A Healthier Lifestyle

There are many EASY lifestyle changes YOU can make to improve the quality of your life and health that will not take much effort! So why wait?

1/ CHOOSE to be active

Your physical health is improved by exercise. Regular exercise reduces your risk and severity of a whole range of detrimental and debilitating disease including; heart disease, strokes, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, asthma….the list goes on.

Ideally, you should be doing 30 minutes of activity daily, this does not have to be in a gym, a walk is fine! You could set yourself the challenge of walking to and from work, parking further away from the shops than you would do usually, take the stairs instead of the lift…

2/ INVEST in a decent size and design of water bottle that you don’t mind carrying around with you day to day, and keep sipping!

Staying hydrated provides many benefits for your body, it helps every cell and organ to function effectively. Keeping hydrated regulates your body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure and keeps your joints lubricated. Drinking water gives you more energy and stops you feeling so tired. It is great for your skin and assists in transporting essential nutrients around the body, it can even help with weight loss. Guidelines suggest you should be drinking between 1.5 and 2 litres a day (6-8 glasses).

3/ AVOID processed food. If you only make one change to your current diet, make it to cut out processed food. Yes, it is convenient and easy but your body will thank you if you take a little time to plan fresh meals.

The majority of processed foods contain high levels of salt, sugar and bad fats, along with loads of artificial ingredients. Products with a long shelf life are probably made using hydrogenated fats which is when oil goes through a chemical process to turn it into a solid, commonly used in cakes and biscuits. High consumption of these ‘trans fats’ increase cholesterol levels which increases your risk of heart disease and strokes. Trans fats are difficult for the body to metabolise and can increase the risk of certain cancers.

High levels of sugar provide no nutritional value and contribute to your daily calorie intake. They are linked to heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Manufacturers use this high sugar content to make the protect taste good.

Processed foods also have high levels of carbohydrate of the ‘refined’ type. These carbs cause spikes in your blood glucose causing unstable blood sugar resulting in cravings.

Basically, processed food is just full of chemicals. Chemicals to preserve the life of the food, chemicals to give the food texture and taste, chemicals to give the food colour- still sound as appealing?

4/ USE a slow cooker to prepare meals, especially now the winter is coming as you can make some real nice warming dishes. Food will be available when you want it, removing the temptation to snack whilst waiting for your meal to be ready. There are lots of healthy recipes available online and in apps using fresh unprocessed foods, and if you have children, they can eat the same food earlier without you having to prepare two different meals! You can also make enough for another day, so pop it in a container and put it in the fridge or freezer for another quick and easy meal.

5/ AIM for between 7-9 hours sleep a night! Getting enough sleep helps with energy levels, food cravings, weight management and increases your memory and attention.

Try and go to bed at the same time each night and similarly keep your get up time the same- this includes the weekends! The more consistent you are, the more your body adapts to its sleep- wake cycle and it becomes easier to fall and stay asleep. If it takes you a long time to fall asleep try to relax by having a bath, reading a book or listening to music, and put your phone or tablet down at least an hour before you try to sleep.

Don’t try to go to sleep too full or too hungry, and stimulants such as caffeine, alcohol and nicotine will reduce your quality of sleep.

There are lots of ways you can make easy changes to your lifestyle to become a ‘healthier you’, the above are just a few ideas, which don’t take much effort but the benefits are huge. So, have a go at moving more, eating fresh foods, drinking enough water and getting enough sleep. You will reward your body with more energy, greater fitness levels and abilities in day to day life, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers.

For more easy ways to build in some healthier changes into your lifestyle please feel free to contact us as info@buildabodypt.co.uk for a FREE consultation, and follow us on facebook and instagram @buildabodyfitnesspt for some great exercise, fitness and nutrition tips.