Taking responsibility for your own health is the best thing you could do. If you eat junk food, drink alcohol, smoke, don’t sleep enough and don’t exercise then, after a while, your body will lose its ability to fight off disease. In order to feel wonderful, it is important to look at the way you treat your bodies, and then work on changing the bad habits.
Heathy eating
-Eat a healthy and balanced diet, rich in fruit and vegetables.
-Avoid stimulants such as cigarettes, alcohol, sugar and drinks high in caffeine as they promote anxiety. Don’t turn to alcohol or drugs to cope with stressful situations, as it will only make the matters worse in the long term. If you are drinking a lot of coffee and fizzy drinks it might feel too difficult to stop entirely, so just start by cutting down your daily intake.
-Always make time to have breakfast, lunch and dinner and eat slowly as this will help your digestion.
-Drink a lot of water. Have at least six to eight glasses of water daily as this will help flush out the toxins and also prevent dehydration. Keeping hydrated can prevent many health problems and helps keep a youthful looking skin.
-Avoid eating processed foods as they contain additives and preservatives. They are also generally high in fat, sugar and salt.
-A healthy body supports a healthy mind and vice versa. Remember that eating a healthy diet can make a big difference to your ability to cope with stress in the long term.
-If you feel that you need help or information regarding healthy eating, you can either arrange an appointment with a nutritionist or read a good book such as “The Food Doctor – Healing foods for mind and body” by Ian Marber and Vicki Edgson.
Exercise
- The minute you feel depressed or stressed, just get active. Exercising does not need to be boring and dull! Do something you like such as walking, dancing or swimming – whatever you want as long as it gets you moving.
-Build up slowly and even if you are not very fit to start with, aim to exercise for at least 30 minutes three times a week.
-Walk whenever you can instead of using the car. It will also be good for the environment and save you money on fuel.
-No need to worry if you can not afford to join your local gym, you can go for a walk, play with the children. do some gardening or put some music on and dance around the living room. Again, do whatever you want to get moving in order to lift your mood!
-If you spend most of your day sitting at a desk, make sure that you get up and walk around for at least a couple of minutes every hour.
-If you want help getting fitter and stronger, you could consider booking an appointment with a Personal Trainer. If you are in the Bristol area, I can highly recommend Mel (Mel Fitness), who is great at helping people reach their personal fitness goals. If you would like to find out more, please click here to be taken to Mel's website.
Sleep
-Listen to your body and in the evening, go to bed as soon as you are tired. Make sure that you establish a routine.
-Avoid vigorous exercise late at night and select your evening reading carefully. If you are having problems sleeping, it is also not recommended for example to watch news before going to bed.
-Invest in a good mattress.
-Have a power nap whenever you can. Studies have shown that a nap improves mental alertness and concentration. Thirty minutes is sufficient to feel full of energy again. If you can't sleep, even sitting with your eyes closed for ten minutes can have a rejuvenating effect.
-Alcohol and caffeine are associated with poor sleep, so avoid them (particularly before going to bed).
