Interested in improving health? Amazing! There’s a lot you can do for your health. Thinking about which diet for weight loss can boost your health? Hold the phone. Dieting with the intention of weight loss is not the same as health. In fact, diets are way more likely to cause harm to health rather than improve it. Not to mention, diets and eating with restraint are also associated with weight gain over time. You can improve health without making intentional efforts to lose weight and you’re way more likely to improve health when the focus is not on weight. Here are 6 solid areas you can shift your focus to in the pursuit of health.
We’ve been sold the idea that our health is tied to our weight and weight loss is the answer to health. But the truth is the majority of people who intentionally lose weight end up gaining it back and then some. And when people diet, lose weight, gain it back and repeat this cycle over and over, it’s called weight cycling. And it’s this weight cycling that can pose health risks and create all sorts of problems when it comes to not just physical health but mental health too.
So if not weight loss then what?
Weight and body size do NOT determine health. So it makes zero sense to pursue weight loss in the pursuit of health. And health is way more complex than the narrow concept of just nutrition and exercise we see promoted literally everywhere. So while this list is by no means an exhaustive list of how you can improve health, it’s a solid list of 6 things you can work on for your health.
6 Things You Can Do For Your Health
1. Focus on What You Can ADD to Your Plate
Rather than focusing on what foods you ‘shouldn’t’ be eating or how to eat as few calories as possible, think about what you can add to your plate to create a satisfying and pleasurable meal that makes you and your body feel good. In general, a satiating, satisfying and balanced meal contains a combination of 5 elements: carbohydrate + protein + fat + fiber + flavor. Use this equation when deciding what to add to your plate. And don’t forget to add foods you love!
2. Move Your Body in a Way That Feels Good and Listen to Your Body When it Needs Rest
There’s no one right way to move the body for health. And you don’t have to follow a structured gym or HIIT routine to be in good health. We know moving the body regularly is important and can make the body feel good. And there are loads of motivating benefits that take the appearance and weight driven guilt and shame out of movement. Instead of focusing on an aesthetic goal, pay attention to how movement impacts your confidence in movement, strength, endurance, speed, balance, flexibility, and co-ordination. And work towards these goals.
A growing body of evidence shows that deriving pleasure from physical activity may be one of the most important factors for sustaining consistent exercise, rather than focusing on frequency, intensity and duration. And activities that cause pain or suffering are more likely to be avoided. How do you think pursuing exercise for enjoyment or pleasure affect your desire to be active?
Explore activities while taking weight loss off the table: What do you enjoy doing? Do you enjoy being outside? Walking and listening to podcasts? Long bike rides with family? Sweating in a yoga class? Laps in a pool? Try different activities and take note of how you feel before, during and after. What does it do for your stress levels, sleep, energy? Does it make you feel happy? Exercise should be a positive experience, not a punishment.
3. Detox and Unplug From Social Media
Social media has taken over our everyday lives. And while there are a lot of positive benefits that come with social media, it can be a slippery slope with it comes to how it affects mental health and productivity.
The dopamine reward system perpetuates the social media habit. Every time you get a little ding on your phone with positive feedback, like a ‘like,’ a little hit of dopamine is released, which rewards the behavior. This can keep you glued to your phone constantly checking notifications. This constant reaching for the phone with even just a few scrolls can add up to a lot of wasted time that could be spent on personal relationships, career projects, personal daily life activities and so forth.
If you find yourself constantly checking social media or reaching for your phone first thing in the morning, it could be time to unplug and set some boundaries around social media. Try: setting a social media bedtime, a new morning routine, distancing yourself from your phone by putting it in another room, allotted social media times and/or time limits, etc.
Take breaks from a thing that is not real and does not exist in reality to spend time in reality.
Whether it be grabbing pizza with friends or enjoying a nature walk in the great outdoors, make sure you’re experiencing life in reality (or as much as you can while we maneuver our way through this COVID transition). You may find yourself appreciating the world and it’s people around you more than watching a curated version on your phone.
Pay attention to the media you consume and how it affects your mind, thoughts and feelings. Instagram especially has been linked to increased disordered eating, depression and anxiety. While being completely honest with yourself, weed out any negative influences. While scrolling do you come across accounts that leave you feeling positive and inspired? Do you feel neutral about it? Or does it make you feel poorly about yourself, insecure, stressed or inadequate? If you find it leaves you feeling like the latter, unfollow. And diversify your feed by actively searching out inspiring accounts that are body positive and elicit a sense of judgement free community.
4. Practice Mindfulness
Spending a lot of time planning, problem solving, thinking negative thoughts and living in autopilot can be draining and can take a toll on health. Mindfulness is a practice of making an intention to pay attention. It’s about being in the present while tuning into the body and the mind. And it means bringing awareness to the current experience and your body’s sensations, while paying attention to any thoughts or feelings without labeling or judging. You are not good or bad for a feeling. You’re just noticing and observing. It’s a little pause where you insert space to build intentions, reframe thoughts or ask yourself what you need in that moment without reacting emotionally or in autopilot.
Mindfulness is a practice you can apply to not only eating, but in other areas of life as well. And it can be practiced anywhere and anytime.
- Remove or reduce distractions from mealtimes, slow down at meals and bring awareness to how your body experiences food.
- Check in with yourself throughout the day and take deep breathes while paying attention as it moves in and out of the body. Or do a body scan where as you sit comfortably start scanning from your head to toes while focusing on each part of the body. Are there any sensations, emotions or thoughts associated with each part of your body?
- Look for mindful moments in every day tasks. i.e. Instead of doing a mindless task like brushing or flossing teeth – bring awareness to how your teeth and mouth feel before, during and after. And notice the sensations of brushing and flossing. Becoming fully aware of mindless tasks is a great way to notice the benefits of the experience.
- Try journaling. One of the oldest forms of self-expression and exploration. Journaling is a great way to cultivate an awareness of the present.
5. Create a Sleep Routine
Do you get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night (National Sleep Foundation)? If not, it might be time to work on a sleep routine. Chronic sleep deprivation can take a heavy toll on health and quality of life. I think we’re all pretty familiar with how not getting enough zzz’s is a set-up for an exhausting and cranky day where caffeine is the only saving grace. But did you know sleep plays a fundamental role in the effective functioning of nearly all systems of the body and not getting enough sleep has a more severe impact over time?
A persistent lack of sleep is tied to increased inflammation, wrecks havoc on hormones and increases risk of chronic diseases such as hypertension, heart disease and diabetes. It also impacts cognitive health and functioning and is intertwined with mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. Many people accept not getting enough sleep and come to know it as normal. And it’s addressed with powering through the day and throwing back caffeine. This may suffice for a crappy night’s sleep here and there but the cumulative effects of consistent poor sleep can take a heavy toll.
Get the most out of your sleep so you can get the most out of your day and life.
- Have a bedtime routine. This helps your body and mind realize it’s time to winddown. End each night with the same relaxing steps such as reading or a little light yoga, washing your face, journaling, etc. Just maybe not starting the Handmaids Tale at 10:15pm on a weeknight. A steady pattern of calming steps can put you in a peaceful frame of mind to sleep well.
- Customize a sleeping environment to your comfort preferences and ideal relaxation. Lower the temperature. Declutter the dresser. Make your bed inviting with comfy sheets and pillows. Make it as dark as possible.
- Avoid sleep interrupters.
- Afternoon caffeine – this a killer for me personally. I love a little afternoon coffee pick me up. But it’s 100% a sleep disruptor.
- Alcohol before bed. Sure, it may help put you to sleep. But a fun thing starts to happen, especially as you age, where you wake up in the middle of the night uncomfortable in a dead sweat and an inability to fall back asleep after 2 glasses of wine. Yay aging!
- Silence, shut down, and/or remove light emitting electronic devices (phones, TVs, computers). These devices can keep your mind stimulated and mess with circadian rhythm.
- Set a bedtime. Going to bed at about the same time every night is helpful because it conditions your body to sleep and waking cycles. This helps you to fall asleep faster and helps you get a deeper nights sleep.
6. Prioritize Stress-Management
Stress is not a friend to the body. It’s a huge contributor to inflammation (a risk factor for many chronic disease). And unfortunately, we live a hectic and stress inducing world where even our food choices and eating actions can elicit a stress response. And it’s the long-term continued activation of the stress-response system and the overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones that follows that can cause wear and tear on the body and it’s bodily processes. This puts the body at increased risk of many health problems.
The fact is life is stressful. You may not be able to change stressful situations but you can identify what triggers a stress response and learn how to react and take care of yourself in those moments. One thing you can do is start building yourself a toolbox of stress coping tools.
Some strategies might include:
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Seeking professional counseling
- Taking a mindful walk
- Have a trusting friend or family member that you can comfortably talk to for emotional support.
- Set boundaries with anything or anyone that causes stress. i.e. a toxic relationship or friendship, overbearing family members, connection to your phone, your time and energy (for instance, taking on too many projects when you don’t have the time or headspace)
- Treat yo’self – Get a pedicure, a massage, a fancy coffee, pick out a bouquet of flowers. Self-care can also sometimes be about the little ways you like to enjoy pampering and treating yourself.
These are 6 things you can do for your health – no diet needed!
Try working on some of these areas of health and wellness. And remember it’s okay if you want to lose weight – it’s understandable and normal given the weight obsessed world we are in. But health and weight are not mutually exclusive, especially when the focus on weight sacrifices mental health. Whenever your mind goes to weight, take a mindful pause and redirect thoughts to these six areas of health.
Interested in individualized support where health isn’t a short term diet with a temporary end goal but rather a practice of focusing on a long lasting healthy habits that are free of stress and guilt? I offer virtual nutrition and wellness coaching across the US! Book a discovery call and we can chat more about it!
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