How to Stay Healthy in a Hectic Environment

Who doesn’t have a hectic life? Do you ever feel like you don’t have enough energy to get through the day? Do you know you need to make some changes but don’t know exactly what to do? How do you find the time to squeeze “it” in during your busy day??? With our careers, family, and commitments we have to take care of every day, sometimes taking care of ourselves gets forgotten or put on the back burner. Our productivity is effected the more stressed out we get. We are so much more productive in our personal and professional lives when we take care of ourselves.

Ok so that sounds great and most of us KNOW that but how do we actually do it? First identify our stressors. When does stress happen? It can be something specific that happens, an acute or chronic situation. Symptoms of stress can be physical; your hair falling out, stomach aches etc, psychological; sadness, isolation or behavioral; habits. We can stop, pause think and act rather than react to what is going on. Our thoughts influence our brains!

Here are some realistic ideas and strategies we can incorporate into our busy schedules to feel better, have more energy & be even more productive.

• Stay away from fast food and processed foods – stick with whole foods.  Life is busy for all us and there is nothing that suffers more from a busy lifestyle than our nutrition. However, if we prepare and plan ahead, eating does not have to be difficult. Remember that skipping meals leads to over-eating at your next meal. If you know you are not going to be home or in your usual environment, plan ahead. Pack a meal the night before or first thing in the morning so that you can “grab and go.” Then when you feel hungry, instead of making a poor decision because you have no other choice, you have a great meal or snack at your fingertips. Keep healthy choices in your purse, your car, workout bag, and your office so you are prepared at all times. Some great choices for on-the-go snacks could be apples, almonds, carrots, celery, hardboiled eggs, low fat Greek yogurt, nutrition bars…you get the idea. Eating right is such an important part of our health that is deserves as much attention and dedication as we give our careers, family etc. Take the time to plan our healthy meals and snacks especially when you know you are really busy. Your body will thank you for it. Eating right gives you energy!

• Get some exercise.  A weak body is an unhealthy one. It can’t fight the viruses, bacteria and diseases that threaten it on a daily basis. Getting enough exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Exercise strengthens the immune system. To get the benefit of exercise does not mean a sweaty workout at a gym, nor running a marathon. Exercise can be as simple as a daily walk of fifteen to twenty minutes. It helps move oxygen to the farthest points of the body. More oxygen means more energy. Today’s working environment doesn’t allow for a great deal of time to get in exercise, but those coffee, smoke and lunch break are great opportunities to get in some stretches, squats, push-ups and crunches.

• Nutritional Supplements. One of the most difficult aspects of being involved in nutritional medicine is the fact that nutritional supplement companies are basically an uncontrolled industry. The FDA looks at supplements like foods. Nutritional companies are really not required to put in their tablets what they say is on their label. The quality of products that is placed in most supplements is of inferior quality and their manufacturing processes are generally suspect. Spend a little time investigating the nutritional company you choose. You can locate information on the company’s website or you may need to call the company directly. Most importantly, you want a company that follows pharmaceutical-grade Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). This means that they purchase pharmaceutical-grade raw materials and then follow pharmaceutical-grade Good Manufacturing Practices in producing their supplements. These companies produce what is called pharmaceutical-grade supplements, meaning similar guidelines are followed for manufacturing their products as companies making over-the-counter or prescription medications. The government does not require the manufacturers of nutritional supplements to do this; still, some nutritional companies put this extra effort into the manufacturing of their products to provide their customers with the assurance that they are getting what is on the label. These high-quality manufacturers will put the actual amounts of the nutrients found in their products on the label and give full disclosure of all the ingredients. Another aspect of quality that needs to be considered is whether or not the manufacturer of your nutritional supplements follows what are known as U.S. Pharmacopoeia (USP) standards. These are government guidelines that assure consumers that their medications and supplement tablets are of the highest quality and will dissolve properly and be readily absorbed into the body. Pharmaceutical-grade GMP’s would be rendered worthless if the company does not also follow USP standards for the dissolution of their tablets. If the tablet does not dissolve properly, it does not matter what they put in them. Balance and completeness is another very critical aspect of choosing a high-quality nutritional supplement. Just like there are drug-interactions, there are also nutrient interactions that can create poor absorption and poor interactions. This is probably the most difficult aspect for the average consumer to really know or understand. Therefore it is critical to choose a company that understands completeness and balance in their products.

• Get enough sleep. Do you get 7-8 hours of sleep per night? Sleep helps to repair your body, reduces stress, our learning excels as we sleep and helps increase our memory. Sleeping properly can help you to control your body weight. Now, this one might surprise you! One of the lesser known benefits of sleep is that it helps regulate the hormones that affect and control your appetite. Studies have shown that when your body is deprived of sleep, the normal hormone balances are interrupted and your appetite increases. Unfortunately this increase in appetite doesn’t lead to a craving for fruits and veggies, no, instead your body longs for food high in calories, fats and carbohydrates!

• Take time for yourself. I know…how you feel like you don’t have the time. Tips for making time for yourself: prioritize your tasks. Identify what you like to do, what you want to do and what you need to do. Unplug and unwind from technology. Transform yourself to be the best you can be!

• Create the balance in your life. Have a positive attitude, laugh, visualize, journal, and breathe. Breathing is such a simple thing; we do it all the time. However, most of us do not breathe properly or get enough oxygen. I constantly have to be reminded to take full deep breathes when I am working and on a roll. Here is a great breathing exercise to do MANY times a day to reduce your stress and clear your mind. Breathe from your belly. Sit with your feet and arms uncrossed. Close your eyes. Inhale. Hold for 3 seconds. Exhale slowly. Do this a few times and you will be surprised at how much better you will feel. This can be your mini break, time for yourself, that you can do anywhere.

• Remember what matters most of all. What is really important to you? What is your legacy? Take time to love and be loved. Be Positive. Positivity feels good, increases our creativity, and broadens our minds and heart.

When we take care of ourselves we are more resilient. We worry less, we are mindful, more open to opportunities, kinder, we bounce back quicker, and are more flexible. Focus on what is right in the world and on your passion and purpose and you will find a healthier, happier life.

To get more information on specific foods to eat and products I recommend, you can reach me at lora@thenewyoulifestyle.com or 239-898-4078 or visit me at www.thenewyoulifestyle.com.

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