Occasionally, we see a story about someone who is more than a hundred years old and has been healthy all of his or her life. In those stories, the reporter always asks what his or her “secret” was. Well, there is no secret, and frequently what the long-lived person says matches what researchers have found, and what we list below. We’ll start with the bare necessities of life: water, food, and sleep, and then move to the less well known.
THE BASICS ….
WATER
At Fit and Psyched, located at 1177 Clare Ave #2 West Palm Beach, which is in South Florida, we strive for 1 gallon a day. The goal is to keep your body well hydrated which also keeps your body fluids in balance. And here in South Florida, especially in summer, we lose water just by standing outside; start being active and you lose more. Keeping hydrated keeps your kidneys functioning well and your muscles energized, which helps to combat fatigue.
How to get that water? If you work at a desk, keep a bottle or glass of water there and remember to DRINK it! On the go all day? Just carry a bottle or your favorite insulated container with you. You can also keep it on your nightstand.
FOOD
A healthy diet can be a topic for numerous blogs, so we’ll keep it simple here.
- Whole foods rather than processed.
- Healthy fats – but still in moderation. Remember a “healthy fat,” such as avocado or olive, provides some good nutrients but calories are still involved.
- Complex carbs (whole grains, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, ….).
- Colorful plate – if you look at your plate and it is all brown, you’re missing out on nutrients and are probably missing vegetables. Think about beets; green, yellow and red bell peppers; carrots; broccoli; asparagus…
- Lean meats – poultry, white meat without skin; pork tenderloin or center loin; beef such as flank steak or sirloin tip.
- Seafood – salmon, ideally wild; trout; tuna; crab (B12 and C, high in protein, low in calories, but avoid canned because of high sodium); shrimp (good source of iodine)
SLEEP
We’ve heard it all our lives: 8 hours of sleep. Well health researchers still advise 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Sleep gives your body and brain time to repair and rebuild for the next day. Without adequate sleep neither your brain nor body will function and you’ll be more prone not to eat or drink right.
So, we know sleep is necessary, but it seems these days getting that sleep is getting harder. How to get it? Here are a few things that will help you:
- Find a routine – Find a schedule that will for you and keep to it, even on holidays and weekend. Go to bed at the same time every night and likewise get up at the same time. This will get your body on a schedule, and you’ll find after not too long that your body is telling you it’s time to call it quits for the day.
- Unplug – As important as that schedule is to UNPLUG, which might be harder for us that finding a schedule. At least an hour before you go to sleep, put away all electronics. Researchers at the National Sleep Foundation have found that the light emitted from our electronic devices miscues our brains and causes wakefulness. Try unwinding by reading a book or other paper-based media.
- Dark and cool – Make sure your bedroom is dark – get think drapes or shades that will that street light and other outdoor lighting. Also, the National Sleep Foundation says research shows that drop in body temperature is a trigger for sleep. You can try lowering your thermostat so your room is cooler than during the day and also try taking a hot shower or bath before bed. Both of those will work to lower your body temperature and tell you brain to say good night, so your body gets the rest it needs.
BEYOND THE BASICS…
Now that we’ve covered the necessities, here is the icing on the cake: exercise, organization (so you can follow the healthy habits), take care of your health, and last, but NOT least, attitude and your environment.
EXERCISE
We all know that exercise is key to physical and mental health. It makes your body strong which means you’re less likely to get injured in everyday routines. It also helps to manage weight which in turn helps you avoid heart disease and diabetes, to name just two things. But…. It is so easy to find reasons to skip that workout.
So, how to make sure you get it in? Find exercise and workouts that you like and can enjoy. If you don’t like running, find something else. Biking? Swimming? Fast-paced walks? Basketball or another sport? Dancing? Cardio is anything that gets you moving and raises your heart rate.
Also, consider joining a group for your cardio or weight training if you will enjoy the social aspect of it. The key is to do something you will enjoy so that you like the exercise and aren’t just pushing yourself through it and counting down to when you can stop. I have a friend whose coworker organized a Lunch Time Group Power Walk.
Even better, find more than one activity you enjoy.
The same applies to weight training. Find what you enjoy doing. That might mean working out with a friend, small group, or a personal trainer – and group and individual training is available at Fit and Psyched. Switch it up from using cables, dumb bells, barbells, kettle bells, TRX.
FOOD PREP
How to achieve this, given you’re busy and cooking takes time? Plan and cook ahead. With planning, you can also turn one meal turn into several, and I don’t mean only leftovers. You can cook more chicken than you need for a standard meal, and then use the rest of the cooked chicken for healthy salads, healthy tacos, and more.
ORGANIZATION
If you spend just a little time getting organized and, again, planning you will set yourself up to succeed.
Plan your entire week so you know what’s coming up and can be ready for it.- At the start of each day review what your day is going to be. It’s also beneficial to spend a few minutes each night reviewing what the next day is bringing so you can do some prep the night before. Have a workout first thing in the morning? Why not get your clothes out so you don’t have to think about it.
- And, again, plan your meals. Make your lunch ahead of time, and if possible, pack your lunch for the next few days so it’s a grab-and-go.
REGULAR CHECK UPS
Put this item in the “Taking Care of Yourself” column. Getting regular checkups will give you piece of mind; even if something is found you will have the peace of mind of having caught it early.
Last but not least…
ENVIRONMENT
Surround yourself with positive people and positive actions. Taking a second to thank a stranger for a small deed will make you feel good and will like make that person feel good as well! And when bad things happen (person in car behind you is yelling and honking), let it go. Consider how exhausting it must be to be him or her. If you made a mistake, don’t beat yourself up. Own it and move on. Why are these things part of being healthy? By letting things go and being with positive people, laughing, forgiving, and being grateful, you will reduce YOUR stress. And stress is not your friend as it can lead to high blood pressure and heart rate, lead to depression, increase chronic pain, and exhaust you. So, look around yourself and jettison what is negative.
We at Fit and Psyched hope these tips get you thinking. And if you have questions on how we can help, call us at 561-223-1112. Here’s to healthy and happy living!
