5 Small Steps to Kickstart Your Health Transformation
Wake up, work, eat whatever, sleep-ish, repeat. And on the weekend do as little as possible, because the desire to slump is strong.
I Need to feel Better
Life for many of us is punctuated by binge drinking sessions and unhealthy snacks. If this sounds familiar, there’s no shame in it. You’re living the way society has dictated. We’re strong armed by our endlessly demanding 21st Century lives, which leave us bitter and tired. To counter we reach for comfort, convenience, and distraction. Which is readily available.
Why? Because it feels like the only option. We’re exhausted and fed up, so we crave a hit—whether it be sugar or alcohol. Our time is precious, so we go for quick food. We fear those niggling thoughts—so we distract ourselves.
I’m not meant to live like this
What thoughts? The ones buried at the back of the cranial cupboard. We fear them, because they are truth. The truth: we’re not meant to live this way. We still have primal DNA. We’re supposed to be active and energised.
The joke is that we, you—can be. There’s nothing stopping it. Becoming healthy isn’t an unscalable mountain at odds with your daily routine—it’s not days on end in the gym, brutally restrictive diets, or meditating in the supermarket.
It’s a series of positive life tweaks that can start small and may end up with you feeling the best you’ve ever felt. And no, it’s not too good to be true. It’s learning to indulge yourself in the right way.
Here are five small steps to kick-off your health transformation—
Drink more water
Whilst we’re all aware we need water to avoid expiring, that doesn’t mean we’re drinking enough of it.
Aiming for optimal hydration can have truly beneficial health effects, beyond the obvious. For starters, hydration directly impacts our brain functions and energy levels. Even being a little dehydrated has noticeable effects—including impaired working memory, fatigue, moodiness, and anxiety.
Have you been feeling tired and lethargic? Diet plays a big role, but so does water. Drinking more of it should help you be active.
Drinking more water also aids weight loss. Drinking half of litre has been shown to increase metabolism by up to 30%, which burns greater calories.
Achieve better sleep
We wrongly think of sleep as a human “shutting off” period, intended only for rest. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Sleep is a time when our brain processes the vast amount of information it has been exposed to during the day. It consolidates and solidifies memories, converting short term into long term.
It’s also a time of chemical replenishment and body repair. Sleep is vital for our overall health and wellbeing. So is the quality of our sleep.
For adults 7-9 hours of decent sleep is necessary to function properly in all aspects of life. If you regularly wake up feeling groggy and cloud headed—it could be the quality of your sleep isn’t great. To improve this, make sure you have a consistent bedtime, avoid caffeinated drinks during the evening, cut down your exposure to blue light before bed (smart phone!), and learn to wind down. Try a bath and a book.
Start casually exercising
Researchers have found that just 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise a day is enough to shed pounds and become much healthier. In fact, they found 30 minutes of heart pumping activity superior to an hour a day.
How is this possible? Well, 30 minutes seems like nothing—and people in the studies found it so doable their motivation remained high and they likely put more into their sessions.
Why exercise at all? Exercising isn’t about losing weight. That’s a by product of exercising. Exercising strengthens the heart, releases mood improving endorphins, releases brain boosting proteins, reduces cancer risks, improves sleep, and finally— it increases sexual fitness. Woo hoo!
Exercise is like a magical cure all pill, only it’s real and easy to access.
Types of cardio—
- Walking
- Running
- Swimming
- Aquarobics
- Cycling
- Rowing
- Boxing
Get outside
Primal DNA. Since the days when mammoths were on the menu we’ve not fundamentally changed. We have stone age bodies and needs in a modern world.
One thing we are not adapted to is being indoors all day. Our ancestors were constantly outside hunting and gathering. Even 100 or so years ago most people had a manual job, requiring them to be outside. Now, most jobs are office based, sedentary, and indoors.
This widespread lack of exercise is concerning, but so is not being outside. Being outside gives you energy, with 20 minutes as potent as a cup of coffee. Suffer from colds? Outside we breathe in phytoncides produced by plants. These increase our white blood cell count, boosting our immune systems.
Vitamin D is an important one. It helps regulate our production of calcium and phosphate—crucial for healthy bones. It also assists in warding off depression. The best possible source of natural vitamin D is of course, the sun. We must go outside.
Transition to a plant-based diet
After reading these 5 hard to ignore health benefits of a plant based diet you’ll want to give it a try. Who wouldn’t? It’s better for the environment, fights heart disease, promotes healthy skin and much more.
Suddenly starting a plant-based diet isn’t necessary. You can transition gradually. First you can replace the odd meal during the week with a plant-based one. Alongside this start cutting down on processed food. Going cold turkey is not recommended, because this could shock your system. Furthermore, you need time to build up your knowledge—keeping your meals vibrant and interesting.
Reset at The Glass House
Why not make your health transformation even easier by visiting us at the Glass House in Essex? We can start you on a manageable exercise routine and teach you all about plant-based diets at our detox and wellness retreat.
At the Glass House we’re advocates for healthy indulgence. Exercise, clean eating, proper sleep, relaxation, and true wellness.
We’re also a place to escape the urban sprawl and detox from the intense for a while.