We can all be doing more to stay healthy. A lot of us make excuses for not working out or not eating the right things, but in the end the only limits we have are the ones we put on ourselves. It’s never too late to be the person that you are meant to be. Whether it’s maximizing the dead left, or baby steps like taking a walk, you can be healthier, and here are a couple of ways to begin. Remember the long journey starts with the first step. Start today for a better tomorrow:
Eat More Fat
What? Isn’t fat bad for you? O my friend, you seem to have stumbled in the age old trap of conventional wisdom. I agree with you – fat is bad – but you and I are talking about different fats. I say stay away from the canola oil and low fat foods. The best thing you can do for your body right now is to eat more animal fat and good fats. Science finally understands concepts that many of us have known for a long time: saturated fat is good for you. In every recent study those who ate more natural fats (animal, olive oil, butter, and fish) had better health than those who decided to get the turkey bacon and skip on the butter. Keeping good heart and organ health means you need saturated fat to keep them running at optimal performance; if you don’t believe me, I understand breaking the barriers of things that were browbeat into us is tough. However, I’m here to tell you that not only will you be healthier, but your body and your taste buds will thank you.
Exercise Every Hour
No, you don’t have to go to the gym every hour, but you need to move. Get out of your chair and go for a quick walk around the office. Even better do a set of push-ups or sit-ups. Whatever you do just keep those muscles working. Don’t forget to do your strength training or HIIT cardio, but you need to move, even if you’ve ever done those. The fact remains that one of the most dangerous things you can do for your health is sit.
Sleep
This one is so easy. It’s like asking, “Do you want more money?” We can all sleep more and we should. People say, “Well you’re sleeping your life away”, I say, the hours I’m up I’m healthy and have more energy than you do because I don’t cut corners when it comes to sleep. A lot of us have lost the art of sleep. Sleep is an amazing process by which our bodies build, repair and optimize. The first step is redefining sleep. It’s like finding an old friend; you forget how much you missed it. There is a right way to sleep. Don’t watch TV or use anything electronic before bed. Relax with a book or just laying up at the ceiling. Make sure you have a DARK room, free from any light (I’m talking to the big LED alarm clock people out there). In a way sleep is like meditation, you need to clear your mind, focus on your breathing and relax. Get more sleep there shouldn’t be arguments about this one.
Don’t Eat Grains
Just don’t do it. They’re a waste of food storage, and they take away from all of the delicious things you could be having. Grains (including whole grains) create waves chaos in your gut. Autoimmune diseases and insulin resistance is connected directly to eating grains. Giving up grains has so many benefits. From more energy, to weight loss, when you cut grains you won’t miss them after a couple of weeks. As a matter of fact you’ll wonder why you’ve been eating them for so long. It’s like finally being a free man after being jailed for a long, long time. For those haters out there who are going to give me grief about this, that’s fine, I’ve heard the arguments, but in the end grains are bad for you. If you knew what gluten was doing to your gut, you would quit right now, because it’s like seeing people who’ve smoked for 20 years: It ain’t pretty. If you want optimal health, cutting grains is a great place to start.
Play
You don’t have to be a kid to play. Why go running miles and miles when you can play. A small amount of good exercise is better than running all those miles anyway and, the big secret: it’s more fun! Get outdoors and take a walk, run around a self made obstacle course, throw a football or use the jungle gym with the kids. You need to play more, I’m telling you.
That’s it, now go out and find the new you.
“I eat really healthy, and if I’m tired, I take a nap.”
~ Caper Van Dien
ellisonesque 