LIFE COACH
DEBBIE KEMP
L
et’s talk about our health. 2020 has certainly been an interesting year from a health perspective. I’d personally prefer to stay away from any pandemic specific health advice, I think there’s plenty of that out there. However I would like to talk about a range of things we can do, all of the time, to keep ourselves as healthy as possible.
means that our immune system and our digestive system can’t both operate at full capacity all of the time. Overload your digestive system and you’ll suppress your immune system, and vice versa. This is exactly why we’re often not hungry when unwell, and we should be guided by such intuition rather than eat because we think that’s a good idea.
More than ever it seems, people are most concerned about their wellbeing! People are social distancing, wearing masks, and staying indoors. Perhaps missing much needed connection, fresh air and exercise.
Exercise regularly
So what other things can we do, and should we be doing, regularly and consistently, to ensure that we maintain good health?
Eat well This is the obvious one, isn’t it? I think sometimes we take its importance for granted. Eating well doesn’t just mean having an apple a day and veggies with your dinner. It means being really mindful and intentional and choosy about what you put into your body. It means eating organic where possible to avoid the chemicals that otherwise natural food can be laden with. It means eating whole foods as much as possible because they’re nutrient dense. It means making sure that ‘sometimes foods’ really are just that, because too much processed crap really does place an extra burden on your body. Did you know that much of our immune system is ‘housed’ within our gut? This eYs Magazine, Spring 2020 | 10
This is the other obvious one that we might sometimes take for granted. Do you find yourself thinking “Soon I’ll create more time in my schedule for exercise”? I know I’m guilty of that. But exercise isn’t just about staying agile, being fit, or maintaining body weight. Exercise does so much for our body! It keeps us healthier by increasing the flow of lymph around the body, which helps remove waste and toxins. It keeps our bones and muscles strong, and our energy levels high. It helps to improve the quality of our sleep, and it just makes us feel better in our bodies and minds.
Enjoy fresh air and sunshine Ahhh, fresh air and sunshine, they’re the best of Mother Nature. I wonder how often people think about making sure they breathe in fresh air? Some people spend so much time indoors these days, breathing in air-conditioned air that doesn’t have an optimal balance of the various gases. Taking deep breaths of fresh air really helps everything to work
better! It improves a range of health markers, provides energy and helps us focus. Try taking 10 slow deep breaths of fresh air, several times a day, and observe how you feel afterwards. Sunshine is like an ultimate gift from Mother Nature. It provides us with daylight, warms our bodies, and supports vitamin D production which is great for our health. It also helps to regulate the normal functions of our body. It’s so important for our health that we get some sunlight on our skin daily, where possible of course.
Hydrate your body Water is one of those health strategies that is talked about often. “Make sure you get 8 glasses of water a day”. Do you? Hydration really is important, and just how much water you need is impacted by how much exercise you do, how much you sweat, and how much water content is provided by your food intake. So, you need to work that out for yourself. Play with it and see if you feel better and experience better digestion with more water. See if it clears any brain fog or reduces any headaches. Our brain uses a lot of water to function well and sufficient water will also support our body to flush waste and toxins.
Sleep and rest Our bodies take care of so many functions during the day, and plenty at night too!
