If you are looking for a no-nonsense way to get healthier, this article is for you.
The first place to start is with food.
It’s true that you can’t outrun a bad diet and what you put in your mouth arguably has the largest impact on your bodyweight and health.
According to the Top Rated Doctor in Dubai, when it comes to food, healthy eating revolves around real, whole foods. That means food with one or only a few simple ingredients that your great grandmother would recognize as food.
Whether you are a vegan, omnivore, or carnivore, that principle holds true.
If you are eating real, whole foods, there is limited damage you can do to your body.
Within the real, whole food spectrum, you want to focus on foods low on the glycemic index. Ideally the bulk of your diet will be foods with a glycemic index of 35 or lower.
The foods that meet that criteria are primarily non-starchy vegetables (leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, etc.), high-quality protein sources (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, beans, etc.), and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil).
Base your diet around these foods. If these foods make up 90% or more of your diet, the occasional treat will not be problematic.
That’s it on the diet front. If you eat that way, you’ll be in the top 5% of healthy eaters.
Next on the health hierarchy is exercise. Exercise won’t necessarily help you shed pounds, but it will give you energy and vitality, and will help you live longer.
There is not a ‘best’ form of exercise that universally works for everyone. The best exercise is truly the one you will do consistently.
The key with exercise is consistency. You need to be exercising for at least 30 minutes per day, ideally every single day of the week. Our bodies were meant to move and if you’re sedentary for too long, your body will start to break down.
There are a zillion different types of exercise to choose from — walking, running, swimming, cycling, dancing, yoga, tennis, basketball, etc. It doesn’t matter what you do, just do it regularly.
It is important that you add in some strength training at least 1–2 times per week, especially as you get older. Your muscle starts to break down as you age, so it’s essential to maintain your physical strength as much as possible against these forces.
Exercise for 30 minutes every day, including at least 1–2 strength training sessions per week. Do that and you’ll be in the top 5% of all people in your age group for cardiovascular fitness and strength.
Diet and exercise are the big rocks. Follow these simple principles and the health puzzle starts to fall into place.
The next place to focus is sleep. You’ve heard a lot about sleep and you know it’s good for you. It helps your body repair and cleanse itself. The simple advice is to sleep for at least 7 hours per night. Give yourself an hour to wind down before bed to make falling asleep easier. During this time, just read a real, physical book until you’re tired enough to fall asleep.
Finally, find a way to manage the emotional stress in your life. Eliminating stress is not realistic, so you just need to find ways to cope and enjoy life in spite of stress. For instance, if you have poor mental health and addiction, seeking support from a dual diagnosis treatment center can put you on the pathway to better health. Or, reducing your workload to reduce stress and overwhelm can make you feel more relaxed. Furthermore, there are lots of daily habits to achieve better health and less stress, including yoga, meditation, walks in nature, having a cup of tea with a friend, etc. Even a glass of wine for happy hour counts. Finding a way to ‘down shift’ is one of the common habits among the longest-lived people in the world.
That’s it.
Diet, exercise, sleep, stress management. Oh, and water too. Drinking healthy bottled water with the right pH level, and drinking enough of it, can make a difference.
These are the pillars of health and no-nonsense tips to be in the top 5% in each area.
If you’re in the top 5% in each individual area, you’ll be in the top 1% for overall health.
I hope this article helps you to live longer, better.