We all know it is important to have a healthy lifestyle as it helps prevent disease and helps us live longer. However it is tricky to understand exactly what we need to do to live healthily as the media communicates conflicting messages about what is healthy and what is not healthy. The truth is that what may not be harmful to one person may be harmful to another. This is because we are all genetically very different to each other and also our immune system may be strong or not strong at certain times. Our toxic load can also cause us to be less resilient and fall ill compared to another person encountering the same virus or environmental factor like pollution or mould.
According to money.co.uk’s report on the healthiest countries, the UK does not rate highly. Their report states that “Britons are more likely to be obese due to a high food and alcohol consumption, as well as a lack of physical activity due to our culture”. Indeed, we may need to act differently from our friends and family if we wish to pursue a healthy lifestyle. Another obstacle in our path towards a healthy lifestyle!
When looking to increase healthy habits in your life, ask yourself first why it is important to you to be healthy. It could be that you wish to have more energy to follow your passions or spend more time with your children or grandchildren. We must align the habits we want to have with our values in life so that we are more likely to follow through. If we are doing something out of obligation, we are less likely to be successful.
Here are some good reasons to follow a healthy lifestyle:
More energy
Longer lifespan and quality of life as you age
Reduce your risk of developing diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, depression, stroke, osteoporosis, obesity and many more
Look and feel great
Improved memory, productivity, creativity and problem-solving
Weight loss
So, assuming you are committed to pursuing energy and health, here are ten foundations of a healthy lifestyle to guide you:
Sleep 7-9 hours a night - it is easy to think we can forgo sleep and fit more into our lives, however sleep is probably the most important key to a healthy lifestyle. Sleep allows us to clean up toxins and damage in our body from everyday living and keeps our immune system strong. Try to avoid bright light two hours before bedtime to allow your melatonin, our sleep hormone, to gradually increase as it gets dark. Try relaxing activities in the last hour before you sleep so that you fall asleep easily, for example, a nice bath, reading fiction, stretching.
Move your body regularly and keep strong - exercise is another key foundation to health. According to the Active Lives Survey conducted between November 2019 and November 2020, 12.3 million people in England were doing less than 30 minutes of activity a week or nothing at all. According to the NHS exercise guidelines, try to be physically active every day, work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) twice a week and target 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week. You do not need to be a member of a gym, you can just go for a walk and do strength exercises at home.
Eat protein, fibre and healthy fats at each meal - keeping our meals balanced with protein, vegetables and healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, avocado, coconut oil and oily fish ensures we are getting all the nutrients our body needs to thrive. Try to have 3-4 hours between meals for your digestion to work optimally. Read my blog for ten tips on how to eat healthier.
Look after your gut microbiome - our gut health determines how resilient we will be if we encounter a virus. Eating fermented foods daily like yoghurt, kimchi, kefir and sauerkraut increases the amount of good bacteria in our gut. Also, eating lots of colourful vegetables and legumes like black beans, pinto beans or lentils feed our good bacteria. An added benefit of adding beans to meals is that this can help you lose weight and help you reduce your risk of type two diabetes. A study of 17 men and women with type two diabetes found that adding black beans to rice led to lower blood sugar levels compared with rice alone.
Keep hydrated - our bodies are mostly made up of water and water is vital for proper functioning of all our organs, in particular our brain. Try to sip plain water regularly through the day and away from meals when it can interfere with digestion. Snacks of raw fruit and vegetables are also great sources of water. Signs of dehydration are cracked lips, dark yellow urine and headaches.
Reduce your exposure to toxins - our bodies are well designed to deal with toxins and excrete them from the body, however there is an ever increasing amount of toxins in our daily lives. These include chemicals in the air from cars and machinery, toxins in our beauty and household products like fragrance and preservatives, food additives and preservatives and colouring. Try to eat whole foods that have not been processed and eat organic where possible, especially for foods that have high fat content like dairy foods and meat. Check ingredients of your daily beauty products and check their toxicity rating on the Think Dirty app.
Ensure your body is great at detoxification - our bodies need a range of amino acids from proteins and antioxidants, vitamins and minerals from fruit and vegetables to be able to transform toxins into a form that can be excreted by the body. Also, we need to keep all our organs functioning well. Here are five ways to ensure good detoxification:
💩 Daily bowel movement
💦 Sweat regularly
🚴 Daily movement
🍎 Good hydration
🍗 Consume a balance of nutrients eg eggs, poultry, fish, broccoli, cabbage, whole grainsReduce and manage your stress - we all deal with stress in different ways according to our toleration and our personality. Take regular breaks throughout the day and take time to do the things you love. Examples are spending time with friends and family, doing your favourite sport, having a nap, going for a walk, meditation, journalling, painting, drawing, playing a musical instrument, reading a book and watching films or box sets.
Have a positive and focused mindset - our mindset determines our behaviours and our happiness. A negative mindset can cause disease through destructive emotions and it is key to focus your attention positively. Understand your values and align your life and goals to these. Be aware of your strengths and try to use them regularly at work or by pursuing hobbies. Observe your self-talk and consider if you would talk to a friend in the same way.
Strong loving relationships - our relationships define us so it is important to surround ourselves with positive people who have the qualities we value and who bring out the best in us. Think about the people who you spend the most time with and consider if you need to make any changes to keep your energy high and positive. Consider what kinds of people you need in your network to support you emotionally and help you tap into your positive and capable mindset whether that is a friend, a coach, a mentor or some other supportive role.
I hope you already have many of the above foundations in your life and are able to apply a few more of these aspects of a healthy lifestyle. Instinctively you will know what is right for your health despite what you read in the media. You can download my free worksheet on these ten foundations and please do contact me if you have any questions or would like support in applying these ten foundations. You can also follow me on Instagram for daily tips and inspiration.
