There are many things that
play a role in someone's ability to remain well and healthy. But I will go
over the top 5 that lay the best foundation for ongoing success with wellbeing.
1. Physical Activity. If you live a sedentary lifestyle your body and your mind will suffer. It is crucial to incorporate physical activity into your daily life. You must do this to stay well. TO lose weight you must go above and beyond just "regular" physical activity. You must push yourself beyond what it easy or comfortable. Everyone should at least be walking daily. If you want to lose weight, however, try adding in a bit of jogging or running even. As far as weight loss is concerned, you have to have muscle to burn fat. So, don't hesitate to start lifting weights. You will not get "bulky" by lifting; you will get lean.
2. Sleep. Sleep is a vital part of maintaining your health. Do not short yourself in this area. Get 8 hours of sleep every night. Make it a priority. There are some circumstances when this is impossible (like having a new baby), but in general you must make sleep a priority. Don't sleep with the TV on. Seriously! People love to tell me "I can't sleep without the TV on." Let me tell you something about television: television makes its money (billions of dollars) off of being stimulating and engaging. They are good at it. If you think you are immune to this you are mistaken. Turn the TV off. Keep your bed reserved for sleep and intimacy only. Doing other things in bed, like eating, reading, computer work or whatever, programs your body to disassociate the bed with sleep. Also, keep the bedroom at a cool, comfortable temperature and make sure your bedding is comfortable. Stop drinking caffeine and alcohol at least 3-4 hours before bed. And don't eat a large meal before bed either. Try not to rely on medications to help you get to sleep or remain asleep. There are natural alternatives to medications that you can try. These are just a few very important aspects of "sleep hygiene" that you should start implementing.
3. Water. Your body needs water. A lot of water. You should be aiming for half of your body weight in oz of water a day. Say I weigh 200lbs; then I need to drink 100oz of water each day. Unless you have congestive heart failure or some pretty serious kidney failure, you should be drinking a whole bunch of water each day. Get yourself a nice big cup with a lid and a straw. Buy bottled water. Whatever you have to do to get yourself to drink: DO IT!
4. Nutrition. You have to eat right. I am not saying you have to eat perfectly 100% of the time. But I am saying you need to try and shoot for a minimum of 80% of the time hitting the bullseye when it comes to eating clean. 20% of the time it is ok to splurge. Just keep in mind that you probably will have a tendency to underestimate that 20% and overestimate that 80%. Eat clean. This means eating foods that are in their most natural form. If it comes in a box or a bag then you should probably avoid it. If it is made in a plant by humans avoid it. If it is made on a plant in nature, go for it. Focus on these food groups: vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, meat, seafood, and hormone free dairy. Notice how "grains" are NOT included.... yeah, avoid those as much as possible. They are typically highly processed.
5. Supplementation. Even if you eat perfectly 90% of the time, which I doubt you do, (I don't think anyone does), your body will still be missing vital nutrition that it needs to run. So make sure you are taking the right supplements, vitamins and minerals. For example, women of child bearing ages should all be on a multivitamin with folic acid and iron. Ovulating and cycling women need extra iron and folic acid in addition to all the other vitamins found in a good multivitamin. Not all supplements are created equally though, so keep that in mind. The FDA does not get involved too much in supplement quality control, however there are some companies that voluntarily hold themselves to a higher standard when it comes to the production, safety, efficacy, and quality of their products. So do your homework before you just go and buy that store brand multivitamin. Josh and I firmly believe that we have our hands on the FINEST supplements available through Advocare. As members of the Council for Responsible Nutrition and investors in getting third party testing of the products through Informed Choice Certification, as well as having an unmatched group of non-cash endorsed world class athletic endorsers; Advocare is a brand we trust and feel confident in suggesting to our friends and family. To find out more about Advocare you can go to our site here: www.advocare.com/141227334
1. Physical Activity. If you live a sedentary lifestyle your body and your mind will suffer. It is crucial to incorporate physical activity into your daily life. You must do this to stay well. TO lose weight you must go above and beyond just "regular" physical activity. You must push yourself beyond what it easy or comfortable. Everyone should at least be walking daily. If you want to lose weight, however, try adding in a bit of jogging or running even. As far as weight loss is concerned, you have to have muscle to burn fat. So, don't hesitate to start lifting weights. You will not get "bulky" by lifting; you will get lean.
2. Sleep. Sleep is a vital part of maintaining your health. Do not short yourself in this area. Get 8 hours of sleep every night. Make it a priority. There are some circumstances when this is impossible (like having a new baby), but in general you must make sleep a priority. Don't sleep with the TV on. Seriously! People love to tell me "I can't sleep without the TV on." Let me tell you something about television: television makes its money (billions of dollars) off of being stimulating and engaging. They are good at it. If you think you are immune to this you are mistaken. Turn the TV off. Keep your bed reserved for sleep and intimacy only. Doing other things in bed, like eating, reading, computer work or whatever, programs your body to disassociate the bed with sleep. Also, keep the bedroom at a cool, comfortable temperature and make sure your bedding is comfortable. Stop drinking caffeine and alcohol at least 3-4 hours before bed. And don't eat a large meal before bed either. Try not to rely on medications to help you get to sleep or remain asleep. There are natural alternatives to medications that you can try. These are just a few very important aspects of "sleep hygiene" that you should start implementing.
3. Water. Your body needs water. A lot of water. You should be aiming for half of your body weight in oz of water a day. Say I weigh 200lbs; then I need to drink 100oz of water each day. Unless you have congestive heart failure or some pretty serious kidney failure, you should be drinking a whole bunch of water each day. Get yourself a nice big cup with a lid and a straw. Buy bottled water. Whatever you have to do to get yourself to drink: DO IT!
4. Nutrition. You have to eat right. I am not saying you have to eat perfectly 100% of the time. But I am saying you need to try and shoot for a minimum of 80% of the time hitting the bullseye when it comes to eating clean. 20% of the time it is ok to splurge. Just keep in mind that you probably will have a tendency to underestimate that 20% and overestimate that 80%. Eat clean. This means eating foods that are in their most natural form. If it comes in a box or a bag then you should probably avoid it. If it is made in a plant by humans avoid it. If it is made on a plant in nature, go for it. Focus on these food groups: vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, meat, seafood, and hormone free dairy. Notice how "grains" are NOT included.... yeah, avoid those as much as possible. They are typically highly processed.
5. Supplementation. Even if you eat perfectly 90% of the time, which I doubt you do, (I don't think anyone does), your body will still be missing vital nutrition that it needs to run. So make sure you are taking the right supplements, vitamins and minerals. For example, women of child bearing ages should all be on a multivitamin with folic acid and iron. Ovulating and cycling women need extra iron and folic acid in addition to all the other vitamins found in a good multivitamin. Not all supplements are created equally though, so keep that in mind. The FDA does not get involved too much in supplement quality control, however there are some companies that voluntarily hold themselves to a higher standard when it comes to the production, safety, efficacy, and quality of their products. So do your homework before you just go and buy that store brand multivitamin. Josh and I firmly believe that we have our hands on the FINEST supplements available through Advocare. As members of the Council for Responsible Nutrition and investors in getting third party testing of the products through Informed Choice Certification, as well as having an unmatched group of non-cash endorsed world class athletic endorsers; Advocare is a brand we trust and feel confident in suggesting to our friends and family. To find out more about Advocare you can go to our site here: www.advocare.com/141227334
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