Tips for your optimal health 

Byadmin

In the coming weeks, you can expect a new tip in this blog every week.

Tip 1: Motivation

Set a SMART goal. Change efforts are more successful if they are SMART. That is, specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound.

  • Choose a Speculiar goal, e.g. limit meal times to 3 per day
  • MEat your progress daily and record it in a logbook.
  • Ensure the haality of it. Should it be too heavy, make your goal smaller.
  • Your goal should also Realisable. With this, you also build self-confidence.
  • TTIME-bound. Choose a date and time when you start and regularly check in your logbook how you are progressing and if you need to make changes for success.

What goals can you choose from in terms of lifestyle? What steps are you going to take towards possibly a bigger goal, such as weight loss, recovering from pain, chronic complaints or illness, improving general fitness, elite sports, being fit and growing old fit. Whatever it is start your change with 1 achievable goal. One small step makes all the big difference. Think about and choose "smart":

  • Number of meal times: 3 or 2. Vary with these.
  • Intermittent fasting: 12, 14, 15, 16 hours of fasting. Again, think about variety.
  • Food choices and quantities
  • Exercise: sitting breaks, strength and endurance training, outdoor and indoor exercise, duration of activity
  • Stress mangement: doing something you love, mindfulness, yoga, meditation
  • Breathing techniques
  • Cold or heat stimuli
  • Sleep rhythm 

If you don't get there yourself, ask me to coach you. Online or live. 

Tip 2: Eat better

Where does that start?

With awareness.

Keep track of three days for yourself:

  • When you eat and what you eat. Really every time you put something in your mouth.
  • what you are doing while eating
  • plate on your lap, off your plate, at your desk or at the table
  • alone or in company

Eat more unprocessed food

You may think there is little to choose from and therefore boring. Try something new.

Challenge yourself to eat as many different products as possible within one week. You can count anything: any kind of vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts, seeds, fish, meat, grains.... Every kind counts for 1. Variety also provides a wider spectrum of anti-inflammatory nutrients and a wider spectrum of proper gut flora.

Think of fluid intake like a "normal" glass of water. All body cells need fluids and it protects against constipation. Don't sip throughout the day, but drink when you are thirsty and then a good amount. This is less stressful for your kidneys.

Keep your protein intake limited. Slabs of meat or plate full of pulses tax your system. As an indication piece: meat and fish the size of a game card and pulses the size of a golf ball

Start eating fish 2x a week, but with MSC label. Farm-raised fish ASC often contain hormones and antibiotics

Avoid impulse eating. If you want to snack, plan healthy alternatives.

Tips for eating out:

  • do not choose fried things or anything with heavy sauces
  • Go for chicken, fish or good meat: baked, poached or grilled.
  • Go for vegetables and salads as a side dish. Ask for the sauce separately, then you can choose if and how much of it you take. You can also ask for olive oil instead of the sauce
  • If you don't want to or can't eat some things, please indicate that when you book. These days, the chefs love taking up the challenge of making something tasty for you. Allow them their preparations.
  • Portions too big, don't feel obliged to eat your plate empty.
  • If you are still hungry for dessert, share it with someone.
  • If you eat at friends or family, make them sharers in advance. That way, you may also encourage them to eat more consciously.

Tip 3: Smart shopping

  1. In the supermarket, start at the fresh section. Here you will find the healthiest and least processed products. Fill your trolley with fruit, vegetables, healthy proteins such as organic dairy products, non-pre-packaged meat and fish, whole-grain cereal products as required. Continue your shopping list and resist the urge to walk past the unhealthy shelves with chips, biscuits, sweets, soft drinks and other pre-packaged and processed foods.
  2. Don't shop on an empty stomach
  3. Get organised: make a list of what you need. Plan your menus for the week and do your shopping once a week. This will prevent you from having to get something quick in between and being tempted to buy something you don't need.
  4. Decide which ingredient is most important for you to find or avoid in your diet. Whether that is salt, sugar, calories, E-substances, fibre or healthy fats and then get the best based on label reading. You probably won't find the perfect product, but you will definitely start making better choices by comparing labels.
  5. Most healthy and real foods, such as fruits and vegetables, have no packaging and no label. Packaged foods do, so reading the ingredient list will help you choose the healthiest option. 
  6. Enjoy your trolley full of healthy things and indulge delightfully. It is serotonin, your feel-good hormone, increasing.
  7. Need recipes for your shopping list? Take a look at my site https://flexhealth.eu/blog/menu-van-de-week/ or at www.paleo.nl and www.eetpaleo.nl