Based on my habits, I not only need to improve when and what I eat, I also need to improve other aspects of my lifestyle and nutrition. Here are a few things I’m working on, all of which are a bit challenge for me:
Improve my digestion
Small changes like taking time to chew food properly (until it’s complete mush) may seem simple but is surprisingly challenging. Before today, I never realised how little I chew. I used to laugh at my labrador retriever because he’d just gulp down huge amounts of food in one go. Now I realise, I do it too. I’ve become so used to eating in a rush (at my desk at work, on the go between classes, meetings, appointments or even just from being famished) that I eat dog-fast all the time, even when I have loads of time to eat. Slowing down is tough. It’s easy to forget and only realise when you have a few bites left.
Sleep & rest more
I don’t sleep much. I never have. once a night owl, always a night owl. However, this doesn’t make it right. So I’m trying, again, to get more sleep. Im aiming to increase from 5-6 hours/night to 7-8. My body works hard seven days a week, so I need to give it more daily rest and recovery time.
Hydrate way more
Based on my weight and teh amount of exercise I do, I should be drinking approximately 3L of water a day. I was averaging less than 1L. I knew that was too little and I tried to drink more but my efforts would only last a day or two. Nearly one week in, I’m just anout managing it but instead of sipping it throughout the day, I sometimes need to drink two glasses in one go to catch up when I fall behind. I’ve been advised, for my digestion, to avoir drinking 15 minutes before an after my meals. Im eating 4-5 small meals a day, so really need to pay attention to when I drink; it sometimes feel like quite teh balancing act.
These are my big changes and challenges to date. If any of have simlar challenges or need to make similar changes, let me know how you are getting on.