“It’s in my genes; I can’t help it…”
“I’ve been on the heavier side since young age, too late to change now…”
“I have always had low metabolism, that can never speed up as I grow older, can it?!”
How many times have you come across people resigning to their fate like this? Or perhaps you do so yourself. We tend to blame our genes for how we are today. The fact is, yes, they may be responsible for part of it, BUT, there are several other factors that affect your health: stress, diet, workouts, sleep and hormones being few.
Let’s be honest, it certainly can be hard to make big, permanent changes overnight, but small changes… these we can all try and stick to. The positive effects they will bring about to your body and your life will undoubtedly make you a loyal follower and advocate of these!
- Get up and move once in an hour
It is so important to lead an active lifestyle in general. Given the hours spent at the desk or other such activities, you automatically tend to lead a sedentary lifestyle. With all the research highlighting the negative effects of this, the only way to combat it is move more. Stand up every hour and take a 2 minute walk or just stretch. Your body will thank you for it.
- Watch your posture:
Whether sitting or standing, ensure that you are not hunched over or slumped down in the chair. Stand erect and make a conscious effort to keep your belly tucked in at all times.
Small corrections in posture go a long way in keeping the body free from aches and pains.
- Include fiber in your meal
There is much talk about making sure you consume fiber while eating healthy, but why do you require it? Well, it works to lower cholesterol and blood glucose, while also maintaining bowel health. You can get fiber from oatmeal, apples, avocados or wheat. The 7 and 14 days diet includes this in your meals as per the amount your body requires.
- Switch off, get your rest:
On the journey to getting fit, the focus tends to be only on diets and workouts. However, sleep is equally important. You cannot expect your body to function with a meager 4-5 hours of sleep when you are pushing it to the extreme daily. Try and get in 7-8 hours of sleep, even if it means lesser TV or phone time. Darken the room; this works best for a sound sleep.
- Spend some quiet time alone
We lead extremely stressful lives and this takes a toll on our overall health and body. It isn’t possible to eliminate stress causing factors entirely, but work around them by just tuning out, even if it means for 10 minutes a day. Practice meditation or spend time recalling all the things you are grateful for. You will come away feeling so much more peaceful and positive, which will also contribute to improving your health significantly.
- Consume Probiotic Foods Once a Day
Probiotics are a beneficial form of gut bacteria that help stimulate the natural digestive juices and enzymes that keep the digestive organs functioning well. Include Greek yogurt, dark chocolate or sauerkraut in your daily diet.
- Avoid taking a nap immediately after a meal
Allow the food to digest, move around a bit and get work done instead of lying down or taking a nap immediately after you have had a heavy meal.
