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It’s now four Mother’s Days since you left us mom. It doesn’t get any easier waking up and knowing that when I visit, you’ll be sleeping under the ground and not sitting in your chair waiting for me. But I still feel that you know I am coming and are waiting for me. The evidence (or what I choose to take as evidence) are the pennies you left for me… one yesterday to remind me and the one I found today as I waited in the rain for the bus. I know that last one was a thank you for braving the rain to make my way up to Valhalla for our annual visit.
And yes, in case you are wondering, I am dressed warm enough. I have my warm winter coat on along with my rubber rain boots and umbrella. I haven’t brought flowers but I did bring stones from my garden (where I did plant a bunch of flowers yesterday) to leave at your foot stone and also dad’s and grandma and grandpa’s.
When I get there I will try to catch you up on what I’ve been up to this year– although I’m sure you already know. I won’t stay long, it’s pouring rain down here you see and I know you wouldn’t want me to “catch cold.” I’ll just stay long enough to tell you that I love you and miss you every day.
We all want a fitter lifestyle. But it may
seem like a fitness routine comes at the expense of other forms of self-care.
That doesn’t have to be the case. Self-care is more than a buzzword, and it
doesn’t have to be time-consuming.
Strengthen
Your Diet
Between life’s commitments and working out, it
may not feel like there is enough time to practice healthier eating. But it is
such an essential element of broad self-care, and, thankfully, there are
options. A meal delivery or grocery service is one that
could give you absolute control over your diet without any of the hassle that
can sometimes come with wellness-focused nutrition.
You can increase convenience and save time
when you use kitchen appliances like a pressure cooker or slow cooker. These
handy kitchen tools can turn out a meal while you’re at work or in just 20
minutes. Take Sunday night to prep meals for the week and you’ll find that
cooking healthy is a breeze. Recipes like chicken tacos, turmeric lentil soup, and even
oatmeal can be prepped ahead of time so you can just throw stuff in the pot
when you’re ready to eat.
Use a
Schedule
There are only so many things that we can fit
into a tight week. It can seem overwhelming as you try to stick to commitments
or make new ones. Building aschedule is one solution that could restore
balance. It could be a calendar or a list of tasks and activities to pursue
daily or weekly. Whatever you add, strive to stick
to it. Your schedule does not have to be limited to major goals.
Whether your goals are big or small, they add up to make a tapestry of
wellness.
Ask yourself what your priorities are when it
comes to self-care. What is being overlooked? Are you doing yoga or meditation?
If not, find a way to fit it in. Take a weekend break with loved
ones or by yourself. Deal with the basics of self-care, as well as the chores
that sometimes fall by the wayside as we deal with more pressing matters.
Harness
Rest
Pursuing a fitter lifestyle is an enduring
commitment, but without having rest days, it may not be tenable over the long
term. It might not be an easy thing to do, but try to allow yourself to unwind.
Don’t feel guilty that you are not doing something “productive”—focusing on
your health and well-being is
productive! Spend a day relaxing instead of worrying. Do you have a favorite
show you haven’t been able to keep up with lately? How long has it been since
you took a long bath? A crucial aspect of mastering self-care is learning how
to embrace thestillness of the day. Let your body recharge
and recover. You might practice meditation to aid in this. Find a
peaceful part of your home and turn it into a space conducive to mindfulness
and relaxation. Make use of candles, ambient lighting, and plenty of plants to
purify the air. Meditation does not have to be time-consuming or intense. Even
10 minutes can be emotionally restorative and help you reduce stress.
Sleep
A good night’s rest can be easily overlooked
aspect of self-care.Sleep helps both body and mind to recover and
replenish. Not getting enough sleep can adversely affect physical and mental
health. Of course, getting that sleep is easier said than done.
Think about your nightly routine. Do you spend
time in bed watching a show or scrolling through social media? If so, that
could be a factor in restless nights. Tech emits light that can influence the
body’s internal clock and can be just as disruptive as stimulants like
caffeine. Do you go to bed at irregular hours or sleep in? That, too, can be an
obstacle to a restful night, so keep to a consistent schedule. Lastly,
cultivate an environment that supports deep sleep. Blackout curtains can
prevent unhelpful light from seeping into the room, while lowering your
bedroom’s temperature can help you sleep through the night.
Finding balance may take time. Self-care is
hugely important and can be the perfect foundation to your fitness goals.
Remember, your efforts can lead not only to a healthier state, but to a happier
you.
Guest Contributor:Sheila Olson created fitsheila.com to share her fitness philosophy with others. She believes the best way to achieve physical fitness and good health is to set and tackle small goals
We all know how vital diet
is for maintaining a healthy mind and body, but what exactly does a balanced
diet really look like? Does eating in moderation mean having 500 calories of
each macronutrient, a cup of every vegetable, or something else entirely? The
answer is not so simple, and there is variance between people—especially in
processing carbs and fats.
Some people swear by low
carb diets while others sweat by low fat diets, so which is healthier? Certain people process fats more efficiently and others are more adjusted to a diet
high in carbohydrates. These are mostly genetic differences, but they play a
major role in what a balanced diet means for you.
High Fats
Let’s first dive into a
high fat diet, it’s benefits, and drawbacks. For starters, high fat diets
ironically seem to lean people out. This is because we now know that excess
carbohydrates are stored as fat in the body, and a diet low in carbohydrates leaves little room for
this to happen. Do not mistake a high fat diet for low carb diets like the keto
or Atkins diet, which produce ketones and are not promotive of brain health.
Your macronutrient needs
are going to mostly depend on these two factors: physical activity and
biological sex. Let’s break this down so it’s easy to visualize what your needs
would be on a high-fat diet. In the bullet points below, ‘GPP’ stands for
‘grams per pound’ which is the grams of each macronutrient you would consume
per pound of body weight.
Active – Female:
1 GPP of fats, 0.75 GPP of protein, 1 GPP of carbohydrates
Active – Male:
1 GPP of fats, 1 GPP of protein, 1 GPP of carbohydrates
Sedentary –
Female: 0.75 GPP of fats, 0.5 GPP of protein, 0.75 GPP of carbohydrates
Sedentary –
Male: 0.75 GPP of fats, 0.75 GPP of protein, 1 GPP of carbohydrates
Since I fall into the
category of ‘active-female’ and weigh 140lbs, here’s what my daily
macronutrients would look like: 140 grams of fats, 105 grams of protein, and
140 grams of carbohydrates, which would total 2240 calories. This is right on
track with my macronutrient and caloric needs as an
athlete.
It’s easy to follow a plan
like this, and I don’t necessarily suggest counting macronutrients every day,
but being generally aware of the direction of your diet is a good thing. After
discussing what a high carb diet looks like, I’ll provide a meal plan for both
dietary types that can be easily adjusted to fit anyone’s macronutrient and
caloric needs without counting calories every day.
High Carbs
These diets tend to work
best for people of Latin American or European (like Italy and France) descent. Some
people are just better equipped to process carbs than others, and neither
dietary style is necessarily better nor worse than the other. As before, here’s
a layout of macronutrient needs for a high carb diet.
Active –
Female: 0.5 GPP of fats, 0.75 GPP of protein, 1.6 GPP of carbohydrates
Active – Male:
0.5 GPP of fats, 1 GPP of protein, 2 GPP of carbohydrates
Sedentary –
Female: 0.4 GPP of fats, 0.5 GPP of protein, 1.25 GPP of carbohydrates
Sedentary –
Male: 0.4 GPP of fats, 0.75 GPP of protein, 1.75 GPP of carbohydrates
Using an active, 170lb
male as an example this time, 85 grams of fats, 170 grams of protein, and 340
grams of carbohydrates per day would be consumed, totaling 2805 calories.
Now, to put this all
together, this is an example diet template that I believe is wholly balanced
and satisfies all the vitamins and minerals anyone would need in a day. Adjust
the quantities to fit your needs and remember that it’s healthy to diversify
your fruits and vegetables, and never to be afraid of a reasonable cheat meal with friends or family. Also, rarely season
with salt or any spices containing salt—most foods naturally contain sodium,
and excessive sodium damages the heart.
Meal 1
eggs seasoned
with turmeric, paprika, onion, and garlic (cooked in coconut or olive oil)
oatmeal with
whole milk, ground cinnamon, slivered almonds or walnuts, and 1 tbsp honey or
maple syrup
citrus fruit
(grapefruit, orange, lemon, etc.)
dark chocolate
unsweetened
tea or warm coffee (do NOT drink hot drinks. Studies show that drinking hot
beverages on a daily basis doubles your risk of esophageal cancer)
I’m aware of how
absolutely massive this diet appears to be—but remember, you choose how much of
each food you eat. It’s super important to have many of the foods I’ve
mentioned as a regular part of your diet for optimal brain, heart, joint, and
general health. But remember, the key is moderation and balance, and you should
never feel guilty about not following your diet to a T. Any excessive focus on
diet is bound to come at the expense of friends, free time, and fun, so don’t
allow yourself to go overboard with your nutrition.
Guest Contributor: Victoria Ward is a freelance writer with a profound interest in psychology, holistic health, and fitness. Her hobbies include tennis, cooking, writing, and yoga. When she’s not working she can be found playing with her corgi, Milo.
