6 Tips for a Healthier You
A Healthier You!!!
It’s hard to get healthy when experts all disagree!
You’ve probably felt overwhelmed at some stage about getting and staying healthy! It’s likely because of all the contradicting chit chat on the internet. It makes becoming a healthier version of yourself super hard.
Making the right changes for YOU can seem unrealistic and overwhelming. What I have come to realise over the years of treating clients, is that a few small shifts in the right direction can make all the difference.
Small changes can have the tremendous impact when done consistently and with purpose.
Tip 1 – Balance Your Macronutrients
The first place to start is with the food you eat; you don’t need to add in tons of new expensive foods. Start by eating whole foods and balance out your macronutrients.
If you are unfamiliar with macronutrients and what they are here are some examples
Non-Starchy vegetables 50% of your diet
Examples are – Asparagus, artichoke, coriander, bok choy, fennel, celery, parsley, cucumber, kale, collards, tomatoes, spinach, radish, lettuce, rocket, zucchini, endive, green beans, carrots, leeks, basil, oregano, sprouts, avocado, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, mint, sage.
Protein 20-30%
Examples are – lamb, beef, heart, kidney, liver, kangaroo, rabbit, game meat, pasture fed chicken, duck, eggs, gelatin, wild fish, seafood, tempeh, seeds, hemp, sprouted legumes, wild rice, almonds, brazil nuts.
Fat 10 – 20%
Examples are – butter, ghee, coconut oil, MCT oil, raw milk, kefir, avocado oil, raw olive oil, marrow, cocoa butter, krill and fish oil, macadamias, pine nuts.
Starchy Carbohydrates 10-15%
Examples are – sweet potatoes, carrot, squash, pumpkin, white rice, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, cashews.
Choose your favourite from each category and keep it simple.
Aim to create three balanced meals daily. By having three balanced meals you should feel satisfied, have fewer cravings and stable energy. Ideally, your meal should be enough until your next meal.
An example of a great combination for breakfast:
2 cups sautéed green vegetables
2 eggs
½ avocado
1 tablespoon sauerkraut
Tip 2 – Remove Inflammatory Foods
Removing common inflammatory foods can be a tough one, especially if you tend to have grains or dairy in your diet. So go slow and swap out one at a time, don’t rush in and try it all together. Dairy does have benefits, so you need to make sure you are getting your nutrients elsewhere in your diet. Continue to use butter and ghee. These both have your fat-soluble vitamins in which are essential for your bone health.
Here are some great swaps
Gluten – Sweet potatoes, carrot, squash, pumpkin, white rice, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, legumes.
Dairy – Coconut milk, coconut yoghurt, almond milk, kefir.
Sugar – Try not to have sugar as a snack. If you use it in baking swap it out for maple syrup, honey, stevia, xylitol
Soy – Tempeh, activated nuts, sprouted seeds
Artificial sweeteners & flavours
Use all natural flavours and a little natural sweetener if you need. I like to use cinnamon, clove, cardamon and vanilla to add flavour instead of using sugar. For added flavour use salt, coconut aminos, lemon zest pr plenty of fresh herbs.
3. Increase your daily vegetable intake
The message has always been to increase vegetable intake. Now science is delving deep into why this is the case. The evidence is showing that plants contain many beneficial nutrients & antioxidants. Polyphenols, in particular, contain super health boosting benefits. Some actions of polyphenols include: increasing memory, fighting brain fog, feeding good bacteria in the gut, reducing inflammation, supporting liver function and longevity.
I have even used polyphenols to reduce the side effects of an inflammatory meal. For example, when I went out to a party and had a few drinks and had some snacks. I had berries and extra vegetables. The added polyphenols helped to counteract the negative effects the next day. You won’t get that brain fog the morning after!!
Vegetables also contain a good amount of fibre. Fibre helps to cleanse, feed good bacteria and keep your bowel movements regular. Fibre can also contribute to stabilising blood sugar levels.
Aim for about 6 cups of vegetables daily. An example is:
1 cup sprouts
2 cups Brassica vegetables
2 cups of brightly coloured
1 cup salad vegetables
Handful of fresh herbs
1 tablespoon cultured veg
4. Start the day with a green smoothie
A green smoothie is a wonderful way to start cleansing and get healthy. You’ll also increase your fluid and get adequate vegetables in your diet. It’s important to make sure you balance out your macronutrients when making a smoothie. Adjusting the proportions will help keep you full for longer.
This cleansing green smoothie is an example of how to balance your macros when making a smoothie.
Cleansing Green
300ml water
1/4 avocado
1/2 green apple
1/2 banana
1 small cucumber
Juice of ½ lemon
Handful mint
1/2 cup cashews
tablespoon chia seeds
ice
Pop this in a high powdered blender and blend until smooth
5. Add in YIN style exercise twice weekly
Yin exercise is one of the most underrated exercises. While some go by the mantra of ‘No Pain, No Gain’, this isn’t always true! You can get more benefits for your overall weight loss efforts with adding Yin to your exercise routine. Yin yoga helps to release fascia deep down, and this contributes to activate fat loss and toxin removal. Yin exercise is subtle. But over time it contributes to restoring your body’s strength and muscle tone It’s a must if you’re aiming for a healthier you.
You can try
Yin Yoga or a slow flow
Walking
Swimming
Qi Gong
6. Sleep 8 hours a night
Probably the most important habit you can have is to work on the quality of your sleep. Quality is more important than time spent sleeping.
Getting good quality depends on several factors:
The meal you ate before bed
Stimulants through the day
How dark your room is
The temperature of the room
Electrics in the room
Magnesium and calcium stores in the body
It can get complicated to think of all these things so focus on your meal. Eat no later than 8pm, make sure your meal had a little bit of starchy carb. Don’t consume any caffeine after 12pm, and make sure your electrics and Wifi are turned off when you go to bed. If you have anything like a television in your room take it out or turn it off at the main socket. Hide any lights on your clock and have black out blinds or thick curtains to stop light coming in. I also like to wear an eyemask and earplugs for that extra bit of buffer between me and the outside world.
If you find it difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep, try these four tips:
Turn phone to flight mode by 8.30pm keep on flight mode while sleeping
Wear blue light blocker glasses from sundown
Meditate or journal before bed
Take magnesium & calcium blend to help you relax
I want to make it easy for you to remember these habits to help you become a healthier you.
I’d love to know what healthy habits help you keep you in the healthiest version of yourself.
You can post below to let me know.