Health & Wellness

10

Tips to get fit and stay healthy!

By Jacqui Chaisson

The pandemic changed the way we live; it brought unprecedented stress and anxiety to every aspect of our lives. Many of us, myself included, developed unhealthy habits during 2020. Lack of regular exercise, disrupted sleep schedules and poor food choices led to weight gain aptly named, “the COVID 20”.

As life begins to return to the new normal, now is the time to get fit and healthy.

1. SET REALISTIC GOALS

Give yourself a full year to get in shape. It’s about lifestyle changes, not fad diets or unobtainable goals. Set goals that you know you can achieve. If you’ve got an extra 40-50 pounds to lose, don’t expect killer abs after a few months at the gym. Unrealistic goals set you up for failure, and you’ll find yourself giving up; losing one to two pounds a week is a safe goal.

2. JUST START TODAY

Stop planning and start doing. Make a plan and begin now, give up the sweets, take a walk after work every day at the same time, be more aware of the choices you make. Don’t try to do everything at once - instead start with a few healthy changes every day.

3. WAKE - WATER - WALK

Wake earlier, drink water (I drink a gallon of ordinary tap water daily) and walk an hour every day. Set your alarm an hour earlier and use that time to go for a walk - no excuses. Set a timer on your phone for 30 minutes, when the timer goes off - turn around and head home - it’s that simple.

4. DO IT FOR YOU

Change can seem overwhelming, and often the people closest to us can sabotage our goals. Be firm and true to yourself - this is your year to get healthy. Don’t depend on someone else to keep you on track and motivated, remind yourself that it’s up to you and just do it! After a few weeks you’ll find it becomes easier.

5. KEEP IT SIMPLE

It’s not complicated or expensive to make lifestyle changes. You don’t need to join a gym, pay for weight loss programs and complicated menus or buy exercise equipment; it’s really about making the right choices.

6. AVOID PROCESSED FOODS

Studies found that people who kept unhealthful food at home had more difficulty maintaining or losing weight. Eliminate unhealthy choices at the point of purchase; processed foods are high in sodium, fat, calories, and sugar. They often contain fewer nutrients than whole foods.

Processed foods are much more likely than other foods to lead to addictive eating behaviours, which tend to result in people overeating.

7. HEALTHY SNACKS

Keep healthy snacks at home, in the office or even in your vehicle to help resist the temptation when cravings or hunger strikes.

Good snack options include:

• raw nuts • fruits • pre-chopped vegetables • dehydrated fruit • dried seaweed

8. EAT MORE PROTEIN

A diet high in protein can help a person lose weight. An overview of existing research on high-protein diets concluded that they are a successful strategy for preventing or treating obesity.

Collectively, the data showed that higher-protein diets of 25–30 grams of protein per meal provided improvements in appetite, body weight management, cardiometabolic risk factors, or all of these health outcomes.

Eat more eggs, chicken, fish, lean meats, and beans. These foods are all high in protein and relatively low in fat.

9. AVOID SUGAR

Sugar is not always easy to avoid, but eliminating processed foods is a positive first step to take.

Much of the sugar that people consume comes from fructose, which the liver breaks down and turns into fat. After the liver turns the sugar into fat, it releases these fat cells into the blood, which can lead to weight gain.

10. GET MORE SLEEP

There is a link between obesity and a lack of quality sleep. Research suggests that getting sufficient sleep can contribute to weight loss.

The researchers found that women who described their sleep quality as poor or fair were less likely to successfully lose weight than those who reported their sleep quality as being very good.