swim (safely).
- TRACK. Not just your end results, but your efforts and your progress. Use a fitness/food diary to check your adherence. Weigh or measure yourself regularly. Far from being negative, regular weighing is a great tool to check what’s working and what isn’t. People who make it a habit to weigh themselves loose more weight and maintain that weight loss more than those who don’t. Just be careful not to attach self worth to the number on the scales/tape measure.
- BE KIND. Not just to others, but even more importantly, to yourself. Congratulate yourself on your efforts, regardless of the outcome, and be understanding when you don’t manage to do everything you wanted to – humans are amazing but we have limits! Spread the love by passing on a smile, holding open a door, letting a car pass, doing something nice for someone you know/love or even someone you don’t. Trust me, it feeds the soul!
Whatever you choose to implement in your life to enrich it, be patient and importantly be consistent. You might not get the results you wanted in the time frame you were hoping for, but it’s important to remember that anything you manage to do that creates better health or wellness is better than doing nothing.
Stay safe, stay strong, stay healthy x
