FOUR Principles to Remember:
When it comes to longevity and understanding what your body needs as you age, you want to keep it simple. The simple and repetitive habits that you create have the largest impact over time when it comes to your health, mobility, and vitality. Remember these four principles as you build on your health and fitness:
There are 24 hours in a day, so you should divide your time between work and rest appropriately. Some of the best advice we have heard from our elderly grandparents is "Make sure you spend time doing the things you love with the people you love". Time goes by so fast so don't get lost in building a career and forget to build a life you love.
The Earth spins—the sun and the moon correlate with your energy patterns. In the morning we need sun on our skin to help with our sleep cycle. As we wake in the morning our melatonin drops and our cortisol rises to help get us ready for the day. Getting sun on your skin first thing in the morning is a great way to help regulate your sleep/wake cycle. What do you do in the winter months when there is little opportunity for AM sunshine? Wait to have your coffee! Waiting 45 minutes after waking up to have your first coffee allows your body to fully wake up before you add a stimulant like caffeine. This can help you feel more alert during the day and aid in your wake/sleep cycle.
Death is inevitable, but how you live is up to you! Get living & live as healthy and as happy as you possibly can. We all know that we are going to age and eventually the inevitable will happen. But, aging does not have to be something you dread. It is never too late to start taking care of the one body you were given and begin to practice the simple lifestyle changes below for the biggest impact on your longevity.
Three important daily routines are drinking enough water, moving your body, and focusing on healthy digestion. We all know water is essential to brain function, muscle recovery, and feeling energized overall. Drinking half your body weight in ounces each day is a great way to maintain hydration, digestion, and quality sleep. Moving every single day is also a great way to stay loose, keep your digestive system moving, and keep your body composition healthy. Lastly, healthy digestion is a must! Supporting your body with fibre, water, and movement can help keep your bowel movements regular and ward off bloating after meals.
FIVE Essentials Things to Consider:
RECOVERY: Recovery begins immediately after the training session. For those of us that sit a lot during the day at work, this is a must! Our top recovery methods are simple and easy to implement when you have a busy schedule but want to maintain your workout routine. Drink half your body weight in ounces each day, aim for 0.8-1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day, and sleep 7-8 hours each night. Giving your body the support it needs to recover from workouts, stress at work, and your busy personal life is a simple but effective way to build longevity into your life.
CIRCADIAN RHYTHM: The first thing all of us can do is honouring the rhythm of life —going to bed and getting up at the same time every day is vital to balancing energy. Your sleep habits are an essential piece of the puzzle as you age. By the time you hit your forties, your body craves consistency and has a lot less room for deviation. Getting as many hours in bed before midnight and getting up at the same time each day gives your body the routine and predictability it needs to support a healthy sleep cycle, a healthy immune system, hormone production, and insulin levels. These are keys to maintaining your body weight, health, and longevity as you age.
WATER: Water assists in daily cleansing, proper usage of nutrients, and balancing energy levels. Half of someone’s BWT in ounces is a solid starting point. We also recommend looking at hydration as more than just water intake. Balancing your intake of sodium, potassium and magnesium is essential to ensure the water you are consuming is being absorbed into the body. Do you ever feel like you drink a lot of water but are still thirsty? This is a sign that you are not absorbing the water effectively and you might need to add hydration practices into your daily routine. Try half a squeezed lemon and a teaspoon of unrefined sea salt in your water in the AM for better hydration and digestion throughout the day.
DIGESTION: When you ingest food, it is a 36-44 hour investment on average. Remember, the food you chose to eat yesterday is the energy you will have today. This means nourishing your body most of the time to help with recovery, your immune system, and your mental acuity each day. Have you ever had a couple of drinks, heavy foods, and dessert the day before and noticed you don't have the same energy the next day as you normally do? Your body takes hours to digest and absorb nutrients from the foods you eat. When we follow the 80/20 rule with food we are giving our body what it needs 80% of the time for recovery, function, and nutrients. When we enjoy ourselves 20% of the time we allow for balance and enjoyment. This balanced approach to your nutrition will allow you to feel nourished and find enjoyment in food every day. This is what your body needs as you age. Predictability, support, and safety for your hormones to function, to keep your blood sugar levels steady, and to maintain or improve your body composition through your 40s, 50s and 60s.
FOOD SELECTION: Food shouldn’t be a challenge. In most cases, simple foods, such as rice, whey shakes, cooked vegetables, nut butter, bread, simple fruits, etc. are accepted and useful. Don't overcomplicate food. There is room for all food in a balanced and healthy diet. The 80/20 rule is a great way to ensure you are getting the essential nutrients that you need to support your body as you age but also allows you to participate in events and functions without guilt. The easiest way to ensure you are getting what you need at each meal is to use the hand method. A palm or two of protein, a cupped hand or two of carbs, and a thumb of fat at each meal. Next, add two fist-sized servings of veggies and you are done. Once you have mastered this simple plate-building method you can refine your food choices and take a look a food quality. The more nutritious your food choices are, the more you will get from your food. Foods that are higher in vitamins and minerals will be good for your body's composition and hormones than those that are void of essential nutrients.
To learn more about health, fitness, and nutrition, contact us for a free consult!