5 Steps to Kick-Start a Healthier You
1) DRINK UP
Drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up, and then another before you start your day or leave for work.
It’s also a good habit for practicing incremental increase! All too often we try to go from 0 to 8 glasses of water a day, spend two days mostly in the restroom, and then give up. Just one extra glass of water a day for a week is a great way to start. Remember, coffee, tea, juice and sodas don’t fulfill your body’s need for pure water. Water does so many important things in the body including ridding the body of toxins.
Be sure to get at least eight glasses a day. It’s also best to drink water at least a half hour before meals and an hour after meals rather than during meals for optimal food digestion.
2) PRIORITIZE PROTEIN & VEGGIES
Focus on filling 75% of your plate for each meal with veggies and protein - whether you're on the go, entertaining clients, eating out or eating at home.
Eating greens and other vegetables cannot be emphasized enough! Vegetables provide numerous nutrients and vitamins that the body needs, and as an added bonus they are low in fat and calories, cholesterol free and full of fiber!
Protein is vital for sustaining and building muscle mass, and it’s especially important if you are in a calorie deficit. It can come from several sources, including meats, seafood, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, protein powders/shakes, edamame, and nuts/seeds. Check out my 14 Simple Ideas for Boosting Your Protein Intake Blog for other ideas!
3) FIND A BUDDY
Build a support system. Sticking with a healthy eating and exercise plan can be tough to do on your own. Having a diet or exercise buddy may be helpful, especially if that person is your partner or spouse.
If you don’t have a strong social network, consider joining a gym or clubs (online or in person) and start to create good connections.
4) GET MOVING
Get those steps in throughout the day. Live life hard! Choose a further parking spot; take a walking meeting; walk to a coworker's office instead of calling.
There’s no shortage of reasons for not walking!! Remember, the steps don’t have to all come at once! You can “live life hard” and try to accumulate the steps throughout the day! Make small changes in your habits to help you reach your goals:
Take the stairs
Park a few spots further out
Take a few smaller walks throughout the day
Find a walking buddy and boost your relationship
Grab a pedometer and set a goal!
WALKING:
Gives you energy
Boosts your mood
Lowers risk for heart disease & dementia
Strengthens legs, hips, ankles, & back
Improves blood pressure
Even a few minutes here and there can have benefits. Most recommendations suggest accumulating 30 minutes of moderate activity per day 5 days a week, or 15 minutes of vigorous activity per week. You can break this up into smaller increments, and if you can’t get all your minutes in, some is still better than none. You can also choose any activity that you like, it all counts — rolling your wheelchair around the block, gardening, dancing around your living room in your underwear, etc. Make it fun!
5) PRIORITIZE SLEEP
Aim for a minimum of 6 hours! 8-9 hours is better...especially if you're highly active! Insufficient sleep is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression and poor athletic performance. It can also contribute to weight gain a la snacking. Sleep is very important to health — both quantity and quality.
Sleep regulates your hormones, including leptin, ghrelin and cortisol. Your cortisol levels can become elevated (stress) and appetite increases as well!!
Exhaustion tanks your will power. Your judgement is impacted when you are sleep-deprived, which can lead to poor food choices, lower levels of activity, etc.
Sleep is a natural form of fasting. This helps to eliminate snacking!
Consider setting aside time for extra sleep, or looking at options for better sleep hygiene like powering down phones early; no food before bed (1-3 hours); incorporate mediation or light stretching into your bedtime routine.
