The other day a friend of mine asked me what are 3 quick tips that he could do to have the most impact on his health right away. Without a moment’s hesitation I said, “Drink more water, move your body, and eat closer to the farm.”
I’m sure he was expecting something completely different like, “measuring your macros” or something like that. But, these 3 things are so simple to do I feel that they are often overlooked. There’s no reason why everyone can’t improve their current situation by implementing these simple strategies.
I want to take a few moments to talk about each one on the list. Starting with water.
Drink More Water
Let’s just cut to the chase, here. You probably don’t drink enough water. Water is critical for the proper function of dozens of processes our bodies perform daily. One of which is digestion.
Even a slight dehydration level can have an impact on your body’s metabolism. When you are dehydrated, it is harder for your body to properly digest the food you eat. The absorption of minerals from your food is lowered. Because it’s not getting enough nutrition, your body may trigger cravings for more food. That extra food becomes extra pounds.
There’s an easy solution, though. Drink more water. But, how much is the right amount of water? Well, the old eight 8 ounce glasses is now old science. What I recommend is a good starting point is 1/2 of your bodyweight in ounces of water per day. If you weight 140 lbs, that means you would need to drink at least 70 ounces of water per day to meet your hydration goals.
It’s also important to keep in mind that for every cup of coffee, soda, or alcoholic beverage you drink, or strenuous activity you participate in will raise those requirements. So, plan your day accordingly.
Move Your Body
When I say you need to move your body, I mean you need to move your body like it was designed to be moved. Our bodies were created to be moved regularly and vigorously on a daily basis, and most of us just simply don’t.
This doesn’t mean that you have to be running the Boston Marathon or competing in the CrossFit Games every day. However, your body will benefit greatly from getting at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity 5 days per week. Yard work, going for a walk, dancing, and even cleaning up the house with a little more gumption than normal can all be considered cardiovascular activity.
You’d be surprised what a benefit to your waistline and overall health these small changes in activity levels can make. Even if you are already working out 5 days per week, you will see benefit.
Eat Closer To The Farm
So, what does it mean to “Eat closer to the farm”?
Well…the further away from the farm you purchase your produce or meat the more likely your food is not going to be 100% ripe, nutritionally optimal, additive free, and taste great. Food that is trucked over long distances has to be picked before it is ripe, so it doesn’t spoil during transportation and has a longer shelf life.
Also, if you are eating fresh, whole foods from local sources you are cutting down on the chemical additives that are prevalent in the standard American diet. Many people have reactions to these additives and don’t even realize that it might be coming from their food. Many of us should be “counting chemicals” instead of “counting calories.”
Putting It All Together
If you were to implement all three of these strategies, in 90 days the way you feel would completely change. You would have more energy, lose weight, get better quality sleep, have better digestion, and the list goes on. Moving your body more often, drinking plenty of water, and eating a clean-whole food based diet is a game changer!
If you are interested in learning how you can get started right now on making healthy lifestyle changes, I have a FREE Online Course for you.
My Beginner Quick Start Guide includes:
- Complete 14-Day Workout Plan!
- Strength Workouts (no fancy equipment)
- Cardio How-Tos & Workouts
- Flexibility Guide
- Some of my BEST tips to help you get (and STAY) motivated!
If you don’t know where to start, I’m here for you. Each and every week I set aside times for what I call Success Strategy Sessions. These short (and FREE!) coaching calls are designed to get you moving toward your goals and reaching them at lightening speed. During the call we’ll talk about where you currently are, where you’d like to be, and come up with some quick actionable steps you can take right away.
These calls are FREE, but I only have a limited amount of time to do them each and every week. They are “first-come-first-serve”. If you’d like to schedule a free Success Strategy Session CLICK HERE!
