HUMANKIND has made some remarkable advancements since our neolithic ancestors roamed the earth. Unfortunately our current state of health is in such disarray, it raises the question, are we really evolving or devolving as a species? We are fatter, less productive, and at a higher risk of developing disease than ever before. According to a recent report published by the Scottish Parliament, around 65 per cent of people aged 16 or above are overweight or obese. The annual cost to the NHS Scotland for weight problems and obesity combined may be as much as £600 million per year.
So why is this happening? We eat too much of the the wrong type of food, not enough of the right types and we are not sufficiently physically active. We are the victims of the industrialisation and automation of our food and lifestyle. Many of us are consumed by intense cravings for processed foods which are mostly made from sugar and salt. With these foods so readily available it’s easy to be led astray.
It's safe to say we all know that we should be eating healthier and exercising more. The real problem is that we like to pretend we don’t. It’s the only way we can justify downing some of the junk food we consume and lazing around watching TV for days on end. To be healthy should mean much more, than simply being free from disease and sickness. If we focus on taking care of ourselves a little better, we will be able to get much more out of life.
By simply making a few adjustments to your overall diet and exercise patterns to keep your blood sugar on an even keel, you can become more resistant to cravings and less likely to snack or binge on the wrong types of food.
Step 1: Start the day with a healthy breakfast
Breakfast is regarded as the most important meal and sets the tone for the rest of day. If you take in healthy food, the proteins in it help repair body tissue, the healthy carbohydrates give you energy, traces of fat play biochemical roles inside your cells, and vitamins and minerals turn on the metabolic processes that allow you to think, move and carry out the activities of the day. Remember, you are not just providing nutrition to keep your body running strong all morning; you want to also keep your brain sharp.
Step 2: Choose foods that hold your blood sugar steady
A steady blood sugar helps you to avoid falling prey to impulse eating and keep your hunger in check. Make sure you eat enough so that you can keep hunger at bay in the hours that follow. Also make sure that you go high-fibre. A 2003 study on dietary fibre and weight regulation found you can cut your calorie intake by a full 10 per cent just by adding an extra 14 grams of fibre each day to your diet. This is because fibre fills you up. Choosing low-glycaemic index (GI) foods like legumes, green leafy vegetables, nearly all fruits (apart from pineapple and watermelon, which have a somewhat higher GI value) can protect you against a tendency towards snacking later in the day.
Step 3: Boost appetite-taming leptin
Leptin is your body’s appetite-taming hormone. Its job is to regulate the strength of your appetite and the speed at which your body burns calories. Low-fats foods such as unprocessed oatmeal, grapefruit, hot peppers, lean proteins, fish, low-fat yoghurt, green tea and broccoli can increase the amount of leptin in your blood and boost its ability to work. A Harvard study found that men who exercised dramatically increased leptin sensitivity, which is important when trying to lose weight as obese or overweight people tend to suffer from leptin resistance.
Step 4: Exercise
To get the real benefits of exercise, it has to become a regular part of your life. Exercise does not just burn calories, it affects your appetite, you mood, your sleep cycle and even your ability to handle sugars. If exercise machines seem like torture, try and find an activity that is fun. At our Everyday Athlete gym we have a great community of people who support and encourage each other while they exercise. We believe that this type of environment can help distract people from whatever complaints or grumbles their body may make during training.
Step 5: Rest
Adequate rest and sleep are at least as important than nutrition and exercise when it comes to improving your health and body composition. Good sleep helps our bodies and minds recover, keeping us lean, happy, mentally focused, and healthy. But chronically bad sleep can mess up our hormones, age us faster, increases chronic illnesses, and drain our IQ and so much more.
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