Be Healthy They Say...How?
We all know that being healthy is important.
But, what does that mean and how do you know if you are healthy?
How do you measure health and are you measuring up?
Health for one person is different for another. One person may think a measure of good health is following a strict diet, another may assess their health by their physical abilities or be completely satisfied with their physician’s all clear.
I don’t think it really matters, what grade you give yourself and on what metrics, but what is important is that you do, think about it.
Here are my 4 Must Haves (for myself) For Health:
1.) Sleep: It is the most important thing. I think we all know that person that boasts about getting away with only 4 hours of sleep a night, well maybe but why would you put that kind of stress on your body? Without adequate sleep our brains don’t function properly, our digestion is affected, how we cope is impaired and our entire body is running sub optimally. If you are not a good sleeper, this would be my first priority. There are many techniques to help with sleep. Here are my nonnegotiables for a good nights sleep:
All screens off 1-2 hours before lights out,
Set a timer to remind yourself, to start winding down. This takes discipline and strength. Stop yourself from going down that Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok rabbit hole until 1am, this is not going to serve you when your alarm goes off in the morning. Waking up tired and cranky doesn’t make for a positive and productive day, that rabbit hole is just not worth it and really do you need to watch another cat video?
Set and strictly adhere to a schedule, same wake up and go to bed times, even on the weekends.
Waking up to an alarm every day of the week can get annoying but if you throw off your sleep/wake cycle on the weekends only spells trouble come Monday morning. Try to stay within 2 hours of your normal schedule to ensure it is an easy transition on Monday.
Cool and dark sleeping environment can help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
Stress can disrupt your sleep, find ways to manage your stress.
If you are a poor sleeper reach out for professional help, there is no need to be sleep deprived.
2.) Nutrition: This one is also very personal but one thing is undisputed and all health care professionals can agree that eating a variety and an abundance of plants is good for your health. If your plate is a bit lean on the veggies then I recommend adding one or two extra servings onto your lunch and dinner plate.
At a loss for what to eat?
Commit to learning a new recipe every month to grow your meal repertoire and try new vegetables
Ask friends what their favourite dishes are and ask them to teach you how to prepare them
3.) Movement: Our bodies are meant to move. According to the WHO, 1 in 4 adults do not meet their physical activity recommendations. If you are not getting a minimum of 30 minutes of movement per day or a minimum of 5,000 steps you are not moving enough. Walking is the easiest, most accessible and is low impact, but any movement is good.
Set a timer to move every 2 hours, a small amount of movement throughout the day can add up to a lot at the end of it.
Extra movement throughout the day can help relieve stress, help with achy joints from sitting too long and can give your brain a bit of a break from work.
People who are insufficiently active have a 20% to 30% increased risk of death compared to people who are sufficiently active
4.) Fun: I truly believe that having fun is essential to our health. Life can be tough and stressful, I know.
But, I want to share a piece of advice from a long time client, he always tells me that we all need to laugh at least once an hour! Its a bit ambitious but, not impossible, the point is that there is room in our lives to stop and enjoy even for the briefest of moments, life is too short not to!
These are my basic musts have for health.
For those of you who have the basic down I challenge you to determine what health looks like for you and how you are going to measure it and challenge yourself.
Are you wanting to start a new sport? Sign up for a race? Shave some time off of your favourite hike, run/bike ride?
Be able to go for a hike with your family and keep up?
Lower your cholesterol
Cut down on your alcohol intake?
Commit to a cleanse
Whatever you decide, it is up to you, share with a friend or not totally up to you. I challenge you to take an honest and serious look at how you can be as healthy as you can. If you need help please reach out I am happy to be of assistance.
Take care!
Sarah XX
