The move towards the perfect healthy day in five steps. It's simple:
1) Wake up and drink water. First thing in the morning drink a big glass of water, do it again five to six more times at least, more if you can, but no less. Water is the storage point in your body for many critical vitamins and minerals. The very vitamins and minerals that ensure your metabolism functions at a high level. We have water available, let's consume it mindfully. Leave the flavors behind, drink pure awesome water.
2) Eat breakfast and two more meals. I find people are overwhelmed when they hear they should eat five to six meals a day. Most people eat three meals a day and snack. Well that's your five to six meals. The problem is breakfast is full of bad choices. Coffee and toast is not going to make you healthy or fuel you for the day. Start with oatmeal, mix in some flax and nuts and we have a first meal victory. If that's not going to happen, make a smoothie the night before and set your body up for success. Then eat two more meals (lunch and supper) again make some smart choices. Learn how to properly portion a meal. If calories, serving sizes and all of that confuse you, consult an expert. Eat raw veggies for a snack, mix it up with fruits and nuts. Your goal is to stay away from anything that comes from a box or package. Eat local, eat healthy. This is about fuel for a health day. I post ideas to Instagram, love if you follow and ask questions!
3) Skin Care. The one most people, especially men don't consider. It was not been a priority in my life until I met the owners of Tiber River Naturals. Simply answer this question "What products do you use daily, and what's in them?" Think about how adamant you are to ensure you don't eat chemicals, but you will put them on your skin and absorb 60 per cent of it into your blood stream anyway. I was using a shampoo and body soap loaded with chemicals. I chose it because of marketing and it smelled great. The chemicals in it damage my skin at a cellular level. Those damaged cells produce another similarly damaged cell, and it worsens each generation. It's sped up by adding more chemicals. Take the time for skin care, boys this means us too. Ensures we protect our first line of defense. One in every three diagnosis of cancer is skin cancer. My hope is people begin to see what they put on their skin is as important as what they eat, or how they exercise.
4) Exercise. It's not really what you think it is. We as humans simply need to move. The gym, and higher intensity exercise makes us look "cover model sexy." Hiking, yoga, biking, walking, and simply being active let's our bodies behave internally the way they are supposed to. If we sit all day, and are inactive, our bodies shut down metabolically. We don't get proper blood flow to our joints, our are muscles and nutrients are not delivered in order to repair and keep tissues as healthy as possible. Our sedentary lifestyles need to be broken up with movement. Nothing fancy, just things we like to do. If you want big muscles and sexy six packs, that's a different article and a lot of time in the gym.
5) Mental Health. It's something we don't think about enough day to day. On the perfect day, everyone would take time to decompress. Deep breathing, focus on the positives and finding ways to simply enjoy the moment. I'm hoping to see people wake up early, take time to think positive about the outcome of the day. Focus on goals, and move through the day with intention. When I present to workplaces, I find people aren't as aware of their stress level as they should be. Simply taking time to move away from the computer and breath deep for three minutes does wonders. My hope is to also see employers make available literature and names of experts to help with stress and life management. There is no shame in needing to talk. This world changes by the minute, confusion can be settled with talking to someone who is there to simply listen and guide you to a place where you can make great informed decisions. Help is not for the weak, it's for those who truly want to live the best life possible.
Five simple steps to make your day a little more healthy. Nothing major, and don't try to change it all at once. Awareness is key. I'd never stopped to think about my skin, when a few passionate experts explained to me the basics, it helped me move towards healthier living. It's small steps.
If you need a little more of a nudge take a few minutes and do these tests. These small nudges, and fun 90 minute seminars are at the core of my program to get workplaces healthy.
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