Tips for Improving Your Health

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is one of those big goals most of us strive for at the start of every new year. But big goals are hard to maintain if we don't strive towards them with stepping stones. How do you “get healthy” when you have specific measurable objectives that you can track? 

If you want to get healthy, you'll have to pay attention to your eating habits, rest, stress levels, and overall health metrics. Here are a few specifics to help guide your health journey.

Pay Attention to Your Diet

Think of food like gas and your body is the car; if you fuel it up “poorly” all the time, it won't go as far. In terms of health this means tracking your caloric input and output each day with a fitness watch (while they aren’t perfect, fitness watches give you an estimate) to keep both within the range recommend by a health care professional or fitness calculator.

You should also focus on your macro and micro nutrients. Generally, macronutrients should make up the following percentages of your daily caloric intake:

• Carbohydrates: should generally make up 45-65% of your daily calories 

• Fat: typically makes up 20-35% of your daily calories.

• Protein: ideally 10-35 % of your daily calories

The amount each of these make up of your day can vary for personal health and fitness goals. Runners consume more carbs because the body converts carbohydrates into glycogen which the body needs; however, weight trainers focus more on protein since it helps repair muscle tissue.

Keep in mind that there is a difference in the type of macronutrients you eat. For example, you have refined and complex carbohydrates. An apple is an example of a complex carbohydrate because it contains carbs as well as fiber, and a cracker is a refined carbohydrate since it’s mainly made with white flour and has little nutritional value. While both can be healthy, it's best to mostly eat complex carbs.

Additionally, when looking at fat, you should pay attention to the source of it. Foods like avocado and extra virgin olive oil tend to benefit cholesterol levels. On the other hand, foods such as beef or dairy are less beneficial to our heart health but can still have other nutrients our body needs, making them best eaten in moderation.

How Do You Track Macros?

Apps such as FitBit, My Fitness Pal, and Cronometer can all help you track your macros (and sometimes micros) each day. All you have to do is input the food and amount you eat.

What About Micronutrients?

Micronutrients include sodium, sugar, fiber, as well as other categories you'll see on a nutrition label. Healthy amounts of these can vary but like macros, directly impacts health. 

For example, the American Heart Association recommends women eat roughly 25g and men should have 36g of added sugar a day because high sugar levels raise triglycerides, which can negatively impact overall cholesterol levels.

Diets Are About Balance

Eating a healthy diet isn't about strict rules as this can lead to binging. Instead, aim for balance each day with occasional “treat days”. Rather than eat straight out of the bag of chips, check the serving size and stick to that. If you have a sweet tooth, pick one small treat, such as a fun-sized chocolate bar, to eat each day. This way, you stay healthy and happy.

Pro Tip

Some of us are “bored eaters” and this can be a difficult habit to escape. Rather than go for junk food, pause and ask yourself if you'd eat a piece of fruit or veggies right now, if not, hold off on that snack.

Get Enough Rest

Sleeping gives our body time to repair itself as cells regenerate. The problem is that many of us are constantly on the go and shelve the idea of proper rest. 

Getting insufficient sleep every once in a while usually isn't a big deal, but when it continues for several weeks or months, our body may struggle to fully repair. In serious cases, this can weaken our immune system thereby increasing our risk of getting sick. 

Put the Screen Away

Doom scrolling is far too easy to fall into, especially when we're already tired and have nothing to do. However, phones, tablets, and computers put out blue light which triggers stimulation in the brain. Too much screen time before bed can affect rest by delaying the release of melatonin for some individuals. By turning your screen off at least 30minutes before bed, you allow your body to naturally relax so you can doze off.

Manage Your Stress

Long-term stress is damaging to our body because it triggers our fight or flight response and releases hormones like cortisol. Moreover, the Mayo Clinic has shown that stress harms specific areas of the body. Some of the negative impacts of long-term stress include:

·       Increased risk of heart disease and stroke

·       Elevated blood pressure

·       Disrupted digestive system

Living with high stress can also cause the muscles to naturally constrict, leaving the body feeling tight and increasing the risk of headaches.

Some ways to reduce stress include the following:

Plan Down Time

Scheduling an hour or a day to relax sounds counterintuitive, and if you think of it that way, it may be. 

Rather than see your “planned” free time as restricted on a timeline, view it as reserved. This is time you spend doing something you genuinely enjoy and feel recharged from. If you're an extrovert that could mean seeing a friend for coffee while an introvert may prefer an hour alone to read.

Practice Mindfulness

All of us decompress in different ways and mindfulness allows for this through deep breathing, journaling, coloring, among other activities. The goal here is to pick a low-stimulation activity that doesn't require a lot of thinking.

Cardio Exercise

Working out is amazing for our health and helps us burn off excess energy. Cardio is generally best for stress reduction because it burns calories/energy quickly and causes the body to release feel good hormones like endorphins (the “runners high”). 

In addition to reducing stress levels, cardio has been shown to help the cardiovascular system by reducing blood pressure and increasing HDL.

Pro Tip

While cardio workouts can help with health, excessive amounts can increase the risk of over-use injury and increase cortisol. Ideally, you should workout for around 150 minutes a week, but this can vary so consult with your doctor before making a new workout plan.

Monitor Your Health Metrics

One of the best ways to know how you can improve your health is by seeing where it currently is. After all, you can't make a plan if you have no starting point. 

You should go to your primary physician at least once a year for an exam and request a blood panel. Reviewing your blood work helps you and your doctor see which health changes you may need to make.

For example, if you have elevated cholesterol, you may need to increase your physical activity levels, change your eating habits, and cut stressors. This gives you specific goals that you can plan around. You may start by jogging for 20 minutes 4 days a week and try eating more whole foods that are low in saturated fat.

Key Note

Always talk to your doctor or see a specialist if you have questions about your health or blood work. The health tips that work for one person may not be ideal for another, and you have to do what’s right for your body.

Make Lifestyle Changes

Health centric goals aren't a one and done resolution that you ditch when it feels “good enough.” Instead, being healthy comes down to creating shifts that you can live with. These don't have to be restrictive on holidays or vacation unless specified by a doctor. You can have a different routine. What's more important is that your average routine includes healthy eating, rest and exercise. 

In instances where you're not sure what to do or where to start, consider working with a physical trainer, dietitian or nutritionist (depending on your needs), and considering what you'll stick to.

Above all else, be kind to yourself. There may be days where you turn back to old habits, and that's okay — we're human. What's most important is that you put your best effort forward and maintain the lifestyle that makes you feel great every day.