Simple tips to a healthier life

Posted by NoSole on Nov 30, 2011 in advice and philosphy, blog | 36 comments

People often ask me for nutritional and exercise tips. I’m not gonna lie, I think it’s a bit humorous when they do because I’m a hypocrite in a lot of ways, but at the same time, being an athlete for a living has helped me appreciate how to better take care of your body… or at least how you SHOULD take care of yout body! Recently, Luci and I were asked this same question, and I think the tips we came up with are simple enough that anyone can use them with relative ease. Here they are, in no particular order…

• Drink more water 
• If you aren’t good at remembering, begin a routine of drinking one glass when you wake up and one before bed. Start small and you’ll find that drinking water throughout the day becomes easier. Not only will you be better hydrated and cut down on annoyances like cramping, but filling the empty space in your stomach will also curb your hunger.
• Don’t eat everything
• Overeating is common these days. If you’re anything like me, you keep eating just because is tastes good, or because you don’t want to “waste” the food. Try eating only half of your plate, wait few minutes (pick up some good conversation, watch TV, do a crossword puzzle, etc.) and then see how you feel. Most likely, you’ll notice you are no longer hungry. You can eat the other half of your meal later, and save a lil coin in the process.
• Do something active everyday
• Even if it’s just walking to work or your friend’s house. Walk, run, or ride a bike instead of driving. These days, if I don’t need the extra cargo space of my car to run errands, I always ride my bike. Often, it takes the same amount of time since bikes can go where cars can’t, and I never have to pay or look for parking. Once you start exercising, it’s easier to stay motivated to keep exercising.
• Avoid fast food
• It may taste good and it’s dirt cheap, but it’s so bad for you in every way. Sugar and sodium (not to mention fat and other carbs) are added to literally, everything. Even the salads at McDonald’s have extra sugar. Cutting out fast food was the first change I ever made in what I ate. After a few weeks, I didn’t even want to touch the stuff! Real food tastes sooooo much better!
• Small changes yield big rewards
• Most people try to do too much too quickly and easily lose motivation. Changing everything all at once only sets you up for failure. There is no such thing as a quick fix. All those crazy “diets” that promise massive results in only a few days are really only shedding water weight. Small changes are far easier to maintain because they aren’t drastic deviations from your current routine and will compound upon one another as they become (good) habit.
• Don’t call it a “diet”
• To me, that word sounds like more like “punishment” and makes life changes seem more like work, than something I actually want to pursue. This is simple mental trick that you can apply to other areas too. Mental barriers are the hardest thing to overcome. Most blame a lack of will power, so any small advantage you can gain in changing your outlook will contribute to more meaningful success.