by Coach Tommy
Today’s discussion is about two of the most fundamental elements of long-term health and longevity: food hygiene (i.e., nutrition) and hydration.
Now I know what you are thinking!
“Well, duh Tommy, eating nutrient-dense whole foods and drinking water is necessary for my health.”
Yet, these two elements are probably the hardest for most people to tackle.
Most people walk around eating many processed foods and in slight to severe dehydration throughout the week.
Why?
A lot of it comes down to time management.
Life seems to be operating at warp speed all the time.
A typical morning routine includes two cups of coffee, a bagel, or other highly processed carbohydrate snacks with little to no protein, and off we go to work.
The one blessing that has come out of this unfortunate pandemic is that people are finally taking the time to slow down and be mindful of their actions.
We don’t need to be operating at 100 all the time.
When it comes to proper food hygiene and hydration, there are a few basic things that you can do to get on the right track to fueling and nourishing your body the way evolution intended:
1) Try to plan your meals the night before. Include 1 source of protein, 1 source of vegetables, and 1 source of fruit or starch
2) Try to be more mindful when you eat. Turn off your phone and be present while eating instead of scarfing down the entire meal in two bites. I know this may sound a little ridiculous. Still, by slowing down your digestion process, your body will be better prepared to absorb the nutrients and help you feel “full.” Tends to help a lot of our members from overeating
3) Keep meal replacement shakes to a minimum. This goes back to signaling to the body that it is time to digest. If you can drink 500 calories in 5 seconds, the body doesn’t have time to signal whether it is satiated or not. This typically leads to overeating
4) Set a timer in your phone for your mealtimes. If you are like me, the day can get away from me really quickly. Make sure you have some reminders to help you sit down and eat. Your body will thank you for it
5) Try to drink half of your body weight in fluid ounces per day. For example, if you are a 140-pound female, try to drink 70 ounces (~9 cups) of water a day. This is just a general guideline. If you are more active, you will need more water throughout the day
6) For every cup of coffee you drink, follow it up with 2x the amount of water. As much as I love coffee, it will dehydrate you throughout the day. Make sure you are drinking ample water if you are a coffee lover like myself
These are some basic steps you can implement in your daily life to have better food hygiene and stay fully hydrated.
Tomorrow, we will discuss stress management and mental health.
Trust me when I say that these two elements are some of the most detrimental contributors to long-term sickness in our society. We can’t even begin to tackle exercise and nutrition until we talk about stress levels and mindset.
If you are ready to book your FREE 1-on-1 Intro, click on the link below to schedule your consultation. I would love to learn more about you and how we can help.
Cheers,
Tommy