Proactive about Lifestyle
Our lifestyle affects our health, mood and immune system. It’s often helpful to think in terms of these 6 health pillars. No matter where we are on each one, we can all make fractional improvements. Those small improvements accumulate to make big changes. Health is also like a snowball. Once you start to feel better, you make better choices and you want to feel EVEN BETTER so, make you make even better choices and so it continues. We can’t always avoid injury or illness, but the fitter and healthier we are, the quicker we’ll recover.
Nutrition
There are so many small tweaks you can make that make a BIG difference to your health. THE biggest one for us is eating less processed food. This is a nutrient deficient food source, that’s highly addictive and will have your gut bug craving more! After that, these tips are all beneficial:
eating the rainbow
time restricted eating
30 different whole plant based foods per week
drink more water
eat less sugar
Useful Resources
Alison Leighton Nutrition and Colonics for help with your gut health
The 4 Pillar Plan by Dr Rangan Chatterjee
Gut by Giulia Enders
Fibre Fuelled by Will Bulsiewicz
Sleep
As human beings, our internal rhythms are responsive to the external rhythms of our environment. Light (and temperature) play a vital role in our sleep patterns. That’s why jet lag can be such a problem. Our internal and external environments are not in sync when we change time zones and day/ night cycles.
Looking after your sleep hygiene is so important for overall health. Consistency is key! Here are some helpful tips:
turn off all tech 1-2 hours before bed
use floor lighting instead of overhead lighting at night
choose a routine that tells your body you’re getting ready for bed
reading, breathing exercises, self massage all calm the nervous system before bed
avoid stimulants (eg coffee) in the afternoon
Useful Resources
Huberman Lab Podcast - Episodes 2-4 are all on sleep
Why we Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker
Stress Relief
Learning how to release your stress and self soothe has never been more important. We grew up in an age where it was possibly looked upon as selfish to take time for yourself but times have changed. It is no longer a luxury but a daily necessity. Yes, that said DAILY!
There are many ways to do this. If you are new to the concept, play around with it. If you are used to self care, you may have found you needed to up your game recently, or find new ways to decompress and relieve your stress.
Cultivate a daily practice where you find 10-15 mins, just for you. Nobody needs you, it doesn’t serve anybody else but you and it makes you feel peaceful, content and happy. The list is really endless and you’ll know it’s right when you get lost in it and feel calm on the other side. Although the list is endless, it can be:
reading
listening to music
gardening
meditating
having a bath
journalling
walking outside
Useful Resources
Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Joe Dispenza
Exercise
Don’t over-complicate this one. Just aim to move more. The easiest way to make sure you stick to it regularly is to choose something fun that you really enjoy. Try something new, do it with a friend, go outdoors - anything that encourages you to do it regularly. If you can easily motivate yourself at home, try something online. You may be the kind of person who needs to go to a gym or be in a class. Keep mixing it up until you find what suits you. Tips that encourage regular exercise:
putting in your diary and working around it
doing it at the same time of day
doing it with someone
logging it on a habit tracker
early in the day before your brain talks you out of it!