If you only do 4 things for your health, start with these
With so many different perspectives on how to take care of your body, it can be hard to narrow down where to put your focus. Supplements, five million different eating styles that people swear by, meditation, HIIT vs. yoga, the list goes on. When it gets overwhelming, I often need to bring myself back to the basics and start from there. If you aren’t hitting these 4 consistently, the rest doesn’t really matter.
#1: Sleep
While the numbers may vary a bit, the experts all basically agree that 7-9 hours of sleep are vital for a healthy adult. And, as much as it pains me to say it, because it is just sooo hard to incorporate this into real life, going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time every day is also vital to your sleep health and therefore overall health.
#2: Eat well
Have you ever looked at the diet & nutrition section of a bookstore? Overwhelming, right? There are so many different approaches to what a healthy diet looks like. Please dive into this, and find out what works for your body, but if nothing else start with a few basics.
- Eat a variety of fruits and veggies, and fill your plate up with those
- Learn about different sources of protein, and incorporate some into every meal
- Keep a cap on the amount of processed foods you are consuming- eat more real food
- Be leary of how much sugar you are consuming
- Eat until you are no longer hungry, don’t eat until you are full
- Be mindful of how much you are snacking
- Savor your food, don’t inhale it!
- If you’re struggling with figuring out how to manage your nutrition, find a trained dietician or nutritionist to help you figure out what is right for your body.
#3: Hydrate
For some this is easy, for some it is brutal to remember to keep hydrated. Set a timer, use reminders, sparkle your water, add some lemon, drink decaf tea, do what you need to do to help yourself drink more water instead of caffeine, sodas, or alcohol.
#4: Move your body
Listen, you don’t have to be training for a triathlon to be good to your body, just get out and move! Maybe that’s a 30 minute walk each day, maybe that’s a 3 hour run, just find what you can realistically make happen and then make it happen!
There is so much detail on how to make each of these 4 happen, but when you’re feeling low or your body is a mess do a quick check to see how you’re doing on these 4 before any other quick fixes!
Want more?
Check out this post on how to recharge properly, rather than just escaping.