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