12.19.2017

Is it time for a health overhaul?

Around the end of December to the start of January, it’s common for people to start planning a bit of a health kick. But you shouldn’t have to wait until the New Year to revamp your approach to health; you can start at any time, and no time is better than the present. While it is incredibly important to make sure your mental health is in good condition, it is also crucial to keep your body fit and healthy. Not only will it increase your life expectancy and give you more energy for day to day living; it can also have a huge impact on your overall mood, helping your body to regulate and release endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine into your bloodstream. All of which contribute to keeping your state of mind balanced and healthy. Below are four key points to address to help you overhaul your health to reveal a new kind of you.
Change your mindset; change your lifestyle
The most important part of any health overhaul is also the most difficult: Changing your bad habits. How long you’ve been in your current routine will determine how easily you break it, but there is always hope. There are two approaches you can take. You could opt for the drastic change; overhaul everything, cutting out anything that could be remotely classed as unhealthy and only partaking in that which is fundamentally good for your body. Or you could start by introducing small changes and building upon your success over time. Only you will know which will suit you best but bear in mind that the first option will require a huge amount of self-discipline and planning to pull off. Many will choose the second option; partly because it sounds like less effort, but mainly because it sounds more sustainable. That is the key to making positive changes to your lifestyle. They must be sustainable. By making small changes over a period of time, you lessen the perceived sacrifice, meaning that before you know it, you’ll be living your life in a way you wouldn’t have thought possible only a few months ago. Anything worth doing will take time to do properly, there are no quick fixes when it comes to your health and well-being.
The first step to success is to change your mindset. Instead of seeing your meals as the activity, think of them as a means to an end. No one looks forward to filling up their car with fuel, but you might look forward to a long drive with friends. You may not enjoy exercising because you find it difficult and unrewarding. Instead, look at exercise as a skill or talent which must be practised in order to gain expertise. If you had never played an instrument before, you would not enjoy playing the guitar as much as someone who had been learning for six months. As you build upon your small successes and make progress, you will find you enjoy yourself more, and begin to look forward to your next workout. As you change your mindset and the way you choose to interact with the various aspects of your new life, you will begin to notice changes in your overall demeanour and lifestyle; you may choose to take the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator to take you up a single flight of stairs. Subtle changes can bring about big results, so do not underestimate the power of how you choose to engage with your new lifestyle.

Fuel your body
It is very easy to see food as a luxury or use it as a reward mechanism. But by changing your relationship with food, you can rebalance the power, allowing you to use food without letting it consume your life. Just as a car cannot function without fuel, your body cannot function without food. You must ensure that you are giving your body the proper nutrition for it to flourish. There is a huge amount of information about diets available on the internet, some good and some bad. Many people will tell you to completely cut out certain food groups in order to maintain a healthy diet. Not only can this be incredibly damaging to your body, but it can make that diet unsustainable in the long run. Stick with the basics, and you can’t go wrong. Make sure that the majority of your meals have each of the five food groups (meat, dairy or dairy substitute, fruit, vegetables, and grain or cereal) represented. If you are vegetarian or vegan, this can prove tricky as the five groups can quickly turn to four or five. Stick to the recommended daily calorie intake and ensure that your diet is around 60% carbohydrates (avoid simple carbs or excess sugar as much as possible), 20% protein, and 20% fats. Try to avoid large quantities of saturated fat, but also steer clear of reduced fat alternatives; they are typically pumped full of sugar and are more unhealthy than the full-fat product they replace. Also, make sure that your diet has a strong source of vitamins and minerals as these keep your body working in top condition. Depending on where you live, it might be worth using a vitamin D supplement, as this is largely created by your body from sunlight and helps to regulate mood.

Exercise to keep your body and mind strong
Just like with diets, there are thousands of workout plans available on the internet, and most of them work just fine. The most important part of any workout routine is consistency. So pick something you know you will enjoy and can keep working at. The best routine in the world won’t do you any good if you don’t stick to it. You might enjoy circuit training, or powerlifting, or even bodybuilding style training. Whatever keeps you interested in fitness is the best way to exercise.

Know when to ask for help
With all the information available it’s never been so easy to help yourself. But sometimes the task ahead is something that just isn’t manageable on your own. Whether it be because you’ve sustained an injury and need a personal trainer or physiotherapist to help ease you back into exercise safely; or you’ve struggled with your diet for so long that it seems like lap band surgery is the only option for you.  Either way, never be afraid to ask for professional help. You are only human, and you can’t be expected to know everything. That’s what experts are for.

Taking the first step, and making the decision to be healthier is the most important decision you can make. Once you put your mind and determination into reaching your ultimate goal, the other steps will fall into place. Just keep going and remember sustainability is key to changing your lifestyle. 

1 comment

  1. Nice!! Health is most important expect which everyone should consider as a first priority. Our health is very precious and we should not waste it. In humans it is the ability of individuals or communities to adapt and self-manage when facing physical, mental, psychological and social changes with environment. So fitness is very important and for that we should always prefer good supplements like Xtremeno.
    Its totally natural and does not contain any side effects to the body. To know more you can read xtreme no side effects and judge yourself. It's truly a must try for everyone.

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