Simple Lifestyle Changes to Live Longer and Healthier
These are some simple instructions to help with lifestyle modification to care for your mind and body.
Below are some simple rules that can be easily followed.
These are some simple suggestions but if needed, intensive approach can be undertaken with use of drugs and referral to a specialist.
Nutrition
Time restricted eating, 12 to 14-hour fasting from dinner to breakfast to allow food to be digested, broken down into nutrition or waste, resting your gut.
Well-balanced diet, colorful plate.
Obviously avoid known “bad” food, fast food. Make wise choices when eating out. Balance your meal. Enjoy your meal.
Everything in moderation is the key.
Avoid alcohol on a daily basis.
Avoid getting to the point of being buzzed or alcohol intoxication.
Avoid known bad habits including smoking, vaping, chewing tobacco, excessive alcohol use.
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried or used.
Eat more fish, a good source of protein and contains many vitamins and minerals. Oily fish are beneficial which include salmon, Trout, herring, sardines, mackerel.
Cut down on saturated fat and sugars. It includes fatty cuts of meat, sausage, butter, hard cheese, cream, cakes, biscuits, large, pies etc. Unsaturated food is healthier, which includes vegetable or olive oil, oily fish, avocados, choose lean cuts of meat. Fat is high in energy, only eaten in small amounts.
Decrease amount of sugar, increases risk of diabetes and tooth decay. Packaged foods have a high amount of free sugar. Avoid sugary drinks.
Eat less salt. Too much salt can raise your blood pressure and long-term cardiovascular disease.
Regularly hydrate yourself by drinking plenty of water, recommended about 6 to 8 glasses/day or approximately 64 ounces per day.
A healthy breakfast is indeed the best meal of the day.
Sleep
Sleep disturbance, frequent waking up at night with anxiety, spending hours tossing and turning trying to relax.
Sleep is a pillar of health for everyone, empowering your body to recover, heal and feel refreshed. Recommended sleep is approximately 7 to 9 hours per night. Getting quality sleep is important but at times also challenging.
A home sleep apnea test is available to our members if they qualify.
Improve Your Sleep Hygiene
Create strong sleep behavior by having daily routines, bedroom environment consistent with sleeping, dark and at times cool temperature, avoid interruptions.
Do sleep schedule and stick with it.
Keep your bedroom cool with temperatures between 68-72 degrees.
Avoid interruptions, distractions and disruptions by turning off or putting phone on silent. Unplug a device at least an hour or so before bedtime to minimize blue light exposure that promotes wakefulness.
Routine bedtime rituals which will tell your brain eventually it’s time to go to bed can be as simple as brushing your teeth, washing your face, deep breathing and 5 minutes simple meditation. Routine provides an internal clock to your body hinting that it’s time to go to sleep.
Invest in good quality mattresses and bedding.
For any anxiety provoking or disrupting your sleep thought process, journal your worries and thoughts before bed.
Avoid eating at least 2 hours before bedtime.
Avoid alcohol, caffeine, sugary or salty food at least 3 hours before bedtime.
During daytime, get outside into sunlight to promote circadian rhythm which tells your body it’s time to be active.
Avoid long naps during daytime, if need to nap, keep it short, approximately 20 minutes and during early afternoon time.
Calm your mind by meditation, mindfulness and deep breathing exercise.
Some might see benefit with a white noise machine.
Keep your room dark or use blackout curtains or eye mask to prevent light from disturbing your sleep.
If you find yourself lying awake in bed, unable to get back to sleep, stop fighting it. Get up, go into another room and do something relaxing, fix a cup of noncaffeinated tea, read a boring book until you feel sleepy again. Key is to find something that is relaxing and enjoyable but that serves no function. Otherwise, your brain will make sure to wake up for it on a regular basis.
Sleep Medications
Sleep medications are designed to help you go to sleep but do not keep you asleep all night.
Goal is to achieve good night sleep without drugs with above instructions but if medication needed it can be prescribed.
Identify sleep disruptor – something that is causing you to not fall asleep. For example, pain, feeling uncomfortable.
Manage Your Circadian Rhythm
Step outside in sunlight during the first few hours of the day to tell your brain it is time to be awake. Practice Eco-therapy.
Get moving, physical activity even gentle walk or stretching can energize her body.
Hydrate, drink water regularly throughout the day.
Take short naps early afternoon. Limit your naps to 20 minutes approximately.
Stick to your sleep routine and cycle.
Throughout the day sometimes give your brain and body a break with following activities:
- Stand up and stretch.
- Pace yourself, avoid long inactivity, sometimes walk to kitchen get a glass of water, get healthy snack, walk your pet.
- Keep yourself active, run errands or go to grocery store.
- Keep your mind occupied, pursue a hobby, read a book, write in journal, painting etc.
- Take a break from computer screen, tablet or phone frequently.
Harm that Can Occur from Sleep Deprivation
One night without sleep can cause drowsiness, fatigue, slow thinking, reduced energy and an irritable mood.
Consistent sleep deprivation can add to motor dysfunction and cognitive impairment.
Chronic long-term sleep deprivation can contribute and worsen heart disease, depression, obesity, weakened immune system, difficult to control high blood pressure and diabetes.
Mental Health and Stress
Chronic stress can lead to headaches, high blood pressure, sleep issues, digestive problems and can contribute to heart disease. Stress obviously will impact emotional and mental health in the form of depression, anxiety and panic attacks.
Stress Avoiding Techniques
Relaxation techniques. What relaxes you?
Meditation with deep breathing exercise.
Social engaging, finding support from others.
Eco-therapy.
Be physically active, engage yourself during daytime.
Find diversion when recognizing stressful situations.
Be thankful, enjoy, laugh and play.
Engage in relaxing hobbies including art, music, crafts, walking your pet or just sitting outside in nature.
Other mental health issues including depression, anxiety, panic attacks can also be addressed with the above techniques.
We will utilize drugs and referral to a mental health professional if needed.
Exercise
Increase of wellbeing and mood, decrease stress.
It helps reduce pain.
Increase cognitive function, decreased cognitive impairment.
Increase sleep quality.
Increase cardiovascular function, decrease blood pressure and risk of heart disease.
Regulate blood sugar metabolism. Increase insulin sensitivity.
Help with weight loss. Increase calorie burn.
Enhance autonomic function (Focus, ability to respond quickly physically and mentally, help with balance)
Improves overall lung function. Increased oxygen uptake and increased physical endurance.
Increase muscle mass and physical strength.
Increase intermuscular coordination, increase exercise tolerance.
Increase immune function, decrease inflammation.
Regular exercise has proven to be the most potent longevity “drug” in our arsenal, in terms of lifespan and health span.
Pace Yourself and Start Slow
Make it personal, do an activity every day for a few minutes which is fun and comfortable for you.
Start with small steps, start with a few minutes of physical activity to help with your mental health and overall strength and fitness. Slowly increase the amount of time in doing physical activity.
Plan it out and go for it.
Make sure to step outside for Eco-therapy.
Sometimes physical activity might include doing something you do on a daily basis. Walking your pet, talking on the phone while walking outside. Add other activities to your daily routine.
Start with low impact activities like walking, cycling, swimming, yoga.
For aggressive exercise, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), intensive exercise where you have a short burst of high intensity activity followed with short burst of low to medium intensity workout. HIIT increases metabolic flexibility were burning more fata rather than just glucose for energy.
Strength work out with weight, gravity and bands. Helps build muscle mass and strong bones.
Balance training to decrease risk of fall. Hip hinging exercise with squats, step-up, hip thrusters. Pilates and Yoga once a week is very beneficial for strength, balance and stability.
Try Rucking; hiking or walking with loaded weights on your back. Good for cardio, strength and balance.
Find a friend, find a motivator and support to keep you going on a daily basis.
Any movement is better than no movement.