Health Goals

1. Write it Down

If you have difficulty reaching your goals, a great method to help you get there is to write it down. Write down your goal, your plan to reach your goal, your nutrition plan, workout schedule or anything else you might be struggling to stick to or follow. There is a psychological component to this, but to keep it simple just give it a try. This doesn't have to be on a physical piece of paper, you can type it into your phone. The key piece is to read it every morning so feel free to add your favorite quotes or inspirational sayings. Maybe read it while you sit in the sun and drink a cup of water.

2. Drink Water

How much water you should drink depends on your physical activity, weather, and a few other factors. One key piece of advice is to drink a glass of water within the first few minutes of waking up. Ideally you would also add a dash of salt or include some electrolytes with this water. 

3. Make sure you're eating enough protein.

A common mistake many people make is not eating enough protein. Ideally, you should eat 0.8-1g of protein for every pound of your goal body weight. For example, if you are 200 pounds and you'd like to be 150 pounds, you should eat around 150g of protein every day. If you're content with your weight then continue your existing nutrition plan or begin to incorporate an adequate amount of protein.

It is also important to eat quality proteins. If you find it difficult to consume protein in the form of food, you may need to incorporate a protein supplement. It is also important to make sure that your protein source does not put you over your daily carb and/or fat limit.

4. Walk!

Just get up and move! The American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association recommend walking and increasing your steps every day to promote a healthy lifestyle. The reason for this is, most people don't get enough exercise. So by walking and burning more calories every day, you are increasing your body's need for energy which draws in glucose from your blood stream and reduces your risk for insulin resistance and weight gain.

There is a lot more to this, but the main point is to set a step goal every day (10,000+ steps if you can) and increase that goal once you've reached it (i.e. you've met your step goal for 3+ days in a row, you should increase your step goal).  

5. Get Sunlight!

Sunlight kicks off many cyclical biological processes that you need to maintain great health overall. Some of our biological functions rely on sunlight (your circadian rhythm). Ideally, getting 10min of sunlight in the morning will start your day off right. Maybe take your water and electrolytes outside or by a window (windows block some sun rays so you might need to stand their longer). Dr. Andrew Huberman at Huberman Labs spends a lot of time and energy along with a lot of research dedicated to this topic so I recommend you check him out.

6. Limit Sugar

Sugar is not the enemy. But too much sugar is. Limit how much candy, desserts, or all other sweets from your diet. It is ok to treat yourself, but make that moment special aka infrequent. I won't touch too much on this 

7. Limit Processed Foods

Processed foods ARE the enemy. I know they're delicious, but there are so many unprocessed/healthy alternatives. Limit your fast food intake and all other processed foods. Ideally you should limit them to zero, but if you do cave that is ok. Just try to work on making your consumption of processed food to none.

8. Be Mindful Of Artificial Sweeteners/Sugar Substitutes

Not all artificial sweeteners are the best for you. There has been a tremendous amount of research published in the last decade that has suggested that artificial sweeteners can increase your risk to heart attacks, stroke, osteoporosis and more. Mayo Clinic and the FDA have a few articles I recommend if you are curious on learning more.  

9. Recovery

This is so important, I cant stress this enough. Take rest days often. No matter what your training split is, you should have 1-2 rest days a week. Some of my clients workout every other day with light cardio in between (great method if your schedule allows it). You must also be sure to get adequate sleep. I recommend tracking your sleep to determine the quality and track habits that promote restful sleep. Aim for 8 hours of sleep but no less than 6. There are more benefits to adequate sleep than muscle growth, sleep affects cognitive performance and focus.

10. If You Have Any More Questions Feel Free To Contact Me!