They keys to good health, longevity, and being fit is not dependent on one thing. To achieve optimal health, live a long time, and being fit is dependent on three things.
- Lifestyle
- Nutrition
- Movement & Exercise
None of these three factors on their own will result in a long and healthy life.
LifeStyle
This day in age, I think lifestyle factors are the most difficult to be consistent at. The truth is….if you do not achieve this one, the other two will not yield the desired effect. The lifestyle factors to get in check are: sleep quality and quantity, stress management, socializing with friends and loved-ones, and getting in touch with nature.
Not so long ago our lives looked very different day-to-day than they do now; the majority of the lifestyle factors were built into how our days and lives flowed. Now…we have to work at these things; put forth effort towards making sure we are sleeping well, being aware of our stressors and mitigating them (reframing our perspectives), making and scheduling time with our family and friends frequently, and getting outside in the sun, trees, and animals.
As humans these things are desires built into our DNA. We need them to be healthy and content.
Below are ideas and suggestions to guide you towards incorporating or improving in each area.
Sleep: cool dark room, little or no clothing, white noise, transdermal magnesium oi, use blue blocking glasses, and use flux and the night-shift mode on electronic devices, diffuse and topically apply cedarwood, lavender, and peace & calming essential oils, sublingual CBD oil, have dinner 2 to 3 hours before bed, read a book before bed, use a night-mask, use ear plugs
Stress: be self-aware, step-away, reframe perspective, take a walk, take an Epsom salt bath, take long deep breaths, get a massage, get a mani/pedi (yes, even you men), play with a pet (doesn’t have to be yours), read, use Stress Away essential oil, meditate (use an AP for guided meditations)
Social Time: schedule weekly and monthly meals or activities with friends and family, put your phone down and connect with the people near you, start a weekly or monthly card or domino game, find a new restaurant or activity to do together, start a weekly food-prep day with friends
Nature: take a walk every day outside or every morning and evening when the sun comes up and the sun goes down (this will help with circadian rhythm) walk the dog instead of just letting them outside…you go too, go fishing, go kayaking, sit or stand in the yard barefoot (grounding) and listen to the birds, go feed the ducks (bird seed not bread)….go outside
Nutrition
You get out what you put in. Drink clean water. Think nutrient dense. Vitamins and minerals. Real whole foods. Organic every time possible. Grass-fed grass-finished beef and bison, pastured chicken, eggs, pork, and lamb. Wild-caught cold-water fish.
If you can answer yes to these questions, then it is real whole food.
- Did your food grow out of the ground, fall from a tree, or have a mother?
- Will it spoil?
There are times when we will eat foods out of a box or a bag; this day in age it is inevitable.
- Can you pronounce all the ingredient’s names? (if not, find a better quality product with the least ingredients possible)
My thought process on nutrient dense foods are real whole foods (as defined above) that have high nutrient content in a fairly small amount of calories. The goal is to eat as many foods as possible that have lots of nutrients in them throughout every day.
Book Recommendations
Movement & Exercise
You get out what you put in. Walk, walk , walk, walk, walk…..walk as much as you possibly can every day. We were designed to walk. People used to walk, walk, walk, walk….they had to….to get food, to work, to get from point A to point B, and to see other people.
Most of our lives today do not require us to walk, it requires us to sit. I work at a sitting job. I do my best to get-up once every hour or so and at least walk to the bathroom (if I’m drinking the amount of water I should be, I usually have to “go” anyway) do some hip opening stretches in my cube and move on. I take at least a 30 minute walk at lunch every day.
It is important to get in movement every day all day….walking, light stretching, air squats in the bathroom stall or cube, desk or counter push-ups, taking the stairs, park far instead of close, use a pull-up bar in door way every time you see it….whatever you can get in….get it in. I think that movement throughout the day is more important than “exercising” once a day or a few times a week.
Sprint for 10 – 15 minutes once or twice a week.
Lift Weights 1 – 4 times per week for 20+ minutes.
Side Note: Please be aware – most men lift heavier than they should to keep good and proper form. And most women lift way too light to see the results they really want.
Reminders: Warm-up the muscles you are going to be using for 10-15 minutes prior to lifting. Cool-down by doing mobility work and stretching after your workout.
Book Recommendations
Also, check out the following peeps:
Having the trifecta in-check will result in a long, healthy, and more capable life.
If you need help, guidance, have questions – please feel free to reach out to me by either leaving a comment under this post, hitting me up on Facebook or emailing me directly at bycandace@yahoo.com.
I highly encourage you to Sign-up for Thrive Market.
Thrive Market allows you to shop for all the healthy food items you know and love at discount prices, because they cut out the middle man, and it gets delivered to your door so it also saves you time. Not only do you save money, but for every paid membership Thrive Gives a membership to a family in need.
Aside from saving money, your groceries will be delivered to your door and you don’t have to go to stores thus also saving time and energy….and who can’t use more of those!?!
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