5 Ways to Improve your Physical Health

If you’re like me, you started off the new year making lots of promises to yourself about eating well, taking better care of your body, and how you were going to look in that bathing suit when the warmer months rolled around.  If you had great success with those, stop reading…this blog isn’t for you.   For those of us who got derailed and still have good intentions, here’s a list of ideas to help you look (and more importantly, feel) better this summer.

1.  Commit to a healthy diet.

I know, that’s the vaguest suggestion on the planet.  There are tons of conflicting opinions on what the best diet is for overall health.  Consistency is important, so if you know that you’re going to fall off the wagon going vegan and eat 34 cheeseburgers, then don’t do it.  Try something that feels like it could work for you.  Some ideas to consider:

• A low-carb, whole food diet can help if weight loss is your goal.

• Mediterranean Diet-a plant-based diet that was developed when studies found less occurrence of heart disease in these regions vs. the US.

• Paleo-centered around lean meats and plants, it’s modeled after what scientists believe our prehistoric ancestors would have eaten.  Studies have shown it causes fat loss in both the short and long term.  

• Vegan diet-strict vegetarianism that does not include meat, eggs, or dairy.  Because vegans are statistically leaner, they are less likely to suffer heart disease or diabetes.

• Gluten-free diet-gluten is found in wheat, rye, and barley.  By avoiding this, you eliminate many overly processed breads, pastas, and other baked goods.  Theoretically, you would experience weight loss simply by cutting out those foods.

Full disclosure, I’m not a nutritionist, just someone who spends a lot of time reading.  The idea is to pick something and stick with it.  I have found that simply tracking what I eat helps me be accountable.  My Fitness Pal is a great app for food tracking.  I know what you’re thinking.  “Tracking your food is HARD.  I don’t have time for that!”  It’s not hard.  Giving birth is hard.  Running a marathon is hard.  You can use an app to track your food.  Your phone is already in your hand.

2. Drink more water!  It’s unbelievable the difference you will feel when you are consistently, properly hydrated.  Lots of sources say a gallon a day should be your goal, and of course there’s not a one size fits all number.  Get yourself a water bottle that you like and keep it with you everywhere you go.  Drink more than you did yesterday.  Don’t tell yourself that diet soda counts.  It doesn’t.  

   
   

   
   

   
   

3. Move more!  Find something you like and do it.  Get yourself a FitBit or an AppleWatch or one of the 362 other gizmos that tracks your steps.  Shoot for 10,000 a day.  When you hit 10,000, aim for 12,000.

   
   

4. Get enough sleep.  Figure out what your body needs.  If you’re sleeping less than 6 hours a night, you probably feel like crap.  If you don’t feel like crap, you’ve probably been doing that for so long that feeling like crap is your baseline.  Don’t tell yourself you’re too busy to rest properly.  Your family would rather have you live a long life than have a spotless kitchen.  In ten years you won’t care about the show you’re watching on Netflix until 1am.  

5. I’m not here to judge anyone about their vices, but take a hard look at your alcohol consumption.  Half the planet took up day drinking in 2020 because we were trapped in our houses, I get it.  You will find if you’re using your calorie tracker that it’s not helping you get to your fitness goals any faster.  

I hope that you will give even one of these ideas a try so that you and your loved ones can enjoy as many summers together feeling great!  I wrote this to remind myself to stick to my commitments, and if you need a buddy on your journey this summer, reach out to me at alyson@peterkima.com!  We can be AppleWatch friends ????