Health is wealth

If there is one thing we can all take from lockdown and 2020, is to learn that our general health and well-being is crucial to the world economy.
 
There has never been a better opportunity to check in with how we are, our health and well-being is an area of life massively underrated in measuring individual improvements and their impact on all our lives.

2020 has revealed how crucial health and our economy is to us all, it affects the fabric that holds together our everyday lives. The two are so closely interlinked. We have been able to see how the very essence of relationships and the speed that our economy operates is subject to our own health and well-being.

Mixing together and social distancing has been a necessary step to infection control, it has also resulted in the slowing down of production and manufacturing.

The world economic structure can be brought to its knees, if health care which is aligned to how we each apply self-care is and can be woven into our lives.

A pandemic can create an environment that is slower and less productive, putting pressure on every industry, service, household and community.

So, this slower more considered environment can be used to make positive gains in our overall health and well-being. A slower pace, giving us the opportunity to explore some of the basic health-giving benefits and changes that we can all easily make and maintain in our lives.
 
That is not to say we should approach this with a spirit of fear, but with one of appreciation and celebration of our own health and well-being as the very gift that it is. Not a six-week weight loss programme, or a diet that promises certain things and when it’s over, it’s over.

We can all make a difference by improving the management of our own general health in really simple ways.

Imagine, what could change if half of the population committed to small simple changes in their health and lifestyle just imagine the effect on quality, length of life, reduction in disease, infection control, pressure on the health service, to mention only a few.
 
Two very revealing barometers of where we are with our general health is our energy levels, and sleep quality.

Our energy levels are affected predominantly by our food quality, this is both the fuel and the medicine our bodies and our immune system requires to function effectively. Food gives us physical and mental energy. It is the substance that breaks down to give us the building blocks the individual power to fight disease.
 
We are all individuals and one size does not fit all, finding our balance is relative to our health our perception and relationship to food, and to how we can manage small simple improvements in our working day and family lives.

Sustainability of any change is going to look different from one person to the other.
Therefore, any rigid approaches that do not fit with our health and lifestyle can lead to dieting and or extremes in approach.

Achieving the right balance for you is something that requires a little time, consideration, practice and self-evaluation. Just noticing with raised awareness what your body responds to and how certain nutritional benefits are affecting you, is a lifetime learning opportunity.
 
Our own relationship with food could be one that is complex. As a result of childhood, or choices made based on foods that associated with a particular life experience. This experience can be responsible for individually developed attitudes that have and are governing our food choices today. Those attitudes and choices could be serving us well, or it could mean that they need realigning with where we are now and with what we want to see in our future.

Also, regularity is key to seeing positive results, are we capable of sustaining this change into our working lives and our lifestyle?

This is not a list of do's and don’ts it is an invitation that could offer opportunity to a greater investment, based on the amazing impact and gains we find out for ourselves. We could find ourselves having a greater awareness of our individual health care management by learning and discovering what makes us tick with added vibrancy and sense of well-being.
 
This is a simple invitation to look at making a few very basic improvements over the period of the next two or three weeks. Changes that can help you to feel more connected, to have more energy improved concentration and a better sleep.
What is not to like?
 
A little goes a long way!

Here are a few simple but massively effective health changes that could have life changing benefits:
 
1. Drink more water daily. Simple clear clean water will massively boost your health, rinsing out your internal system. You could add a handful of frozen berries, lemon, ginger, limes and fresh mint. OR just keep it simple! The main thing is to make it a habit to always carry a sports water bottle with you and drink it regularly during the day.
 
2. Replace chocolate bars with a handful of nuts (unsalted) or bean protein like roasted chickpeas. If this is a step to far for you, a carob coated flapjack that contains fruit sugar.
 
3. Reduce salt and sugar intake.
 
4. Include at least two fresh vegetables in your main meal. Frozen vegetables are an alternative. Salad leaves are easy convenient and can be individually added too to create an interesting side, lunchbox or main course.
 
5. Apples and cheese a great snack for on the go, replace with the lactose free alternative cheese for diary intolerance. Try to minimise what you eat before going to bed (ideally leaving two hours or more food free).
 
6. Relax for an hour or more before going to bed.
 
7. Introduce breathing in the fresh air by committing to a 10-20 minute walk every day. This is about regularity not how many steps you achieve, its about what is easily sustainable. Anything more than 10-20 minutes is a bonus!
 
Become aware of your body the responses that you feel and the changes that these small but simple steps can have. Just noticing the benefits will help you to become more engaged with your self-care and capable of achieving a greater balance in your health and lifestyle.

How can coaching help me?

Coaching is an individual process; a life coach can explore some of the health benefits that may change your relationship with food for life. Giving you the option of learning more about your food relationship and the triggers that could be creating balance or imbalance within your health and lifestyle.

Coaching gives you the opportunity to learn more about yourself, an experience that is a permanent awareness that enables us to keep on growing and learning in a positive and transformative way.