"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live."- Jim Rohn, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, author
I often write about emotional, mental and spiritual health, but not so much about our physical health.
Yet being physically healthy is often the basis on which the other types of health lie, or at least are closely aligned. When we suffer from anxiety, depression or sad and negative thoughts, doing some type of physical exercise can often help us feel better. And when we're sick or physically ill, it can be impossible to feel good mentally.
Today I wanted to provide some suggestions for improving your physical health.
From personal experience, I can tell you that these methods have led me to the healthiest, best-feeling time in my life. I encourage you to try some of these out to see what works for you. Though challenging in the beginning, perhaps these things will enable you to notice the difference in your health in a very real and proven way.
Here's to moving it!
In late August I just finished my third time through the WILDFIT program, a transformational eating program which completely changed my understanding and relationship with food.
WILDFIT can be controversial, but I can tell you that I got results from it that I couldn't get on my own with the dietary and exercise changes I had already made. I needed a push to get me over the hump, and WILDFIT was it.
I'm not going to try and explain the entire program, which I wouldn't be able to do anyway, but I wanted to share some common ideas and methods I gleaned not only from that program, but also from other research around physical health.
With COVID-19 and other viruses trending as we head into the winter months, physical health becomes even more critical. We need things to sustain and nourish us in all aspects of our lives. Things like meditation, journaling, breathwork, etc., can help us emotionally and mentally. Prayer, affirmations, and mantras can lift us up spiritually. But what can we do about our physical health when we are locked down at home?
Here are three suggestions you may find helpful for improving your physical health. I encourage you to play with them, experiment, and observe what changes you may feel or what you notice about your body as you implement them into your life.
You may also want to start slowly with one, versus trying to do them all at once. That can easily lead to frustration and the desire to give up takes over. Start small, take it easy, and stick to it. I'd love to hear about your results!
Three Steps to Improving Your Physical Health
1. Cut Out Sugar.
Sugar is omnipresent. It's in packaged and pre-processed foods, in food you would never suspect, and in things that don't taste sweet. Ever have the rotisserie chicken from Costco? Yep, it has sugar in it.
No lie, cutting sugar is challenging. If you go in knowing that, it might be a little easier to handle. Try it for 3 weeks and see how you feel.
To start, check labels. If it's not fresh produce, read the ingredients. Ideally you could even try cutting out natural sugars, but if that's not possible, get your sugar fix from fruit or even sweeter vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes or beets.
Expect to feel bad the first week. The body is detoxing, and if you have a lot of sugar stored up, you're likely going to feel tired, moody, and perhaps even physically ill. Understand that this is temporary and part of the process. You will feel better. And make sure to stay hydrated. This might help to reduce symptoms like headaches or feeling hungry even when you've already eaten.
The benefits I experienced from cutting sugar include: more and sustained energy, not feeling like I need a nap in the middle of the afternoon, ability to wake up easily and feeling less hungry.
2. Move Your Body.
Make moving fun! Dance to your favorite music, do the hula hoop, play hopscotch or tag with your kids. Or try this under $18 balance board I bought. Whoo hoo!
You don't need a rigid, strenuous routine to stay healthy. In fact, studies have shown that walking "reduced the risk of cardiovascular events by 31% and cut the risk of dying by 32%. These benefits were equally robust in men and women. Protection was evident even at distances of just 5½ miles per week and at a pace as casual as about 2 miles per hour."
As the temps drop and you don't want to be outside (though that's the healthiest), just try walking around inside your house. The goal is to get and stay moving in order to elevate your heart rate. That's when you start reaping the benefits.
The benefits I've gotten from moving include: better sleep, feeling stronger and lighter, feeling more positive and energized.
3. Embrace the Smoothie.
I wasn't the biggest fan of smoothies. I'd always liked the idea of a hearty breakfast, despite the fact that I never ate one. I didn't tend to be hungry in the morning, and the thought of putting anything into my stomach didn't appeal to me.
I learned later that this lack of hunger in the morning could be attributed to the fact that we are often dehydrated in the morning. Getting things moving with a glass of water right when you wake up can help signal to your body that it's time to start doing its digestive stuff.
There are a ton of protein and smoothie powders and supplements out there, but I'd actually encourage you to go a different route. Leave out the powders and just use fresh fruit and/or veggies.
Try using lemon, ginger or chilis to give your veggie smoothies a kick. Things like celery, cucumbers, kale, spinach and other hearty greens are great for smoothies. Throw in some avocado for creaminess and you're set. I am not a big fan of celery or cucumber, but after awhile I didn't really notice their taste.
If you're just starting out, you may want to keep in some sweetness. Use bananas, blueberries or apples and add ice. You can even use avocado in a fruit smoothie, as well, for creaminess. Or try almond milk to give it that shake-like consistency.
The benefits I've gotten from smoothies include: less cravings and snacking in between meals, feeling fuller throughout the day (I often have the smoothie for breakfast, a very light lunch, like a handful of healthy snacks, and dinner), much better digestion (I have been diagnosed with IBS and had painful stomach aches and bloating; this completely went away when I was on WILDFIT which includes daily breakfast smoothies).
These tips were some of the heavy hitters in my arsenal to stay physically healthy and feel good in and about my body. I hope you'll give them a try and let me know your results!
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. Nothing in this post constitutes a substitute for medical advice. Consult your doctor before starting any new physical program.
Note: I may receive a small commission from items you purchase using links in this post.
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