My Path to Better Health: Nutrition, Activity, and Rest
New year's resolutions around health and wellness are popular every year. As the rates of chronic?disease continue to rise, more of us are searching for?solutions to reclaim our health. The challenge lies in navigating the choppy sea of conflicting theories and claims in the wellness space. With so much information at our?fingertips, how can we determine the truth from misinformation?
After over a decade of personal health experiments and diligent research, I've made some simple observations. The keys to vitality are more straightforward than I've been led to believe. Tweaks to my daily decision making around nutrition, movement and rest have changed my perspective and reality. Minor adjustments have set powerful ripple effects in motion. Here's some proactive steps I've taken in order to hit the ground running with renewed energy.
The Power of Real Food
In the past ultra processed food and drinks contributed to my poor health in myriad?ways - from nutritionally deficient ingredients that sapped my energy to addictive chemicals that had me hooked like a fiend. Converting to whole, minimally processed foods has worked wonders. Ripe fruits, vegetables, and various sprouts have supplied the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients my body thrives on. Whenever I nourish this way, my digestion, assimilation and metabolic processes have grown more efficient.?
Transitioning to real food took more than a few adjustments over a period of time. But the rewards were well worth it. Even small increases in my fresh?produce consumption and reductions in packaged snacks and sugary drinks added up. I noticed that over time my palate adapted, sensitivity to ingredients I couldn't pronounce?began to develop, and cravings for fat, salt and artificial sugars softened. Before I knew it, the fake foods I once craved no longer stimulated an appetite?or tasted like food.?
The Healing Power of Movement
One of my favorite ways to learn is to either travel or engage in conversations with others who've been to places I haven't been to yet. Two countries I've yet to visit?kept coming up in my discussions. Sweden and Switzerland focus on lifestyle factors like nutrition and activity that?translate into a healthier population. Instead of driving everywhere, most of their citizens walk or bike miles daily as part of everyday life. This constant, gentle movement makes a big difference long-term.
I began to find creative ways to weave in more activities into my daily routine. Simple things like walking during lunch, scheduling outdoor meetings, skipping the elevator in favor of the stairs, setting hourly alerts to stand up or stretch paid immediate dividends. Parking and entering buildings from the farthest points eventually became a part of my system. The more I stayed in near-constant motion my energy and determination to keep going began to soar.
It didn't take long before my goal of 150 minutes per week of moderate activity gradually blossomed into feats way?bigger. Certifications in personal training and holistic sports nutrition?consultation became unique rewards I gave myself for study and research. This?November, I joined over 51,000 runners on the streets of New York City to complete my first marathon! It may sound cliche but it really does begin with the first step. Those 26.2 miles were not a one and done check on a bucket list. Consistent movement has become a lifestyle.?
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The Restorative Power of Sleep
It took me years to realize that I was putting a higher priority in charging my cell phone than I was in allowing my body to fully rest, recharge and renew on a cellular level. I work well with anywhere between 6-8 hours of sleep per night. Without adequate sleep, fatigue impaired my ability to concentrate, perform and keep a positive mental attitude. I haven't totally mastered reducing screen time before winding down but when I limit phone?and laptop use before bed I notice a pronounced difference in sleep quality. Dreams?occur?more frequently the more time I spend in rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep.?
Many of my personal training clients over the years spoke about short-term relief from sleep medications. But I was always concerned about the side effects and becoming dependent on those chemicals. After reading up on melatonin and sleep cycle signaling, I saw a connection between the effects of caffeine, minimizing exposure to electronics at night, and other gradual lifestyle adjustments that I knew I could stick to.?
It's not always easy when travelling but establishing a pre-bed routine to relax the nervous system has been clutch. Sometimes, something as simple as a shower before bed can improve sleep dramatically. Recharging sleep every night is becoming a top priority going forward.
The Keys to Transformation
So far, my experiment has shown me that implementing positive changes in what I eat, increasing how much I move daily, and the amount I sleep has set the stage for a health renewal. Attention to those things has allowed healing, and efficient?rebuilding. The body seems to have an innate capacity for improved energy levels, weight balance, sharper mental clarity and better quality of life if put in the right environment. Start taking small steps today towards better health tomorrow - your future self will thank you.
Best of health,
Will
Look out for my new health and wellness book coming 2024 - #health #wellness #fitness #running #newyear