If you are looking for ways to make headway with your health and wellness without breaking the bank, you are in great luck …

Hey there! I recently sat down with Coach Zach Richie and Coach Gillis Pellegrin, to discuss our best tips and suggestions for improving your overall health.  We put it all on the table and had a great conversation that included: 

• How to best prepare you body for a better nights’ sleep
• How walking in the sun first thing in the morning aligns your natural energy 
• The benefits of resistance training with very limited equipment
• How slowing down to chew your food can help solve digestive issues

So whether you are maybe not drinking enough water daily, or you have terrible sleep habits that are affecting your quality of life, I’m going to share all of our best advice on how to make some impactful, positive change in your life

#1 The Power of a Good Night’s Sleep

Now when talking about sleep, what I’m referring to is QUALITY sleep.  And to better ensure quality sleep, it really is crucial to establish some type of pre-bedtime pattern or habits.  

One of the first things I would strongly suggest is setting a bedtime that you are consistent in sticking with.  Once you have established a set bedtime each night, about 30 minutes prior to that, you want to start doing things that begin to calm your mind and get you best ready for sleep.  This means doing things like turning off your cell phone, not logging on to your computer to answer emails, or watching TV.  

These are all activities that will keep your brain active and are not conducive to helping facilitate a restful nights sleep.  

Personally, I just focus on my breathing to start calming my nervous system and to basically just slow down.  It is really important that you figure out what works for you to help you calm down at the end of the day and prior to your bedtime.  This can include things like …

A warm bath with essential oils
Light stretching/ yoga to work out any tightness in your muscles
Meditation exercises
Quiet background music while you get ready for bedtime
Supplements that can help support better sleep

When it comes to supplements to help improve the quality of your sleep, most people are familiar with melatonin however, there are others that may work better for you if needed.  If you are someone who has a really hard time relaxing your mind, GABA may be something you want to read more about.  

GABA can help relax the mind naturally and it is non-habit forming.

Valerian is another herb that also helps to support relaxation and you can also purchase it as a tea.  So, if you are someone who enjoys something warm to drink, this may be ideal for you.  

The key is to look for natural supplements that are not overly complex and that SUPPORT relaxation and feelings of calm.

#2 Drink Up

A lot of us are simply not drinking enough water to be properly hydrated.  Now a lot of folks want to know how much water they should be drinking, and that’s a good question.  Of course there are factors that influence this such as daily activity, where you live, medications you may be taking however it is not unreasonable to simply DRINK MORE WATER, since many of us just are drinking enough.  However …

If you are wanting a more concise answer, a good benchmark we often tell clients is to aim for somewhere around a gallon a day.  Now there are days you will be under this and days you will be over, but it’s a good guideline.

Increasing your daily water intake will have a tremendous, positive impact on your overall health …

Can help to eradicate headaches
Reduce constipation
Support better digestion
Improve the appearance of your skin

To help you track your daily water intake, I suggest getting yourself a 32 ounce water bottle and refill when empty.

#3 Walk This Way

I’m not talking about the running around you are doing at work or at home getting things done.  I’m specifically talking about walking in the morning and if possible, out in nature! 

Did you know that your body has the very cool ability to release cortisol early in the morning?  True story.  And not only that, but getting outdoors for a morning walk also allows you the opportunity to absorb some much needed vitamin D.

About 90% of the labs I see show that my clients are vitamin D deficient.  That is a staggering statistic.  Getting out into the natural sunlight, out of your house, your car, your place of businesses is the fastest way to absorb some form of sunlight.  In order to best absorb vitamin D from the sun you do need to have exposed skin, so maybe instead of going for that morning cup of coffee, put on a tank top and take a walk first thing in the morning.  This is a fantastic way to start your day and can quickly become a new healthy lifestyle habit.

#4 You Lift Bruh?

What I’m talking about here is just lifting some form of weight, in some capacity.  If you are currently not doing any form of resistance training, you may want to choose to start with just 2 days a week or 3.  Or maybe you would rather start with a single kettlebell or a couple dumbbells at home to get you started.  Whatever works with your schedule and that you will be consistent in doing is great.  

Just start doing some form of resistance training in some capacity.  

What this is going to do is, allow you to stimulate your nervous system to the connection in the muscle system, which will in many cases allow you to improve your posture and activate all of the muscles that need to be activated in order for your posture to be optimal.

Everybody benefits from resistance training … even Grandma!

#5 Eat Your Protein and Your Veggies

A lot of times when we look at eating more protein, and we look at veggies, we associate veggies with fiber.  However, what we often overlook is the profile of micronutrients that we are not getting.  And honestly, the micronutrients in our veggies today are not what they were 30-50 years ago.

A recent statistic states that there are 160 million overweight or obese people in the United States.  Many Americans are consuming ultra-processed carbohydrates and fats, specifically unhealthy fats so, it’s really important that we prioritize protein and veggie consumption as they are the two things that, in my opinion are lacking in the standard American diet.

Getting more protein in your diet is not difficult either.  Just make sure you are including protein in each meal; this simple adjustment to your eating will put you in a much better position.

#6 The Art of Mindfulness

How many of you are still racing through meals, barely even tasting what you just ate?  Hey I’m not judging, because I’ve done this myself.  I can understand that many of you are in the midst of the chaos that is normal life and literally just swallow your food down, in order to get mealtime over with because … there is just SO MUCH TO DO STILL!

And how many of you suffer with GI issues?  Food for thought.

Something really profound that Coach Zach brought up was that as children, we often rushed through mealtime because we just couldn’t wait to get back outside to play.  Now as adults, this often results in us still rushing through mealtime, without chewing our food.  When we rush our meals, we really don’t have that conscious awareness of being satiated and this means that we are now aware of our “stopping point.”  The big problem with this, other than not enjoying a delicious meal, is that if you are someone who doesn’t track what you’re eating, it becomes very easy to over-consume.  

Also, digestion begins in the mouth with salivary amylase; a digestive enzyme that begins breaking down carbohydrates.  If you aren’t thoroughly chewing your food, you are not doing yourself any favors with respect to supporting healthy digestion.

#7 Let’s All Take a Breath

Our bodies are not able to effectively metabolize and digest food if we are in a sympathetic dominant nervous system state.  So if you, are constantly super stressed out, do you honestly think you are going to be able to sit down and genuinely enjoy your meal?  Likely NOT!

When we are constantly running at hyper speed, we tend to breathe more shallow and even hold our breath without even realizing it.  This can lead to raised heart rate and further perpetuate feelings of anxiousness which can affect so many other areas of our life … like sleep.

So here is an idea … 

Pause, and just breathe.  Start with just taking 10 deep breaths before you sit down to eat and what this will do is allow you to be more present in the moment, slow heart rate and help reduce your anxiety.

# 8 Peace Out

How many of you have someone in your life who is a negative influence?  And how many of you have taken any sort of action with respect to getting that energy away from you?  

These negative influences are energy suckers.  They just suck all the energy out of you every time you are around them, leaving you feeling anxious and stressed out.  So why haven’t you started to limit the amount of time you spend with these individuals?  Just wondering …

Yes, this can seem impossible if it’s a family member, however, I’m not suggesting you completely eliminate them from your life.  Just limit your exposure to their negativity.  Think of it this way …

Let’s say you have a big goal to lose 10 or 20 lbs.  Now Aunt Sally has tried this multiple times and failed, so she consistently ridicules you for even trying.  Aunt Sally’s negative talk is not something that is supportive or helpful to you in any way.  

If you want to be successful in anything in your life, surround yourself with those who do support you, who do lift you up, who do celebrate your wins and seriously limit your exposure to anyone who doesn’t.

#9 Last Call

If you haven’t already listened to our podcast on alcohol, one of the most listened to podcast on our channel, I highly recommend doing that.  I also highly recommend, if you’re serious about making positive changes in your life and creating healthier habits to …

Say good-bye to alcohol for a month.

If alcohol has become something of a habit, in that you are having a nightly glass of wine or cocktail to wind down, this can easily be replaced by a new healthier habit.  Perhaps any one of the previous 8 things already mentioned here?  Just an idea!  Look, here is what happens when you replace a non-healthy habit with one that is better for you …

• Self-confidence improves
• Sense of self becomes stronger and more grounded
• You start to notice subtle changes in physical aspects of your body
• You find you have more energy
• You start to experience better quality sleep
• You’re better able to manage your stress
• You find you want to include more healthy habits in your life

#10 Pay Attention to Portion Control

Paying attention to the portion sizes you are consuming is something that needs serious attention.  We are inundated with so many fast-food options and convenience items, that it is just way too easy to over-eat without realizing it.  This is why tracking macronutrients can be such a vital part in learning about your metabolism.

Once you learn how to portion a meal out with your protein source, your carbohydrate source, your veggies, and some fat, portion control becomes simpler.  Consider what are some whole food items that you really enjoy, as well as what are some food selections that need to not be on your plate.

Now, do you need to start tracking macronutrients and doing the most evidence-based approach in order to get a handle on portion control?  No.  but I do feel it’s a great place to work towards because, it will help you to learn about and better understand your own metabolism and what your energy balance is as and individual, based off of your expenditure.

If you are someone who struggles under-eating or over-eating, or if you have just lost those hunger cues, practicing some form of portion control can help keep you accountable.  What I suggest is to simply make sure you are eating enough and not over-eating.

By becoming more mindful and aware of your food choices and your portion sizes, you can start to make some very positive change with respect to your overall consumption.

A Final Thought

If you are wanting to make changes to improve your overall health and wellness … AWESOME!  What I would like to remind of is the following …

You don’t have to do it all at once
Pick ONE thing and start there
Tell others who will support you … accountability is key to your success
Celebrate the small wins … they add up to BIG achievements

To learn more tips and suggestions from myself, Coach Zach and Coach Gillis, you can listen to the FULL episode right here on our podcast channel 10 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Overall Health and Wellness FOR FREE

God Bless and thank you for reading,
Coach William and the entire Educated Dieter Family

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