Monday 17 June 2013

Three things you can do to change how you feel NOW



 Three things you can do to change how you feel NOW


There are lots of quick fix diets and fads out there and although this title makes quite a big claim, I can guarantee you that these three little changes will make you feel instantly revived, less bloated and tired, morel energised, less sluggish; and if you do all three for at least two weeks you will even see a difference in weight as your metabolism begins to change. Try it. You've got nothing to lose, but some extra weight and tiredness!

1. Drink water
You'll be surprised how drinking water can dramatically change how you feel. It's something so simple yet something we take for granted, but drinking will change the way you feel and function almost instantly.

Water hydrates the brain, skin and organs
Water hydrates the brain. When you're feeling tired and sluggish it's very likely that you're dehydrated. When the brain, that is made up of 90% water, is dehydrated, it slows down. Your thought processes are slower, you're not as sharp and you find it hard to concentrate. You may even get headaches as most headaches are caused by dehydration. 

Water helps digestion and eliminates toxins
Digestion is affected by water, as your body needs water to digest food and is especially useful for processing fibre in your food. Most people don't take enough fibre anyway but even those that do don't benefit from it without water as the body struggles to process and eliminate waste without water. You may experience constipation and a general sense of sluggishness as waste lodges in the gut for days. Yuk!

Water hydrates and nourishes skin with nutrients
Skin needs water for hydration and for transportation of important nutrients. However, when there's a shortage of anything in the body, the skin usually goes without because the body prioritises from the most important organs to the least important and will try to look after the internal organs first before taking care of the extremities. So if there's a shortage of water, as the skin compared to other organs needs it less, your body uses it up where it's needed most and your skin goes without. This results in dry, flaky, dull and unclear skin with more blemishes as your body cannot carry vital nutrients to the skin. Need I say more? For more water functions see below. 

2. Reduce sugar intake
Ok so I know you're not going to want to hear this but it must be said! Sugar is responsible for many ills in the body and undesirables that go way beyond just weight gain. The truth is if you want to dramatically change how you feel, your moods, energy levels, your metabolism (the rate that you body burns energy for food) and reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity, then you are going to want to reduce your sugar intake. 

Sugar slump, weight gain and health risks
Sugar has no nutritional value whatsoever. It is a high energy compound that releases energy super quick into the blood stream. The body tries to eliminate sugar from the blood stream almost immediately by releasing the hormone insulin. Insulin drops sugar levels drastically so that the blood sugar becomes lower than before and the body craves more sugar and carbohydrate to lift it again. This becomes a vicious cycle where you eat sugar, get a high insulin response, sugar drops, you crave more sugar and you eat more sugar, you get a high insulin response, sugar drops, you want more sugar and on and on it goes... 

Eventually you can wear out the Pancreas and the insulin response system that you end up with diabetes - an inability to eliminate sugar from the blood.

Bottom line is this. If sugar wasn't so bad why would the body try so hard to eliminate it? Besides this, the immediate effect of sugar intake is a slump. After the first twenty minutes of consuming sugar your sugar levels drop so much that you feel more tried and sluggish than before. This then affects your mood and the vicious cycle begins. 

Sugar encourages fat storage
And did I mention that the insulin response is the MAIN FACTOR in fat storage? Insulin is what converts sugar to fat. Think about it. The body cannot have a highly toxic substance such as sugar in the blood stream. It produces insulin to get rid. Insulin converts sugar into FAT to tuck it away quickly to minimise the damage. Simple! 

Sugar actively ages skin
Sugar also actively degenerates the skin by damaging elastin and collagen fibres through a process called glycation, which causes the skin to look and feel less supple and makes it prone to wrinkling. 

You may be thinking, "But I don't eat that much sugar!" You'll be surprised to find that there are hidden sugars in a lot of the foods and drinks we consume on a daily basis. Below is just a small example:



Here's another shocking picture.


When you decide to cut down or cut out sugar you may struggles at first. Most of us are addicted to sugar and we don't even know it so be prepared for withdrawal symptoms ranging from severe cravings, to headaches, irritability and moods swings. Some people even experience mild depression! But persevere, you do come out on the other end free from being addicted to carbs and not feeling like you have to eat all the time. You feel lighter, more energised and dare I say - younger!

3. Move!
Ok we're on to number three now which is quite simply, move! Moving your body will eliminate all sorts of problems and quite frankly will get you feeling great almost straight away. Regardless of how unfit you feel you are, moving in some way, any way, will get you feeling better. You can walk, run, dance, cycle, swim. The aim is to do it rhythmically non-stop for at least 20-30 minutes a day. You can start slowly and build up. Studies show that you can even break up 30 minutes into three 10 minute chunks in the day. And remember keep it simple. You can start by simply walking. Walking is the easiest, cheapest and most practical ways of moving straight away. You don't need any equipment and you can pretty much do it anywhere. You can take it slow and gradually build on it. Just choose a safe place to walk if you're walking outside or you can walk on a teadmill at the gym!

Movement gives you clarity of mind
As you begin you'll find that it gives you time to think and get your mind clear. Your circulation gets going. You may get a little warm and even slightly out of breath. You'll feel exhilarated and alive as your body begins to release its endorphins (the happy hormones).

Movement proven to combat depression
Amongst other things, exercise has been shown to successfully treat depression when done on a regular basis. It's not surprising as exercise releases both dopamine and endorphines, the body's 'happy hormones'. It also relieves stress.

Movement (exercise) reduces high blood pressure
Exercise has also been shown to reduce high blood pressure, a health risk associated with heart disease and associated diseases. In fact, doctors prescribe daily aerobic exercise to patients with high blood pressure and diabetes.

Movement burns calories!
Of course there is the added bonus that you will burn calories when moving! The equation is easy. The more you move the more you burn. The higher the intensity or duration means the higher the calories. So, what are you waiting for?

There are many things that can be said for exercising and the health risk factors that are reduced by doing it. But the most immediate affect is how you feel NOW!

Movement makes you feel alive, exhilarated and energised! Start today. Push past the pain and think about the gain!




Summary
And there you have it. Three things that you can do now to feel better straight away:

  • WATER - Ditch the coffees and go for water. All day everyday. Aim for 8 glasses a day
  • CUT DOWN ON SUGAR - Reduce sugar intake or cut it out completely. Avoid sugary drinks and sauces with sugar
  • MOVE! Do something every day that will get your heart rate up and keep it there for 20-30 min

Thursday 13 June 2013

Life on your terms?




Life on your terms? 

Have you heard this phrase before? Sounds good doesn't it? But how many people actually have this? Life on their own terms. And how can we get this?

We are controlled by many factors, some external, some internal. Psychology calls these extrinsic and intrinsic. Our outer world and our inner world and there are still arguments as to which affects which.

But lets not get too technical. Life throws us all sorts of things from the minute we're born and we have to learn to deal with them, make the most of them and not let them limit us from living our best life.

Easier said than done right?

I agree. It's easy to say, "Just do it!" "Go for it!" "Don't let anything hold you back!" but if, like me, you've been to many a life transforming seminars and coaching programmes and you have come away hyped but still can't get a handle on how to do the above, then you'll know that it's not as easy as that!

While simple adjustments in life enable us to live more efficiently and more productively sometimes the limitations put on us by 'life' by 'people' and the like just don't want to let go that easily and just a little 'pep talk' or 'goal setting' is not gonna do it. Why? Because even if those goals are achieved when someone is watching you and pushing you, what happens when they're not there? What happens when you're on your own? If there hasn't been that internal shift, what will compel you to stay motivated?

Well, if you find 'it' you've found 'it' - if you know what I mean!

The thing is that, 'it' is different for everyone and you cannot use someone else's 'it' to make your own personal change because it won't last. The secret is, not to spend lots of time and money trying to find 'ways' of change, systems and pointers, but to find your own 'internal reasons' for change. Spend time, resources and money if you have to, finding out what makes you want these changes, whatever they may be, and the rest will fall into place. You can easily find the ways to make the changes once you know what they are. But if your 'it' is not compelling enough then no matter how much your husband wants it, or your friends or family, it won't work for you or if it does you'll feel resentful later for living for others and not for yourself.

Find out what moves you to change? 

What is your intrinsic factor for making those internal shifts so that you can have the life that you really want?

For some it takes a crisis to re-evaluate life and take steps to making lasting changes. For some it's just being fed up of being fed up that does it. For some it's just getting a reality check or a wake up call - a challenge in their health, finances, job or relationships. Whatever it is for you, tapping into that 'something' that will help you shift from where you are to where you want to be is the key.

You see what motivates me won't necessarily motivate you. I can inspire you maybe, but unless you get stirred up on your own and for your own good reasons, you won't make those lasting changes. How do I know? Because I have chased for this amazing 'thing' that will help me change. I've looked to other people and systems, fads and motivational tools, but they never really quite hit the mark.

But when at looked at me, Sally, that's when I found my 'it'. And I'm still looking. This is not a one-time event. This is for life. You have to keep looking so that you can keep finding. As a living being you evolve and what did it for you last year may not be your 'it' for this year.

So find your 'it' and keep finding it. It's not in anyone else. It's in you. To live life on your terms you need to know what those terms are. Define them and then go live the life that you want - Life on your  terms!